What Our Students Say...

"Incredible teaching. So much to take in and be changed by in each exercise in each workshop."

“The writing retreat was one of the stand-out events of my whole PhD. Not only have I met some new friends but it's given me skills that I hope to carry with me for not just the remainder of the PhD but for my career too.”

“This week has honestly been a life-changing experience for me.”

“Thank you so much. I went from being nervous about my writing to uncomfortably growing, to hopeful and determined, feeling more capable.”

“This retreat made me think in ways I haven’t thought in years. It is easy to become bogged down in the anonymity of the data, and to stifle your voice to attempt to make the message more formal. But that isn’t the most effective form of information dissemination. This retreat reminded me of that. Thank you for allowing us the space for our voices to come out.”

“THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST USEFUL TRAINING EVENT I HAVE EVER ATTENDED AND THE BEST OF MY PhD. Really the biggest gift to my PhD and my confidence as a writer and researcher.”

“True North workshops are second to none. I always leave believing in myself and my abilities, with a really useful toolkit to tackle problems.”

"A highlight was the atmosphere within the group. With COVID, the last few years of doing a PhD have often been quite isolating and the sense of academic community and exchanging ideas on writing and process was really inspiring."

“I have experienced a big turning point in my work as a result of this retreat. I can now see/envisage the finished work and have a renewed enthusiasm for the whole – especially the more challenging chapters of the thesis.”

“I wasn’t expecting to completely rethink how I think about my research and how to approach [it] but I’m most grateful that this has happened. This workshop was truly transformative in changing the way I feel about myself as a writer and researcher and how to overcome challenges."

“I gained so much from this retreat and wish it was possible to attend each year of the PhD. I was able to unlock the plot of my essay, which helped to streamline my argument in a clear and concise way. The feedback … was deeply valuable - they seem to have an endless supply of writing tools and tricks! The generosity of my peers gave me confidence, inspiration, and energy.”

“It was the best academic experience I have ever had. Wonderful, open people and fantastic tutors. I found all the workshops extremely helpful, especially the brown paper technique.”

“I anticipated that this retreat would be helpful, but it wholeheartedly exceeded my expectations. My approaches to writing have not simply been improved, but completely shaken up in the best way possible. Thank you!”

“To describe this week as a ‘retreat’ seems at times wholly appropriate and at others somewhat dismissive [...] ...this week has been so much more in providing a springboard, a way to re-engage with my work in creative and innovative ways: not to escape but come closer. What is especially good is the practicality of the course and I can already see not only that my working patterns will change but also that these changes are motivated by the fact that they will result in better writing."

"It has shown me the possibilities of academic writing, and how creative tools are just as valuable. I wish all academics could have this type of training – suddenly, the libraries would sparkle!”

"Thanks again for reintroducing joy into my writing, and encouraging me to look at writing as a narrative from which the writer is not removed."

"This has been my most moving and inspiring educational experience. By far the highlight of the PhD."

“It has been like a beam of light through my dark journey.”

“The tutorials were a real highlight and a treat and I'm still thinking about and processing the feedback I received even now, days later.”

“The workshops were beautifully layered day after day, spot on and thoughtful, well paced, demanding, thoughtful.”

“The feedback was constructive and easy to follow and I have a route out of the greatest challenge of my PhD writing at the moment.”

“Could not be more grateful!! This retreat has been absolutely transformative!! I will return to my notes from the sessions throughout my life…”

“It was the most helpful part of any training I have done as part of my PhD and it has revolutionised how I feel and approach my written work.”

“In the space of a few days, I feel rejuvenated with my writing. Tina and Anna, through their brilliant morning workshops and their diligent, engaged, and invested individual tutorials, I have been able to completely reconnect with my work.”

“These are the critical turning points in one’s research. I feel empowered and enabled to move on with my project in a way that simply WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED had I not got a place on this retreat. […] MORE PLEASE!!”

“I don’t think you could have put together a more perfect week: perfectly pitched, perfectly located and somehow with the perfect mix of people. […]“I’m still assimilating much of what I learned. It was delivered with such a light touch that I can’t quite fathom the volume of information I accrued.”

“The workshop/seminars have been brilliant, our mentors brought our projects, ideas and struggles together in a space of care, progress and joy...”

“Felt I received direction on the concrete matter of my thesis, writing style, but also the expert 'permission' I needed to finally, finally allow the blurred distinction between life and work to stain the pages of my thesis.”

“I love how we were talking not just about the piece, but also about 'writing' more fundamentally. And how you were able to see the value within me - there was something about life, something existential in your teaching, which was beyond techniques.”

“I enjoyed the retreat IMMENSELY. It changed the way I think not only about my research, my reading, and my writing—but also the ways in which I communicate this knowledge to other people, the ways in which I relate to other people—the ways in which we can improve ourselves at an individual level and improve the world at large."

"There were so many moments that were so instructive, helpful, and groundbreaking that it is difficult to pinpoint one, let alone a few.”

“This was one of the most precious, necessary, and useful training events CHASE has offered me. All of the lessons we have had have been succinct, clear to understand and follow, and at a wonderfully lulling pace and level of relaxation. This retreat has calmed me down and made me realise doctorate study is not as alone as usually assumed, and that these small corners of the world can be shared with likeminded people who can better you, take care of you, and teach you.”

“We discussed my research structure, my chapters and I even decided to change the direction of my main argument in this retreat following the tutor's encouragement.”

“It helped me shape up my writing, my vision and my chapters to the extent that I did not know that my research and data held this potential.”

“I have learned so much that it's impossible to write it all down. The biggest takeaway has been the discovery of my voice and finding myself in my research. I feel like I entered as a passive researcher and I'm leaving as an active one.”

“The True North approach combining academic/personal voice feels like the future for academia and I feel very, very strongly about this.”

“This event has been the most monumental, foundational, and educational experience I've had throughout the entirety of my academic career.”

“I feel like I unlocked something which I had previously not acknowledged or been able to tap into.”
“This has been a brilliant retreat and so formative for my writing.”

“The workshop/seminars have been brilliant, our mentors brought our projects, ideas and struggles together in a space of care, progress and joy...”

"Working together with the other students and collaborating on problems and solutions has made me feel very supported in my research. PhD's can be very isolating, and events like this remind you that you are not alone."

"This retreat was absolutely amazing. It offered confidence, motivation and inspiration to continue improving in my writing and research. The connections and conversations during the retreat were very profound."

This retreat has reignited my confidence in my writing (and self more generally)."

"I have my own issues or obstacles in my work - and this week I feel like i have made real progress in understanding them and finding ways to tackle them."

"I genuinely believe this will be a turning point for me, my writing, and my perspective."