Mid-Semester Status Update

Posted November 2, 2014 by Alison Mitchell

So — I’m halfway through my first semester at SLIS.  For anyone out there looking for a status update, especially anyone considering becoming an older student with kids at home and work on the side, here’s my assessment of things so far.

 Better than Expected

• The people.  I thought I would be the old lady in all my classes, and not make any friends.  I was partially right — I am the old lady — but the rest of the students are by and large kind, interesting, smart, thoughtful people, and it’s been a treat getting to know them. 
• The professors.  Outstanding.  I feel so lucky that I got to take a course with Candy Schwartz before her retirement (note to future students: you still have two years!).  And I love how different professors have lectured in 401, exposing us to their styles and personalities. 
• The resources.  From the tech lab to career services to the writing center, Simmons offers an incredibly wide range of support to students — please take advantage of it!

Harder than Expected

• The work.  Honestly, I was kind of blindsided by this one.  I mean, I went to law school once upon a time, and I thought after that, library school would be a breeze.  While SLIS is definitely not as hard as law school, there is a lot of work — much more than I expected.  Thankfully, I find this work way more interesting than law!
• The balancing.  My kids don’t care if I have an assignment due — they still need lunch and laundry and rides to gymnastics.  Fitting my school into only the hours when my kids are at their school is a real challenge.  Planning my course schedule for next semester is frustrating, as only one class I need to take seems to be offered when during elementary school hours.  I often feel like I’m the only one with my particular set of constraints, and I am not excited about the less-convenient schedules to come in future semesters.

But the overall assessment?  Outstanding.  I am so happy that I decided to make this career change and would love to meet others going through similar transitions.