Was it the Right Move?

Posted September 22, 2015 by Alison Mitchell

I’m over 40.  I have two kids and a husband.  Our lives are busy and messy and crazy and good. And last year I made them busier and messier and crazier and better by starting my master’s at SLIS.

Is it hard?

Yes.

Was it the right move?

Definitely.

Going to school and working (I work part-time in a public library) and parenting and keeping the house from falling apart is a challenge, I won’t lie.  But I love being a librarian, and love that the SLIS program is preparing me for actual library work.  It’s a practical degree — every class I’ve taken includes real life, relevant information that I can apply immediately at work.  It’s a fun degree — classes and projects are interesting.  The program is a lot of work — much more than I expected at the beginning, and every semester I have to remind myself that I’ll have a lot of reading!  A lot of assignments!  A lot of group projects!  Even more group projects!  A how-on-earth-could-I-have-another-group-project amount of group projects!

Still, my whole family agrees that library school was a good move, both for me and for our family.  I’m much happier than in my previous career, and there’s a constant stream of new books in (and out) of the house.  I’m preparing for a job I can take anywhere, just in case we ever decide to move (unlikely, but still, it’s good to be flexible).  I feel like Simmons is really enhancing my work in a library, not just a box I have to check to get to the next level.  Sure, sometimes we have cereal for dinner, but whatever.

If you’re considering SLIS and fall into the category of “older” or “nontraditional” student, don’t fear!  There are a few of us floating around, and our perspective enhances class discussions and brings some “real world experience” to the classroom.  I’d love to connect with more students (and prospective students) who are parents — please drop me a line.