Soaking It In!

Posted October 26, 2018 by Megan Ondricek

I had a very full and productive class day this past Saturday, in which I participated in some lively class discussion, attended our LISSA West town hall meeting, gave a presentation, and sought valuable counsel from my mentors/professors about what I should do with my last semester. It was the kind of day that so perfectly encapsulates my entire experience at SLIS West that I just wanted to pause and soak it all in. It’s a feeling that has come with the realization that my days up at SLIS West are numbered.

The weather was New England fall perfection. My drive began in the dark and ended in the dark, but I got to observe both the sunrise and the sunset in the brooding, cloud-torn autumn sky. When I arrived, I parked at the little collection of shops and restaurants that holds the SLIS office so that I’d have a farther walk to class – through the cool air smelling of wet leaves and by the majestic old brick and stone ivy-clad buildings of Mount Holyoke College.

Reaching my first class early, I had time to talk with the professor about LIS 442 – the archives requirement I’m deliberating. He had plenty of insight to offer and all the details I wanted. I am so grateful I’ve been able to take a class from Rob Cox – his discussion-oriented lectures and “thought experiments” are truly enlightening and I don’t know if I’ve ever been challenged to think so critically. After class I headed back over to the SLIS office for lunch and camaraderie: two things I frequently find there. The office is small but it is a busy place on Saturdays, serving as our base of operations and commons area.

My afternoon class consisted of presentations, which were delivered a with marked increase in comfort and confidence from our first early attempts. Most of us know each other from previous classes, and as we’ve been forced to confront our public speaking and social interaction fears together the class has taken on the atmosphere of a support group. I’m learning a lot more than instruction techniques and I expect many of the lessons will stick with me for years to come. After class I walked back to my car with my professor (who is also my advisor), talking about life and school and decisions. He did little more than help confirm to me what I already felt was the best thing to do, which was probably exactly what I needed.

This week I submitted my petition to graduate and a change program form attesting to my projected completion of a Master of Science in Library and Information Science – so I guess it’s official. This phase of my life has an end date that’s now close enough to plan for, and I’m determined to soak up every last drop of the grad student life that was my dream for so long.