On being a person first, and a grad student second

Posted March 23, 2021 by Andrea Everett

I don’t need to tell you that grad school is hard, nor do I need to explain the challenges our current global realities present. Going into the SLIS program, I knew that I would have to protect my energy and proactively build downtime into my schedule. Also, given my borderline masochism type A personality, I am working to avoid the chronic burnout I endured during undergrad.

In the rush to finish assignments, snag the perfect job, and otherwise “make the most” out of grad school, it can be easy to neglect things like relaxation and basic self-care. However, I (finally) recognize the necessity of creating structures that nourish me. In an ideal week, I stop all Simmons-related work at 6 pm every evening and take time to cook, FaceTime my friends, and partake in pleasant tomfoolery. Delineating strict boundaries between work and play, incidentally, has made me a more thoughtful and efficient student. 

These practices, more so than my readings about MARC records and RUSA behavioral guidelines, will guide my trajectory as a librarian and help me serve the surrounding community. 

If you work full-time, have children, and/or face precarious conditions of any kind, you may not have much time for yourself. Regardless of your situation, remember that you deserve comfort and fun. Even taking fifteen minutes a week to intentionally decompress will provide space for you to exist outside of your role as parent/caretaker/employee. 

This work is not always fun. I have had to course-correct after overcommitting, ask for help on various occasions, and take accountability (and sincerely apologize) after making mistakes. Striking a balance between self-care, showing up for others, and following through on obligations often feels like reinventing the wheel.  However, I’ve found that if I can acknowledge that discomfort and wade through it, I can survive most things. 
Before signing off, I’d like to recommend Adrienne Maree Brown’s Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good. In this incredible collection of essays (grounded in Black feminist thought), Brown and contributors meditate on the role of pleasure, healing, and self-love in creating a better world. Much of what I’ve written today has been informed by this text.