Back to school?
Published by Jonathan April 13th, 2008 in Grad School, LibrarianshipI’m thinking about going back to school for a Post-Master’s Certificate. Does this make me a glutton for punishment? As an academic librarian I have access to this wonderful thing called “tuition remission” which basically translates to free tuition for a max of four classes per year. I’ve thought and thought about taking classes for fun that would lead to an M.A. in History or Philosophy or Literature or whatever, but I’ve found myself coming back to Library & Information Science. For my career I think an MBA in IT Management would be ideal, but since MPOW doesn’t have such a degree a Post-Master’s in LIS would give me the opportunity to tailor the degree to my particular interests in libraries.
First, of course I have to consider whether I truly want to go back to school. I won’t be leaving my job, so that would mean school on top of work. But if I only go one class at a time, it shouldn’t be too bad, right? I think the only thing that might hold me back is the time factor. Time for family and time for me. If I go back, I’ll have to remember that finishing is not critical. I say that because I have a bit of a workaholic streak in me — I become super focused on achieving a goal to the detriment of all else. Family comes first, and if school begins to affect that in a negative manner it will be okay to take a break. I said it, so please hold me accountable.
Second, I have to figure out exactly what my program of study will consist of! The post-master’s program at CUA is very flexible and from my initial investigation it looks as though half my time will be spent doing independent studies (If I’m spending this much time on my own research should I just go for a Ph.D.?). I do have some ideas about how I’ll construct my course of study — mostly around the dual areas of IT management and the application of emerging technologies in libraries. At least that’s what I’m thinking right now, but I’ll save that for another post.
Anyone out there doing post-grad or doctoral work in library science? What do you think?
Hi Jonathan,
I responded briefly on twitter, but this probably deserves some more depth. After I got my MLIS I swore I would never, ever go back to school. After just one semester off I figured I would take one class purely for fun. It was a programming course and I had no CS background. The requirements for an MS in CS seemed at the time to be way too much for me to do, so I didn’t even entertain the idea that I would get another degree. Well after one semester I fell in love with CS and will be completing my 5th course this semester, and actually am at the point where I could seriously consider applying for a grad program.
The key to education at this point is that it should be fun. I was working full-time and taking 2 classes a semester for my MLIS and I really did not enjoy school, but I put myself through all that work because I wanted to get out of doing para-pro work right away. Now that I’m taking 1 class at a time, and doing it because I love doing it, it is purely an enjoyable experience. I already have a job doing want I want, and each class I take gives me more options. Maybe I’ll get another degree and maybe not.
It seems you (like me) have a lot of interests but don’t know exactly where you want to go, so for now just follow the most fun path, keep learning what you love (esp. if the education is free) and when you come to a wall where you need another degree or whatever you’ll be flexible enough overcome it without much effort. I’ve met so many people who have gotten Ph.Ds later in life or totally changed their field that I realized there is absolutely no rush, and no reason to jump into a specific program. You just need time for intellectual play and experimentation, and I believe in the long run you’ll figure out which direction you ultimately want to move in. Hope that helps, and feel free to email me if you have any questions!
–Will
Thanks, Will. What you say makes sense. I already have a job doing what I enjoy so any classes I take now are optional and mostly for my intellectual stimulation - anything else is a bonus.