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a whole bunch of things
Welcome to another blog entry! So, what's on the agenda today? Well, my fearless grasshoppers, I thought I'd start this one off by pointing folks in the right direction for dual degrees. I've been getting some emails and questions regarding this nifty option and I also got to tell some folks about it at the UM dual degree fair that happened this past week. So, if you're interested in combining an MSI with something like an MBA or MSW, for example--well, you're in luck! A really good place to start looking at the current available options is here:
http://www.si.umich.edu/msi/dual/default.htm
Now, just like I promised, I will touch on portfolios. You can actually read a bit about portfolios in my career services blog this week:
http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/sicareers/
So, what does this magical word mean to you if you are looking at the options here at SI? Well, the cool thing about portfolios is that you can gain quite a lot of material to put in one within your first year here alone. For example, these are some of the things in my own portfolio:
-my resumes (all of them)
-501 group project deliverable and poster
-summer internship consultation report/deliverable
-ad campaigns from the U of M Ballroom Dance Team (I'm on their executive board)
-marketing materials I've created for SI career services
-sample projects from Java and Design of Complex Websites
-sample web pages I've created for groups like SLA
Some of these are still in progress. In fact, my own portfolio website is still in progress! And that's ok, by the way... Because I'm constantly gaining new skills and have new projects to show for it. So, when did I accumulate all of this stuff? Well, little grasshopper, believe it or not I acquired all of this and more in ONE year. Pretty cool, eh? Well, it's not an uncommon thing here at SI--you'd be amazed at how much you can learn in just one year.
So, what will I do with my portfolio? Well, it will come in handy when I get into the serious part of my job hunting adventures. And how is that going? It's definitely going! I'm still in the early stages--identifying places I'd like to pursue postings and/or networking contacts. It's a bit of a juggling act to figure out how to make time for looking at postings and actually applying for some of them, but I'm starting to get a rhythm in my personal schedule for that. Actually, this whole week has been a big juggling act! We had our annual fall break last weekend which kind of tripped me up in my usual routine, so this weekend is reserved for lots of studying.
Speaking of studying, I should really dive into writing a paper right now so I'll sign off here for now. Tommorrow is the first of SI's two open houses. It should be pretty interesting and in my next entry I will let you know if there were any really cool questions and what the discussion was like.
Until next time, fearless readers!
Posted by maryaw on October 21, 2006 at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
A Week in the Life
Welcome to another week, fearless readers! Today I will give you some insight into the craziness that is my work/school life balance.
So, as you might have read in my previous entry, I work three part-time jobs totaling about 20 hours per week and I also take 12 credits. "Well, that's just a heck of a lot of work," you say? Why yes, yes it is. However, it IS doable and manageable and today I will tell you how I do it all.
Yes, we grad students need money to survive. Ergo, we work. However, the one rule I always keep in mind is from the wise words of Xiao-wen (rockin' staff advisor that she is, here at SI): Classes first, work second, play third. Now that you know my priorities, it will make sense how I structure my time.
First, let's talk about classes. 12 graduate credits is a lot of work, no bones about it. Being tailored means that I get to choose my own curriculum; so for me every class I take is an extremely conscious choice. I also have a very clear purpose in what I choose to take, therefore I usually enjoy my classes and keep a clear goal in mind for what I want to get out of each class. Perhaps my end goal is the final project--something to build up my portfolio. Sometimes my goal is to learn, or at least become familiar with, a particular skill set. Regardless, if I don't structure my time properly, all is lost because I'll never finish my work and then I won't accomplish my goals.
Hmm... "time management"... Whatever could that buzzword be? Well, my little grasshopper, time management is the ultimate tool that will bring success to you in graduate school! Just as it is totally possible to over-extend yourself with commitments, so too is it true to under-extend yourself (i.e. boredom). You, and only you, can figure out what works best for you. People who know me well, know me as the human pinball (trust me, it's even worse when I actually drink coffee, which is why I usually stick to green tea). I know that I thrive on being busy from the time I get up to the time I go to bed.
(Well, here's a disclaimer: I'm renown for my all-nighters. Before you panic grasshopper, just know that all-nighters are not typical at SI. I just happen to be a crazy night owl and when I get on a work-roll, I stay up 'till the work is done. But hey, that's my personal style. I know that I can get absolutely minimal sleep for days at a time and still be functional because this is something I have discovered about myself. However, I have good friends here at SI who crash and burn if they try to do the same--so they don't.)
Yes, I can sense your apprehension hearing about all-nighters and minimal sleep. However, let's discuss how we can avoid these situations because although I can stay up for days, surviving on Cheetos and caffeine, I am actually known in my own family for being the ultimate sack-rat. I LOVE my sleep! So, in order to preserve this lovely sleep time in my busy day, I plan everything out. And I mean everything! Some people at SI, being tech wizards that they are, use electronic calendar systems. I like those because they look pretty, but I'm old-school when it comes to calendars. I love the Filofax dayplanner that my sister gave me for my birthday a few years ago--let's just say, we both have an odd obsession with office supplies. :o) For me, I keep things separated on good, old fashioned paper products:
1. a large wall calendar. (2006 is palm tree year! Ah, sandy beaches, no snow... I'm sure you'll hear about Michigan winter weather from me soon enough!) I map out all of my homework, assignments, and project steps on this calendar. When I've completed something, I cross it off. I also build in deadline cushions--remember when I was sick for my last blog entry? Didn't miss a deadline. :o)
2. my Filofax day planner with all of my daily schedule stuff in it. This includes personal appointments, classes, things I want to go to, etc. My planner also has other features like monthly views and notes sections, an address book, etc. This is small enough that I can tote it around in any bag or purse.
3. my week-at-glace planner for the work I do at SI. In this planer I keep track of all the things that need to be done for the Admissions office and also for Career Services. (I'll talk about my jobs in a minute...)
Lastly, I'm a huge fan of to-do lists. I make sure to keep on track with my coursework by planning for the next day or two the night before. For example, tonight before I enjoy a blissful date with my flanel sheets, down comforter, and cat sleeping on my feet (did I mention that fall weather arrived this week?) I will map out tommorrow's list of things to do. Some days (like yesterday) were nuts (as in crazy, not yummy like the Pecan variety). In cases like that I might take time to actually map out what I have to do in terms of time frame, not in a numbered list. Yes. I am Type A.
Let's talk a little bit about boredom, shall we? So, what if you need to work but don't want to work as many as 20 hours per week? Well, that is fine too, but I find that if I have structured my time well (work, activities, whatever floats your boat) then I am more structured with my homework time. I've seen people burn out from boredom--sometimes not having enouogh to do can be just as bad as having too much to do. The last thing you want is to start feeing depressed and/or apathetic about being at a really awesome graduate program. It's only two years--you want to enjoy it and make the most of it.
Speaking of making the most of things, let's talk about jobs. So, I have three. Yes, count 'em, three! Aside from helping out around SI and building all sorts of professional skills, I also have a work-study position at the Knowledge Navigation Center in UM Hatcher Graduate Library. "Why all the work?" Well, little grasshopper, I chose these for very particular reasons.
1. Schedule flexibility
2. I don't work nights and weekends (something I identified as very important to me)
3. Skill development!
For example, at the KNC I am learning more computer applications on both Windows and Mac as well as gaining experience doing library reference and instruction in a media center. For SI Career Services I review resumes, announce visiting employers, and help with internship searches--when I look for good job announcements for SI students I also get to hunt for jobs myself! And here for SI Admissions I get experience with communications and outreach. Nifty, eh? :o)
Time for shameless publicity! Check out the websites to learn more about the places where I work:
SI Admissions: http://www.si.umich.edu/applying/default.htm
SI Career Services: http://www.si.umich.edu/careers/default.htm
Knowledge Navigation Center: http://www.lib.umich.edu/knc/
Ok, let's finish this work discussion with a final note: I know a lot of people (in fact, most of them) who only work one part-time job. One person I know works 20-25 hours per week while another only works 8 hours per week. Needless to say every person has discovered what they can handle and what they want. And sometimes you learn by trial and error, it happens.
Finally! We get to talk about play time! Call me guilty as charged--I find plenty of reasons to do things that aren't 'school' which often causes me to overextend myself. However, I have learned one valuable thing over the years: I take one thing I'm super passionate about and I make sure to do it at least once per week. Keeps me sane, you know? Last year I was on the Ballroom Dance Team--I took lessons, practiced every night, and competed at least once per month. It was a whole heck of a lot of playing. And it was good for a year. But this year I'm not dancing with them, I'm just serving on the executive board as the External PR chair--I do all of their marketing and advertising campaigns. Hey! Whaddya know? Another skill for my resume! You can bet your bottom dollar that was a conscious decision. :o) "Why no dancing this year?" The answer is in balance, dear grasshopper. I have my eye on the finish line this year (think: graduation and securing a fantastic job) so I fill the dance void with the occasional drop-in ballet class and my newly resurected sewing hobby. It was a hard decision I had to make in August but well worth it!
So that is school-work-play for my life as a student at SI. I make plenty of time on weekends for my family, my boyfriend, and hanging out with friends. Trust me, school at SI will keep you busy but you can handle it. It's also probably one of the most fascinating two years I've had so far.
You might have heard me mention the word 'portfolio' in this entry. Stay tuned for my next blog entry and we will demystify the world that is Portfolios. Don't worry! It's not some strange alien planet. Actually, it's a really cool tool that anyone and, in my opinion, everyone can and should use when in school at SI. I'll use this as a lead-in to tell you about some of my job-hunting experiences. I've been playing the early bird this week and doing some networking, so you can see how my activities at SI have helped me out with that. Until then...
-maw :o)
Posted by maryaw on October 05, 2006 at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)
