April 29, 2009
Taking Care of YOU
Hello again,
I was reading an issue of the YMCA's "Fitness News" (April 2009) and I noticed a short article on "Brainpower and Exercise." I'll spare you a full recap, but the short and sweet of it is that exercise gets your blood pumping to places where the SMART happens, and so, in addition to contributing to your overall health and wellness, it can help you learn more effectively. Awesome. One more reason to keep up my YMCA membership even when deadlines loom. Which brought me to thinking...
In the hustle and bustle of whatever may be keeping you busy at this time, be it a job search, finals, or grad school applications the pressure you are under to "take care of business" can cause you to forget to take care of yourself. I write this not because I am a personal trainer, health guru, or certified joyologist (I am none of these things), but because it's exactly what I've been going through, and be it exercise, weekly matinees with someone special or just "me time"-it seems to be the things that help us to cope that we neglect as soon as there are way too many things to cope with.
And that brings us to this: the graduate school advice that I hope everyone receives and keeps close to their hearts, though at times it may be with varying levels of success...Find the thing that clears your head and relieves your stress, and make time for it on a regular basis. For those in relationships, it may be a "date night." It may be an hour you spend with a cup of tea and a book. It may be a show you like to watch on TV, or regular exercise. Whatever it is, once you start classes and the inevitable stress of graduate school begins, this time should become sacred because it will keep you sane in bad times, and keep you happy in good times. It may need to be moved around or adjusted in other ways as group projects and midterms pull at your calendar slots, but the peace it allows you will probably save you time in the long run because you'll still be skipping along when the all-work-no-play types are crawling over the finish line.
As I pour over every bit of literature on the interview process and how to move from "student" to "professionally employed" in 2.5 seconds, I notice that "take care of yourself" is included in pretty much every halfway-exhaustive list. It is also important before this point, as keeping your stress in check and practicing other healthy behaviors in terms of diet and exercise will also keep you healthy when the weather changes (as it is wont to do in Michigan) and the common cold makes it rounds.
In short, take care of yourself, kids. That time you save by skipping your weekly decompression may cost in the long run. Life will find enough ways to stress you out-no reason to make yourself even more vulnerable.
Posted by messelti at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2009
So...What's The Deal With Textbooks?
You're registered for all of your classes, you're paid your tuition, you've even bought a fresh notebook-what about textbooks?
As a former History major, I'm used to spending hundreds of dollars on textbooks each semester. However, as a poor graduate student I'm relieved to know that texts are a significantly smaller portion of my budget this time around. Since so many courses pull from scholarly journals or interdisciplinary sources, course readings are often posted in PDF format on a CTools course site.
When full books are required, information will be available on the course syllabus. Though it is sometimes necessary to wait until the first day of class to get this information, some professors will post the syllabus on a CTools site before class begins. Also, some classes have textbook information posted on Wolverine Access under Enrollment->My Textbooks.
Professors will often wait a week or two to assign any readings from assigned books, or put them on reserve, so that students will have an opportunity to find the texts either at the campus book stores or online. I find that it is a good practice to stop by the book store if possible and price the new and (if available) used copies, then do some comparison shopping on Amazon or Alibris. Consider the cost of shipping and handling (for example, buying new on Amazon for $2 more than used can actually save you money if you can get free shipping), and order the most affordable copy you can find. Even if that book is in the assigned reading for the following week, you should be able to get by with reserves until it arrives in the mail.
Posted by messelti at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2008
The Sweet Smell of Victory
What I am perceiving as the sweet smell of victory might actually be the savory scents of the SI Holiday party...but whatever. The point of this is that I am done.
I remember, during my SI orientation, attending a student panel where two SI students gave conflicting views of time management. One, in his intro, extolled on the virtues of getting started early on long-term papers and projects whenever possible. I'll call this the "Eric" school of thought. Another student then added to his introduction that he had NO IDEA how to do that, but hey, to each his own. This particular student figured SI was enough of a challenge without raising the bar for no good reason. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right? If you get a minute to breathe...do it! We'll call this the "Bill" school of thought.
My first year was difficult enough that I remained in the Bill school of thought for the entire year. I mean, SI was hard, and I couldn't wait four months to take a break. However, my first semester my SI501 group had decided to set our own timeline with deadlines a full week ahead of the class-giving us some wiggle room for when things fell apart. Sure enough, they did, and our timeline really saved us-allowing us to turn in our final paper right on time, but without anyone working into the wee hours to finish it. So, this semester I decided to give it a good ol' college try. I had started out on the right foot and decided that this semester I was going to do everything I could to stay there.
I started looking at projects in a "big picture" sort of way, nipping at them briefly in moments when I was still revved up from writing a paper but too tired to really get started on anything. I took to my weekly readings 1.5-2 weeks at a time, eventually finishing my semester's readings around Thanksgiving, giving me a few weeks to just work on final projects. As a result, I have been able to clear my schedule out and focus on one thing at a time, instead of juggling. (I'd not realized before this that juggling, in itself, is a bit of a timesuck.) The downside is that once a project is done a week early, the last thing you want to do is pick it back up in a week to revise it. However, setting something down long enough to clear your focus can really help you to catch any gaps in your logic, poorly-supported points and missing evidence. And let's not forget those ever-pervasive typos.
In the end it has given me a short period of clarity before the hustle (and bustle) of the Holidays and that's a lot better than a punch in the face. So yay for time-management skillz and yay for Holiday break!
Posted by messelti at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2008
Filling in the Gaps
It's something that's been coming up a lot this semester, so I'd like to address it-advice column style. Here is an exchange I had with myself earlier this semester. I'm happy to say that I've decided to take my own advice, and will spend next semester doing so.
Dear Megan,
I'm almost done with my graduate program, but I feel that I'm still pretty weak in instructional technology. I don't have any time to take an extra class. How can I round out my skills?
Sincerely,
Seeking Information
Dear SI,
When considering ways to make yourself competitive for the job market, it's important to look beyond the classes you've taken to the grand total of your experiences. You've completed the first step-you've evaluated yourself as a whole and found your weak points-now you have to consider the wide range of resources available to you. Do you know anyone who uses instructional technology in their job? Are you comfortable asking this person for help? (Note: If you have not yet comfortable asking for help-time to get comfortable. Otherwise, you will cut yourself off from a lot of opportunities.)
If this line of thinking does not produce any useful results, start thinking outside of the box. Remember, as an information professional you will often be charged with the task of finding the solution to an information problem-even if you must invent the solution. Do you know of any local institutions that provide these service? If so, time to go in, shake some hands and ask some questions. This industry is full of professionals who are willing to help the next generation. Don't be shy.
In your case, you may want to check any local or academic libraries. Most offer classes and will usually have at least one staff member who teaches at least part time. See if they will let you sit in on a class, or perhaps mentor you for a brief time. No room for an internship? See if they will offer up a weekend day or two-think of it as a no-credit mini-course.
Some day in the near future, a prospective employer may be quite impressed to see how to solved your own information problem. Think of it as an extra coat of shine on your resume. Life favors the go-getter. Now go get 'em!
Sincerely,
Megan
Posted by messelti at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2008
I'm Back!
Oh my! It's amazing how time flies. It seems like only last month I sat down to write my massive tome on housing at UofM...and here we are, in another fall semester! Classes have started. Everyone who was seeking housing and considering schools last spring has decided, moved, and commenced their graduate careers. How exciting!
I know it may seem a bit nerdy, but I've been a little excited about starting school. Okay, that's more than a bit nerdy. That's flat-out nerd-tastic. Still, as short as summer seems to have been, I got to do a lot with my four months off. In one of my last posts (last April) I wrote about all the projects I wanted to do this summer, and how that conflicted with pressure to do a full-time internship. I was waiting to hear back from the Ypsilanti District Library and wrote that I'd "keep you posted on how this pans out." Well, better late than never!
In the end, I got the internship. I've been working with a few people at the library all summer, and now I'm starting a right-proper for-credit internship! So, let this be a testament to the power of doing things your own way. As is my lot in life, I did not accomplish everything I'd set out to do ("Lofty" is a word I'd use to describe many of my goals), but I did get to work on a lot of them, including: rejuvenation of a student-led online information resource, getting a dialog started between a local business and local youth center for future fundraising, reading a book of my choice (I read several, in fact), learning a number of new software programs, etc. In my usual non-committal way I had three part-time jobs instead of a full-time gig. But I get to have my cake and eat it, too.
By completign two semesters of part-time internships here in Ypsilanti, I get to become better acquainted with the entire library. I will spend time in a number of departments, at different braches, even. Also, I get to move on from learning the job to combining the two in a few different programming adventures come spring. And when I graduate and begin my job search, I'll have a network of employers with my name fresh on their lips. That's about as win-win as it gets in my world.
So welcome to September, everyone. This is the beginning of the coaster ride, where we're moving slow, but faster than we're used to, and the anticipation is building. Should be a fun ride.
Posted by messelti at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2008
Another Housing Blog...
It's that time of year when incoming students are starting to consider just where they'd like to live in fall. There are already a couple of Admissions Blogs about housing (you can find them here, here, and here). Here's another one, because obtaining multiple perspectives is a vital step in making informed decisions.
If you can, schedule a visit. Some incoming students visit campus in the spring and summer to meet with advisors and get a feel for the campus. If you are already planning a visit, start your housing search early. Although many individual apartments may not be available for viewing this early in the summer, apartment complexes are more likely to do tours year-round and often have a model unit they keep vacant for this purpose. If you are able to visit, make appointments to view any apartments you can to get a feel for what is available and to get a closer look at Ann Arbor's residential neighborhoods. I think that they all have a different feel so it's good to get an idea of which one will be best for you.
Can't come to town until orientation? In this case, you will probably have to do your home shopping by internet. There are a number of resources to consider.
Northwood Community apartments are University housing for graduate students and families. It is on North campus (meaning you will most likely have to take the campus bus to class) and is generally pretty nice. They have furnished and unfurnished units, and start at $746/mo for an unfurnished economy 1-bedroom.
Local apartment communities abound in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and many are on bus routes that will take you straight downtown (which are free with your student ID). They vary from very nice to not-so-nice, but sites such as apartmentguide.com and others will help you to find complexes in the area and compare rates. Some inexpensive complexes on bus routes include Mill Creek Townhouses, Spicetree Apartments, and Westwood Apartments. Through apartmentguide.com or their own websites, you can usually get a virtual tour of a model unit, and information on rates and size. However, I HIGHLY recommend cross-referencing these names on a review site, such as Apartmentratings.com to get an idea of what the residents actually think, as any problems with maintenance or pests will probably not appear on the complex's website. When you do this, remember that the complex's web site and angry reviews represent two extreme views on these places, the reality is probably somewhere inbetween, so weigh your information accordingly. The upside: they are often cheaper and/or larger than campus housing. The downside: there aren't many affordable complexes within walking distance to campus or campus bus routes, so you will have to depend on city busses or communiting (and campus parking) to get to class.
Renting from smaller companies and individual landlords is a little bit of a gamble but can really pay off if you put your time into finding the right place. Ann Arbor is full of rental housing, and it comes in all forms. I have always had good experiences with renting houses (and sharing with roommates) from individuals instead of larger rental companies. There are a lot of houses/duplexes/apartments for rent in this area, but since they aren't part of a large company they are more accessible through Craigslist or Mlive, local newspaper classifieds, etc. The upside: A more interesting selection of homes, sometimes cheaper and some of them are a much better value and more private than large complexes can offer. The downside: They are harder to find and evaluate from afar, as the real thing might be a lot better or worse than how it is described online. I highly suggest requesting recent photos from the landlord before making any decisions.
Ann Arbor Neighborhoods SI students often populate single houses and apartments just north of the Rackham Building(Ann Street or Catherine Street), in Kerrytown (on Ann or Catherine, but near Main Street), Burns Park (Packard Ave and Stadium Blvd) West of downtown (West of Main Street) or farhter out in the Ypsi-Arbor area (generally along Washtenaw closer to US-23). The West side of town is my personal favorite. It's close enough to downtown and campus that you can walk on a nice day, but there are enough busses through the area that you won't have to. Also, the neighborhoods are generally quiet and filled with families, so it can be a nice escape from school.
When should I start? I would suggest starting your housing research early if you are not familiar with Ann Arbor. I've heard that you should apply for Northwood Apartments early because they often start filling up at the end of the school year, and early research into apartment complexes will allow you to catch any summer move-in specials that may be available. Individual rentals usually run up to six weeks ahead of move-in dates, so there isn't much point in looking into those places until late July, as most landlords won't advertise months in advance, and what you see on Craigslist in May won't be available in August.
Furnishings If you do not already own a bunch of furniture (or can't afford to ship it out to Michigan), there are some great places to find used (cheap) furnishings for your new place. There is a furniture rental store right downtown called Instant Furniture Rental. If this is too pricey for your grad student budget, there are a ton of thrift shops around town. There is a Salvation Army on State Street, A St. Vincent DePaul on Broadway Street, and the Ann Arbor Reuse Center (my personal favorite) in Industrial Blvd. You can also glean used home goods from other students through the UofM Marketplace, which is a classified site strictly for the UofM community. When students leave town or get new stuff, they often sell their old TVs, couches, books, cars, etc. on Marketplace. I've bought and sold TVs, dressers, kitchen appliances and other things there. It's really useful.
Other tips Once you have some areas or companies in mind, use the Incoming Student Facebook or Ctools groups to ask current students and Ann Arbor residents if they are familiar with any of these places. Also, use a mapping site like Google maps or Mapquest to get an idea of how far these places are from campus. You can use the AATA website to find bus routes, so you might find a great deal that is five miles from campus, but right on a bus route. Last but not least, consider roommates. You can save a LOT on rent by sharing a two-bedroom apartment instead of living alone in a one-bedroom. People often use the Facebook and Ctools groups to find roommates, so don't be afraid to put out a call. You can also use the UofM Marketplace to find another student to share your pad.
Posted by messelti at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)
January 09, 2008
New Semester, New Classes, New Books
Hello All,
What a lovely winter break. Two large snowstorms, yes, but in the last few days it has all melted away and left sunshine (after the eerie fog cleared up) and moderate warmth. It's a nice 41 degrees outside (not too shabby for January) and only a few stubborn snow piles remain. Of course, it will snow again by the end of the week. Welcome to Michigan.
In my constant quest to save you all time, money and frustration, I would now like to share my own University of Michigan book-buying experiences, in hopes that they might prove useful to you in the future.
Books are expensive, no matter what. If I had a dollar for every class I've taken with less than $50 in (new) textbooks, I probably wouldn't have enough to buy lunch. In SI, most classes draw form a wide range of texts, and so professors make every effort to provide resources electronically through Coursetools or electronic course reserves. If one text is used in its entirety, it might be assigned, but thus far, most of my texts have been available online.
Note: If you, like me, value your eyesight more than trees, this might still mean some sizeable printing fees, not to mention the task of organizing all of your printouts, but it's significantly cheaper than buying whole texts.
However, the best way to save money on SI texts is to be aware of all of your resources.
The Benefits of Social Networking
If it is a class most people take *cought*foundations*cough* you might find other students willing to sell or even loan key texts to you (giving you four months to decide whether or not to buy it). Also, they can often point you in the direction of cheap places to purchase it, other than Amazon, Borders, or the student book store.
The Benevolence of Professional Organizations
Some texts are directly available from professional organizations that offer discounts to its members. Sometimes this discount is sizable enough that it almost covers the student membership fee (something to consider if you are already interested in the organization). The Society of American Archivists is a great example of this. A $44 student membership saves you $28 on the required textbooks SI 580 (Introduction to Archives and Records).
The Beauty of E-Commerce
If your professors and classmates have no suggestions for inexpensive copies of the text, then do a little comparison shopping of your own. Sometimes professors will mail their classes in advance with the syllabus and/or text lists, but even if you must wait until the first day of class, take your information straight to your computer (search by ISBN if possible, or at least make sure you have the correct edition). Check out online book sellers. I usually stop by the student book store to see what they're charging, then check both half.com and amazon.com for cheaper copies. Sometimes you can find a used $40 textbook for $26, which is cheaper than the book store copy ($46), even after shipping costs.
Note on shipping: Amazon (especially around the holidays) loves to offer free shipping with new items, while used items are always subject to individual shipping charges. Sometimes the difference in new and used prices is negligible. If this is true for 3 or more books, compare the price of buying your books new and getting free (or cheap) shipping, if there's less than a $3 price difference per book, you might end up in better shape with new copies.
Getting them on time: In most situations, texts will be available on course reserves, or you might find upon viewing the syllabus that some texts will not be necessary for 2-3 weeks. Keep the date by which you need this book and the availability of temporary copies in mind when buying your books. Patience can save you money. That's why Halloween decor is so cheap in November.
-Megan
Posted by messelti at 03:21 PM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2007
Wrapping Up Semester #1!!!
Check that timestamp, dear readers...it's December now. The last month of the year, the last month of the fall semester, merely weeks away from so many exciting things!
By this time next week I will have completely finished attending weekly classes. I'll be down to final papers and exams, and it will be beautiful.
Ok, so holidays and such-yay! But what has me all riled up right now is the prospect of wrapping up my last three months of work into a neat bundle with a final paper or exam on top, like a bow.
For all the complaining that goes on at finals time, I think it still beats the heck out of midterms, when you have the same large assignments due but are still expected to keep up with weekly readings and assignments. At finals you get a chance to see what you've gained from your classes and, instead of all that weekly reading, you get to pour your brain into (four or so) large deliverables. I have to give SI credit on this: my classes have wrapped up in a way that has really helped me to see them as a cohesive set. On top of learning all of the knowledge and skills for each class, certain themes have been interwoven through my classes, and a lot of my courses are ending very neatly, instead of just stopping because we've reached the thirteenth week.
Yes, it's stressful. Yes, I miss sleeping. And yes, I am definitely looking forward to break, but I've got a project that I've been working on for the entire semester, and I can't wait to see what these last months have yielded. And as much as I don't like trying to refresh months and months of new information, I DO enjoy completing a test that effectively portrays a new, smarter Megan.
That's not to say that a test or a paper or a project can really capture all the ways that this semester has changed me. I've met many great, new people. I've learned a LOT about how I work and how I work best. I've learned a lot about the information field, about the library profession, and what really lights my intellectual fire.
So yes, I'm counting down, but in a good way. I'm closing up this chapter of my life at SI, and - after some well-deserved rest - ready to begin the next one. Is that so bad?
-Megan
Posted by messelti at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2007
There Are Some Things You Can't Learn on the Internet...
I've received a lot of questions lately on distance learning and its place in our program. For many people, life can't stop for graduate school, and so moving or quitting your job aren't options. Unfortunately, the School of Information has not yet created any official opportunities for distance learners.
Although I can't give any official University of Michigan reasons for this, I can think of a few reasons myself. Perhaps its just the way this program is set up, with such an emphasis on networking, discussion, group work and other interactive, but now that I'm knee-deep in the program, I'm happy to be spending my time on campus. So my advice to any prospective SI student is this if you think that this is the school for you, make campus your second home.
Here are a few things you don't want to miss out on:
1) Interacting with your peers.
If you are going to build the social network that will serve as an invaluable resource throughout your career, you need to meet people. And what better way than by spending 12-25 hours of your week in the trenches with them? In particular, you'll find that though you might not have class with some people, you always end up in the student lounge at the same time. One of these days, you'll end up talking and realize that your program is rich with interesting people. Anyone here will tell you, your peers are one of your greatest resources here at SI.
2) Student Groups
On top of offering a professional network and a heads up on certain scholarship, internship, and job opportunities, student groups are an excellent way to get involved, learn more about topics that interest you, and most importantly, to get practical advice from older students. Also, student groups often set up field trips, community service opportunities, or other ways to get some interesting experience under your belt.
3) Happy Hours (i.e. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy)
At the beginning of the year many groups (often consisting of benevolent second-year students) will organize unofficial SI outings so that they (and shy first-year students) can relax, get to know each other, and have a good time. They become more scarce as we become more familiar with each other and work begins to pile up, but my recommendation to anyone who'll listen is to attend at least one of these events.
The MSI program just isn't the type of place where you can find the answers on your own. You need to learn from the people around you. It's just too social, too fun, too dynamic to be completed from anywhere but right here. So if you think SI is the right place for you, then take the leap.
-Megan
Posted by messelti at 02:45 AM | Comments (0)