Standard Response

Because I get a lot of questions about being in school, along the lines of "How's school?", I've decided to develop a "standard response". This, of course, will only work on a semester-to-semester basis since courses and situations change. I'm secretly hoping that if I overwhelm the inquiring minds, they'll stop asking...
Here's some questions and answers:

How long is the program? a year?
If anyone has completed the program in a year they are a legend and no doubt their personal relationships have completely failed. They're now single or divorced. Most sane people take 2 years to complete the program. It's 36 credits. Each class is 3 credits. 36/3= 12 classes. Most people take 2, maybe 3 classes each semester. It's a part-time program.

How's the semester going?

This is my 2nd semester at Simmons GSLIS West. At the end of this semester I will be 1/3 of the way towards my degree (36 total credits). This semester I'm taking 2 classes: LIS 404, Principles of Management (required) and LIS 484, Literature of the Sciences and Technology. My classes meet on Saturdays on the Mount Holyoke College campus. If all goes well, I will never have to take a class in Boston. LIS 404 is blended, which meets half the time face-to-face and half on-line. LIS 484 meets in person.

Here are the course descpriptions:
LIS 404 Principles of Management: Designed to acquaint students with the basic management functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. The course is intended to help provide understanding of human interactions in the workplace and develop the practical problem-solving skills needed to handle managerial problems professionally. Approaches to managing, from authoritarian to participative to laissez-faire, are examined. Work for the course includes readings, case studies, critical incidents, simulations, and discussions.
LIS 484 Literature of Science and Technology: teaches the structure and properties of the literature of science and technology as they relate to information generation, dissemination, and use. Students are introduced to major reference sources and bibliographic tools encountered in scientific information work in all formats. Collection development, scientific communication patterns, bibliographic instruction, and other topics related to sci-tech librarianship and information handling are covered. Practical assignments in scientific and technical reference, and individual projects are provided. Prerequisite: LIS 407.

Although LIS 484 meets face-to-face every Saturday afternoon, a portion of the class is taught on-line via Blackboard (aka "e-learning"). It's conventient since I can do my course work in the comfort of my home in my pajamas. You may laugh, but this is true.

In addition to my 2 courses I'm a volunteer at two libraries. I've been volunteering one afternoon at the Springfield City Library in Springfield, MA for almost a year. My responsibilities include:

• Gathering library materials for "Library-in-Your-Mailbox" clients.
• Providing Reader's Advisory service to "Library-in-Your-Mailbox" clients.
  
• Maintaining records for "Library-in-Your-Mailbox" clients using MS Access.
• Assistant instructor for computer literacy courses.
• Creating fiction and non-fiction book displays.
• Searching the stacks for missing books
• Searching microfilm for obit and/or death notices per patron requests.

Beginning next week, I'll start a volunteer internship at Bay Path College Hatch Library in Longmeadow, MA. I'll be doing a variety of tasks, including Reference, Inter-library loan, cataloging (tech services), and bibliographic instruction.

In general, I try to have two solid days off a week- Sunday and Monday. Tuesday is my "in the field day". And Wednesday - Friday are study days. Saturday is school day.

I hope you've enjoyed my "standard response". Please let me know if I haven't answered any of your questions about school.