Mid-Semester Analysis

Well, it's the midway point in the semester, and I have severely underestimated the amount of work involved in grad school. Don't get me wrong, I knew it would be A LOT of work, but I'm still shocked. I am not as up to date on this blog as I would like to be, so I'll [ideally] be doubling up posts in the next couple weeks to catch up. While I cannot reflect much on the blog, as there are only two other posts before this, I do like the project, and I see how the posts will help my understanding of the profession, at large.

That being said, I think I am finally finding a rhythm to all of this coursework. I still need to pick up the pace, but I feel as though I'm floundering less. Although, I'm having some set-backs with my library visits project, so we'll see if I still feel that way in a week from now.

I'm typically not a big fan of the Blackboard Discussion Board components of any class, but I'm enjoying it more each week. For this class, in particular, I like it as an addition to our class lectures. I find I am able to reflect on what my classmates have to say in their posts and responses, and I am able to take that information and expand on it, rather than the generic posts I feel I often generate on these platforms. For some reason, I feel this is made easier with my ability to put a face with the names for each post. These discussion board posts have also helped me learn a little more about my fellow classmates, particularly those who don't always speak up in class.

The Think Tank Activities are, quite possibly, my favorite assignment of the course (thus far). I often find myself "falling down the rabbit hole" while I search for possible articles to present. What I mean is, I find an interesting article, which leads to another article, which leads to a blogger, which leads to Facebook, which leads to me "following" 15 more librarians on Twitter, all of whom lead me to more articles, and more things to ponder! I have found so many new facets of the field this way. What I find most interesting, however, is how diverse the articles posted by each group are. Some groups have posted articles on topics I hadn't even thought to consider in my personal explorations.

Both the Think Tank Activities and the Group Blog have, obviously, made my group and me work together quite a bit, which has been the most beneficial part of the class. My group has provided me with relief when I feel as though I'm the only one overwhelmed with this first semester of the LIS program, and has helped facilitate my developing passions for the field.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the semester, particularly with my newly-sparked interest in Cataloging. Other than the continual time management balance of my demanding job and school work, I think my biggest challenge will be narrowing down my interests, because so far, they keep expanding!