Day 68: Reference Interviews 101

One single class today, and it didn't start at 8:35! That was nice... Less of a bleary rush to school...

Lesson 64: You're never too old for attendance.

This is a Masters program. Masters! And yet, at least 2 of my classes this term are actually taking attendance, and will be throughout the course as a metric to contribute to the final grade. Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset because it's taking away my ability to miss class with relative impunity, I don't intend to be missing enough classes for it to matter. It just seems silly that we are all mature students, we are all ostensibly paying our own ways, but attendance is necessary.

I thought we passed that after first year of undergrad....

Day 41: Grad Students Have No Standards

My lesson today was courtesy of the one and only ACA McGill Student Chapter President/ProQuest ProFessional.

Lesson 41: Grad students have, and will, write about everything. Even boycotting McDonalds with accordions.

If you are doing a project about something and are getting discouraged because you can't find any literature on the topic, and you are completely out of ideas for sources; just search through theses and dissertations. You will find what you need, guaranteed!

Completely unrelated lesson of the day: I am the industry standard size to be a plus-sized model. Though I suppose I'm still not tall enough...

I had always thought that "plus-sized" models were Marilyn Monroe plus-sized; size 12-14, really the lowest end of sizing for any plus-sized line of clothes I've ever seen. But in a twist for the ridiculous, I discovered in the uproar about Lizzi Miller's nude photo in Glamour that she is actually too big to model even plus-sized lines, at size 12-14. They actually want their plus-sized models to be basically incapable of fitting any plus-sized clothes properly; they want girls sized 8-10. Maximum size for a "regular" model? 4-6. Essentially a single size difference.

I looked it up, and most plus-sized lines I found actually start at 14-16.

I mean really, the hell is this?

Day 1: I'm a Master(s Student) Now?

Wow, it's really real, isn't it! I am actually attending the prestigious school I've wanted to attend since I was 12, and if I survive, I'll come out with a Masters! A bonafide MLIS! I am on my way to be a MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE... er... Master of Library and Information Studies that is. What's the difference really? The Universe is essentially made of data. On a quantum level, everything is just bits, switched on or off. But I digress; you came for the lessons!

Since today was my very first day of (very early) orientation (preceded by an even earlier job interview), I'll leave you with two lessons.

Lesson 1) it doesn't feel real until you're deathly I'll the night before and are at risk of missing your first day. Alternatively, when you're sitting awkwardly surrounded by strangers in a lecture hall considering how soon you'll be friends with them, and terrified that won't actually happen.
Lesson 2) I can do film related work in any of the three MLIS streams: librarianship, archival studies or knowledge management.