If I’m hollering, let me go!
So. I’m still 1/2 in the dark as to what comes after this English degree. the time has come to make a decision. Of course this means I ask a lot of strangers and friends to tell me what I should do.
Not really tell me what to do, tell me what you think i’d be better at. I already have ideas on which one I want to do. But as I said, I keep going back and forth.
So here, some pros and cons. I’m expecting a boatload of comments here, people.
(in alphabetical order)
Librarian
pros – 1 year of grad school, saucy wardrobe, organizing things, old books, can be social/antisocial depending, researching!
cons – could get dull very fast (stamp. stamp. stamp.) and i’ve never worked in a library, what if i hate it? also, you don’t reorganize a library every week, which is a shame because that’s the part i like
Teacher
pros – 1 year of grad school, i had bad teachers in my poor state’s public school system – it would be neat to be a good teacher, i think i could make English fun, i enjoyed my education/student teaching classes in college, they will always need teachers (some level of job security, same goes for librarians though)
cons – i would need balls of steel, a lot of public speaking (though i hear you get used to it really quickly), i hate when students don’t respect their teachers – how would it feel to BE the teacher?
So there. Would you rather walk into a library and have me help you find a book/answer a question? Or would you rather have me teach you new and exciting ways to conjugate?
7 Comments
You could totally be a teacher.
As for public speaking… it’s not really the same as PUBLIC speaking because once you have your own class…it’s you and a bunch of teenagers. So unless being a camp counselor counts as public speaking…this doesn’t either. And the fact that you think you’d be a good teacher is reason enough!
Other pros: Job stability, summer vacation, winter vacation, spring vacation, changing the world.
Well, determining one’s goals can be veryvery scary. But you seem to be meeting the whole thing quite bravely.
Just one thing–where are you going that you can get an Master’s of Library Science in one year? All the places I am looking at have 2 year programs. I’d love to know where you can do it for less!!
Anyway, Librarianship is my goal, and there are so many different kinds you could be…children’s, reference, academic, archival, county, law or medical librarian…plus, the library field is always trying to become more advanced with their computer technology.
There’s only about 50 universities in the nation that offer degrees in library science, but a lot do dual masters’, like library science and law, library science and literature, and library science and history (that’s me!!) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the best MLS program in the nation right now, but I have my winky-eyes on Indiana University. If you want good ideas for MLS, go to http://www.ala.org; they have a directory of all the universities that offer it.
OR, to combine the best of both your choices, you could TEACH library science!!
Good luck…
heh, those are the exact professions i’ve been considering! weird, maybe it is our mutual childhood enthusiasm for anne of green gables?;)
i began college as an english major and than transfered to philosophy. i went to law school for a week before i realized that although the study of law is pretty interesting, i don’t want to be a lawyer. now, i am currently in a state of uncertainity like you. my boyfriend runs his own computer business, so i have been helping him with testing and a little code writing part-time, though i don’t think i will every be as talented as he is with programming, and don’t find it that exciting.
your list of pros and cons would be nearly the same as mine too. i’d personally lean towards going back to school to become a librarian, just because i’ve spoken with some friends who know librarians, and they say that are quite happy with their job. i think it would get disheartening after a while having students be rude and unappreciative of your effort, and imagine this would be the case, unless you teach young or especially academically advanced kids who love to learn. anyways, good luck with your decision!
Oooh, that IS tough!
As for teaching, i was a substitute teacher at the high school level for a while. It all depends on the school’s administration, really. Good admin means that when/if you do have a problem, they’re there for you. Bad admin can mean so many things and few of them are even remotely good. All in all, i had a blast teaching. It can be a bit trying at times, but there are some kids that really make it all worth while.
Not sure what to say about library work. The closest i got to it was being a library aide in junior high. That was essentially a glorified alphabetizing course. Not that i’m trying to disuade you. i think that there are some really cool advantages to library work. Namely exposure to so many great books!!! Maybe you could volunteer at a local library for a bit and see what you think?
Good luck, keep us posted!!!
Yeah, I’m close personal friends w/ ala.org
Perhaps I was looking on the wrong pages, I could have sworn that SJSU’s MLIS was only a one year program, maybe it was some technical para-professional librarian thingee. I knew it sounded a bit too good to be true
I need to go instate, so my only choices are UCLA or SJSU.
what wendy wants to know.
would you rather laugh so hard you snort and have a bunch of kids laugh at you or would you rather laugh so hard you snort and have a bunch of people ‘shh!’ you?
Re: what wendy wants to know.
i want to know how wendy knows just what questions to ask. i mean, damn, woman! that as the best!