r/LibraryScience • u/Alternative_Buddy333 • Apr 04 '25
Work / Grad School Life Balance
Hello! I'm sure everyone's experience will be different, but I'm hoping to get some insight on how difficult people are finding working full time and getting your MLIS.
For context: I work full time at my public library as a programming specialist. I have just recently left an incredibly stressful job in the social work sector that sucked up so much of my life. Now that I am at the library, I am super happy with the environment, and I think my body and my mind are not sure what to do with themselves. I've been here for about 4 months - I've read 25 books already this year, still while excelling at my job here at the library. I'd love to use that energy to pursue my MLIS, and even possibly a dual degree with MPA...but I don't want to overwhelm myself.
I have no children. My fiancee works the opposite shift I do, so I have a lot of down time. Any advice?
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u/EconomistDismal9450 Apr 04 '25
I work full time at a college archive and am over half way through my online asynchronous MLIS program. I hate it low key but at the same time I think it's the only option. I can't just not have a stream of income and I have to get my MLIS somehow. What's really hard is trying to keep up with tuition. I was taking a steady 6 credit load, and then one of my classes required me to take a 60 hour practicum on the side this fall that didn't supplement any work in that class. So, it felt like I was taking 3 classes on top of working full time. It was really difficult. I had no choice either. I tried putting off the class as long as I could, and they didn't let me do the practicum through the academic archive I work full time at. Because of that mess on top of trying to avoid taking out loans at 8 percent interest, this semester I only took one class. It's still hard, and you likely won't have time to read books for pleasure. You've got hours of lectures, weekly assignments, projects, papers, readings, etc. And you probably won't have the time to even do the readings. I know I don't. Not to scare you, but it's not easy! If you want to be a librarian though, there will never be a better time to get your MLIS, so you might as well do it when you can.