The
Top Ten Things I Wish I Had Known
When I Started as a Distance Student"
by
Nikol Price, Class of 2001
Part
of a speech delivered by Nikol Price as Student Speaker
at the May 2001 Graduation Dinner.
Nikol was also awarded the "Outstanding Distance
Student" award by the SIRLS Faculty.
10. Play with the online course software.
It seems intimidating when you start but it's really
not that bad. Just play with it. Nothing that you could
possibly do will hurt the software or in anyway affect
the server so just have fun and don't worry.
9.
Take one of your residency classes as soon as possible!
Being able to meet some of your classmates is simply
invaluable and it will make all the rest of your classes
more enjoyable once you can put a face to a few of the
discussion board names.
8.
Take a "Don Fallis special!"
These [hybrid virtual/local] classes are so much
fun! Don gives a class most semesters that counts as residency
and meets for three weekends. You can get to Tucson a
day early to walk around campus and get to know some people
at SIRLS. Don is a wonderful teacher and he really makes
the classes interesting. I have two words: Beer Game.
7.
Make an appointment to meet your advisor in real life!
When you're on campus because you paid attention to
numbers "8" and "9," make an appointment
to see your advisor. Your advisor will give you better
advice and you will ask better questions once you have
met and started to build a personal relationship.
6.
Go to happy hour!!!
If you are going to be on campus, go to happy hour.
If no happy hour is planned, arrange one yourself. If
you call up someone in LSO and tell them that you will
be in town for the weekend and that several other distance
students will also be in town, they will help you set
it up. There is nothing in academia like talking to your
professors after a few pints. You're a Master's student
for heaven's sake, act like one!
5.
Don't get too attached to the online course software.
The software will likely change versions as soon as you
master it so don't work too hard on figuring out all it's
little quirks. If you can successfully: post to the discussion
board, send an internal email, access your lectures, and
upload a web page, be happy.
4.
Make hotel reservations early.
When you are going to Tucson for a residency class,
call the hotel early. I always stayed at the Plaza (recently
renamed the Four Points Sheraton, Tucson University Plaza)
and I swear the prices were higher the closer you got
to the actual date (they also tended to fill up, especially
on homecoming weekend, thank you Don). Also, always
mention that you are with the Library School. Sometimes
you get cheaper prices by being affiliated with the University.
3.
Join your Library
Student Organization!
One of the most important things you can do as a distance
student is to join and be active in LSO. Let's face it,
a big part of the value of Library School is networking
with other future Librarians. By joining in LSO and participating
in activities, you will meet people who will probably
be running a library you will want to work for one day.
Being active in LSO is fun and it makes you feel like
a part of the school, something that is difficult to achieve
as a distance student. I kid you not, LSO Board Members
will bend over backwards to give you the opportunity to
participate if you just show some initiative.
2.
Get to know the SIRLS Program Manager!!!
The SIRLS Program Manager [Lisa Hussey at the time
this was written] is the master of all weird little SIRLS
knowledge that you WILL need at some point before
you graduate and can really smooth your path to your Master's.
I have personally had at least 3 major heart attacks and
18 nervous breakdowns averted by the program manager's
cheerful e-mails.
And the number one thing that I wish I had known when
I started out as a distance student...
1.
Make friends with another distance student right away!
You will be able to e-mail each other whenever you
need support from someone who going through exactly what
you are. More importantly, you will be able to actually
call each other when you just have to be able to talk
to someone. There are no words to describe how wonderful
it is to be able to hear an actual voice when you just
wrote the worst paper of your life and know that your
professor reads it, he is going to flunk you just on principle.
Talking to someone else makes you realize that maybe your
paper wasn't that bad and that maybe it was actually even
a little good. And most importantly, you can stay in a
hotel room together for your residency classes and gossip
all night? um? I mean study.
[This
article has been updated by the LSO Webmaster since its
original publication.]
