The BIG ONE: school

Well, it's been awhile...4 months (eek!)!! Life has been busy (when is it not?)...I am in my second year of a two year Master of Information program at U of T. So this is the big one...learning to love learning at SCHOOL.

I don't recall ever loving school' I've always been good at it, but I don't really enjoy it. I don't like having to constantly prove to teachers/instructors/profs that I have understood them by writing papers/doing presentations/etc. Of course, there are also courses that you HAVE to take, even though you might not be interested in the subject matter, which is frustrating.

Nevertheless, I decided to go back to school last fall...and not just any school, but a Master's degree at U of T! Not known for being easy...and this is really what inspired this blog. Last year was very difficult for me, after 8 years of working (mostly self-employed), jumping into the world of academia was a bit daunting to say the least. In my undergrad (in technical theatre), I think the longest paper I ever wrote was around 2,000 words: now my papers are regularly that long. My husband has been very supportive and helpful though this whole experience, and has constantly reminded me to try to find something to enjoy about the process (besides the wonderful people I've met and the type of job I will (hopefully) be able to find when I graduate).

So I'm learning. I don't read all the readings for each class if I think they are boring and don't think they are necessary, or I skim them. I try to find something interesting in each article. I try to find a way to pick topics for my papers that relate to topics I am actually interested in. I read about library-related topics that AREN'T for school, to give me a handle on what is happening in the REAL world of libraries, and figure out how that relates to what I'm studying at school. I commune and sympathize with my fellow students on facebook, in e-mail, in person: even though venting might not seem like "loving learning", it helps to know others are in the same position as you are, and to realize that this is part of learning, too. And I keep reminding myself that I am in a position to exercise my brain that I may never have again, so I should make the most of it.

I'm definitely learning, and I'm enjoying it more than I did last year...I might not be at the stage where I LOVE learning yet, but I'm improving.