avflinsch

I use a combination - Google Calendar - syncs to my phone and desktop calendar app (iCal) Whiteboard in my office - good for the 'stuff I need to do today' list Handwritten notes - I find that the simple act of just writing it down, cements the schedule in my brain. I don't even need to carry the note around once I have written it.

If the specific programs that you are applying to do not ask for writing samples, then they probably do not use one in their decision process, and including one my only serve to confuse them. Is it an online application? Is there even a place to upload the sample on the form?

1 - independently wealthy philanthropist 2 - data analyst 3 - beekeeper / sheep rancher 4 - part time college professor #1 is out of the question unless I hit the big lottery #2 is sort of what I do for a living right now #3 way too hard to make a living #4 working at achieving that now (why else grad school) #3 & #4 are really part of my retirement plans, keep a few hives and a small flock of sheep, sort of a gentleman farmer and part time teaching for a few extra bucks.

My situation is probably so far outside the norm with regards to asking for letters of recommendation, but I figured that I would throw my two cents in anyway. 1 – I applied to a grad program in my final year as an undergrad (not all that unusual) 2 – I was 52 when I finally finished my undergrad (odd, but not completely unheard of) 3 – I am a full time employee of the school where I finished my undergrad, and applied to a grad program (free tuition, plus I was on campus anyway, which is why I went back to school) 4 – I waived my rights to see any letter of recommendation. The program I applied to only allowed for 3 letters, but I ended up with 6 - Letter #1 – This one came from an adjunct faculty member in the undergrad program, I had taken a single class with him. He is also a fulltime employee of the school and I also have a professional relationship with him (same department, but different group). He sent me a copy of the letter, when it was submitted. Letter #2 – This came from the advisor of my undergrad capstone project. He was also a fulltime employee & part time faculty. We had no professional relationship, but we did share many outside interests. He also sent me a copy of the letter after submission. Letter #3 – This one came from a fulltime faculty member, who offered to write a letter for me, after taking her class a year earlier. She did not send a copy of the letter. There were also 3 unsolicited letters that came in after I filed my application. One was from a faculty member from the department of my minor which was totally unrelated to my major or the program I was applying to. He was also the only professor that I had for more than one class in the 7 years it took to finish my BA. I had run into him on campus one day, and we talked for a bit and I mentioned that I was applying to a grad program. A few weeks later, he told me he sent a letter, but did not send a copy. The second came from a professor who was currently teaching an online course that I was taking. He was on the review committee, was impressed with my work in class, and inserted a letter into my application, without my knowledge. I did not actually meet him until after I was accepted into the program. He gave me a copy of the letter when I finally met him in person. The third was already in my departmental student file, and came from the former department chair. I had taken a course with him early on when I went back to school, and spoke to him often before he retired. He had asked me several times if I was planning on applying to the grad program, and apparently wrote letters for several students in advance. FWIW I think the unsolicited letters probably had a more positive impact on my application than the ones that I had requested.

$753 = OUCH. As a student I would be paying somewhere between 160 & 300 / year, depending on what lot/deck I wanted to park in, and then possibly take a bus. Fortunately as a university employee, I am paying a variable amount - calculated as a percentage of my annual salary, so it periodically goes up (although it seems like the percentage goes up more often than my annual income), but I can park just about anywhere. In either case, I am still not guaranteed a parking spot. $753 is just ridiculous, I have owned cars that cost less than that. I hope that you have a guaranteed spot for that amount.

3 classes in the fall (2x3 credits, 1x0 credits) Intro to Library & Information Professions (online 0 credits) Human Information Behavior (3 credits, traditional classroom) Information Technology (3 credits, traditional classroom) With close to 30 years professional experience, I could have waived out of the Info Tech class, but was advised not to, and just take the easy A. Waiving the course would have given me pre-requisite credit, but no actual course credits, so it would not have reduced the amount of courses that I need to take anyway. So far the only book that is needed is the one for Human Info Behavior, and I already had a copy, so no expense so far. The other two courses are still listed as "material selection in progress", which means that the bookstore didn't get the list from the instructors yet, or that there are no required books.

I have too many things to do at work & home to be bored, but I am getting antsy for the start of classes on 9/2. I will get to meet the incoming class (and the continuing grad students) on 8/13. I know some of them already, as I had several mixed grad/undergrad courses over the past few years. My biggest worry is wondering exactly what I have gotten myself into for the next 3 years.

Many states have periodic auto inspections (yearly or every other year) for safety, emissions etc. It could be areal hassle to go from MI to CA, just to get your car inspected, if one is required. This might not be a problem if going between nearby states, but cross country would be difficult.

I am definitely in this category; I just finished my BA in May @ 52, and will be starting on my MLIS in September. It was difficult fitting in with the younger crowd while an undergrad (and have some very interesting stories to tell about that), but I noticed at my graduation ceremony, that a good percentage of the graduating MLIS students were within 10 years of my age, so hopefully fitting in with my new classmates will be a bit easier for the next 3 years. I will be a bit more certain of the age differences in a few weeks, after the grad student orientation in mid August. I haven’t made up my mind yet about continuing in a doctoral program after the MLIS is completed, I am leaning towards it, as I have a definite idea about teaching sometime in the future, but I am somewhat concerned about the time investment that will be required.