acid-stars.com

Getting a Wii was a bad, bad idea. Especially for someone like me, who is so easily amused. All of the games for this system are so cutesy and colorful… It’s sensory overload. I love it. I find myself constantly drawn to it, whether playing some Wii Sports or watching Alex play Super Mario Galaxy. (I’m not much of a game player… so I tend to watch more than I play.) This is bad because I only have one month left of classes and I’m finding it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork. (This was happening before I got the Wii… but it’s only been exacerbated in the past couple of weeks.) This is made worse by the fact that I’m taking 6 classes, all of which I need to pass so that I can graduate on May 29.

I’ve actually been experiencing something akin to panic attacks when I think of two of my classes this semester: CIS 46 (UNIX Programming) and CIS 60.1 (Independent Study). I’ve fallen far behind in 46 and I don’t think I can climb my way back to the top. I’m going to have to email the professor and ask that she have pity on my soul. We’ve had one test so far and I did OK on it. Our next test is on Tuesday and, if I delegate some time today and tomorrow to study for it, I think I can do as well on this exam. My only problem is the homeworks. I’ve done 1 out of 6. That’s disgusting and I’m ashamed of myself. I can only hope the professor doesn’t fail me or give me an incomplete.

For CIS 60.1, I have to create an original piece of software. My plan is to create a Facebook Application that is also relevant to the work I do as an intern in the library. However, I’m running out of time and I have no code written. I hope that I can write at least some basic, bare-bones version of my application. I’ll email the professor and ask him if unfinished code warrants a grade of F or if it’s understandable that a project (on which only one person is working) may not get completed in a set amount of time.

My tummy hurts thinking about all of this.

On a lighter note, the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies has “recommended [me] for admission”! So, assuming that all of my paperwork is in order and all of that, I’m pretty sure that I’ve been awarded admission to the #6 rated graduate school for Library & Information Studies!

I’ve decided to apply to 2 more library schools (at the behest of fellow librarians, who tell me I’ll have a horrible time getting to class at Queens College). I am currently in the middle of filling out applications for Queens College, St. John’s University, and Rutgers University. The application fees are going to make me bankrupt. Why must they be so expensive? And on top of that, I just registered for the GRE. That cost me $140!

The exam is in two weeks, on Friday, January 25. I’m hoping this will give me enough time to prepare for it, considering I don’t even know what the GRE looks like. From what I understand, there are three parts to it — much like the current version of the SAT. There’s a verbal section, a math section, and an analytical writing section. That’s pretty much all I know. I took the SAT four years ago and did OK. (Out of a possible 1600 points, I got 1280. It’s not the best but it’s average.) I’m hoping I retained some of the knowledge and that I’ll have an easier time preparing for the GRE. I’ve also read that 2 weeks is about all a person needs to review for the exam, provided that at least 1 hour out of each day is devoted to studying.

Either way, application deadlines are quickly approaching. I need to take this test as soon as possible to make sure that the schools get them on time. Next on my list: personal statement. I have no idea what to write for my essay. I’ve only just begun my foray into librarianship. I don’t even know why I’m going into librarianship. So until I figure that out for myself, there’s no way in hell I can put it down into words for the admissions panel. There are some LiveJournal communities on graduate & library schools that I’ve been checking out. Some users post their statements of purpose for review and such. Maybe I’ll get some ideas from these people because, honestly, I don’t even know where to start.

I should also be looking into scholarships. I’ve had it easy the last four years, having my tuition paid-for by the school. (I actually get money from my school every semester. My scholarship pays for the tuition, my financial aid pays for textbooks — whatever is left over is given to me in the form of a check. It’s pretty sweet.) I don’t even know what it’s like to pay for school. I’ve never had to worry. Why can’t that continue into graduate school? That would be nice. Anyone want to give me, like, $30,000 for library school tuition? ‘Cause librarians don’t get paid very well… so, y’know, I’ll need all the help I can get.

Life’s getting hard.

I have decided to pursue a Master’s of Library & Information Science. I am currently in the middle of gathering data for my graduate school application to Queens College. I am not yet sure whether I will be applying to any other library schools in my region (such as St. John’s, Pratt Institute, or LIU). Queens College is, by far, the most affordable ALA-accreditted library school in the NYC area. There are other schools that I can attend in New Jersey or even Canada (oh, how I would like to live in Canada one day…) but the cost of schooling and living would be astronomical, especially for someone who has $0 in savings.

Besides, I have just secured an “internship” at my school’s library. I will be volunteering there for 10-20 hours per week next semester. One day, it may actually turn into a paying gig… which would be really, really nice. (Currently, I have to continue working at my current place of work because I need the income… Even though my heart’s no longer in it. I find this to be incredibly sad.) That way, I can go to library school while simultaneously working in a library. I would then have a much better chance of getting hired for a full-time position right out of grad school, since many library listings — such as this one — require “3-5 years Library experience.”

Another nice thing about volunteering in the library will be finding out in which departments/units I really enjoy working. As one of the three librarians with whom I met yesterday said, “You might find out, for example, that you absolutely hate working in Reference. You’ll say to yourself, ‘I never want to see another patron ever again.’ At least this way, you’ll know which areas of librarianship to avoid.” With this experience, I will be able to take appropriate classes in grad school that will assist me in getting the job that I really want. I will also have an easier time looking through job listings once I know the exact position I want to attain.

That’s something else that one of the other librarians pointed out yesterday. She said that with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, I should not have problems getting hired right out of library school. “So many librarians have degrees in English, History, or even Anthropology,” she said. “Not many of them have degrees in Computer Science. The stronger your background in computers and technology, the more valuable you become to a prospective employer.” So that was nice, as she assuaged my fears of being unemployed and homeless with a Master’s degree. (I also passed this information on to my mother, who seemed to be somewhat pacified.)

In the meantime, I will be volunteering at my school’s library, working on various projects (e.g., sprucing up the library’s FAQ page, making it searchable by implementing a database) and shadowing several librarians. I will also get to work closely with the school’s AIT crew, improving the library’s website and creating a student-friendly web presence. I am very excited about this opportunity to gain valuable library experience.

The one thing that I am not excited about concerning the upcoming semester is my workload. I will be taking 6 classes (18 credits) while continuing part-time work at my current programming job, with the added workload of volunteering at my college’s library. I hope to graduate in May 2008 so that I can enter library school in September 2008. That means that I have to pass all of my classes this semester… and I am seriously in jeopardy of failing one class. If I fail this single class, my May graduation goes out the window. I will need to re-take that class in a different semester, which will be either next fall or even spring. What I may have to do is email this professor and beg him to give me a D in his class, which is actually a much more detrimental move since I cannot get rid of a D. (If I get an F in this class, my college allows me to take the class again another semester and replace the F grade. A grade of D, however, is not replaceable.)

I’m too close to the end to be failing now. Wah.

At dinner tonight, I told my mom’s friend, Sveta, that I am considering going to library school to obtain a Master of Library & Information Science degree. She looked at me like I was insane. “What was wrong with Computer Science?” she kept asking me. However, she refused to hear the answer. I kept trying to tell her that I had lost interest in programming about a year ago, when I noticed that I was doing well in all of the classes that had nothing to do with my major. I was having much more fun in Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, and Psychology classes. “But Computer Science pays well! How much do librarians make?”

That’s when I hesitated. With a B.S. degree in Computer Science, my starting salary would be around $50,000. With a Master’s degree in Library & Information Science, I would only start at $30,000. (That is pretty insane, I have to admit.) When I told Sveta the average salary, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “No… No, no. We can’t have you going into librarianship. How about Speech Pathology?” Huh. That’s funny. I don’t remember asking you for career advice. (And, really? Speech Pathology? That’s your suggestion?)

The difference in the salaries had me worried, of course. I can’t live on a $30K salary in New York City. A one-bedroom apartment would cost me $1,500 - 2,000 per month. Rent alone would cost approximately $21K a year. I would only be making enough to pay my bills… and that’s not a life I want to live. However, I am not planning on earning such a paltry salary for too long. Worse comes to worst, I can live with my parents until I get a raise or find a new position. (Hey, I have my own apartment down here in my parents’ 2-family home. And it’s completely free. I could definitely do worse.) The only problem would be transportation to my workplace, since Staten Island is so damn far away from everything.

Option B would be to rent a 2-bedroom apartment in a neighborhood closer to my place of work and rent out a room. Of course, this has its own drawbacks, like strange roommates. Living with a stranger seems like a very unnerving and rather taxing situation. You never know what you’re going to get: Neo-Nazis, tree-hugging hippies, evangelical Christians, convicted sex felons, nudists, or otherwise mentally imbalanced individuals. And, with a roommate, you can’t know when you’re going to see the other half of the rent.

Whatever I have to do, I am willing to do it. I have looked into public librarianship and it really seems like the right choice for me. I would get to provide knowledge to the masses! I would be surrounded by books and other information all day. I will get to meet new people everyday. (And although that scares me, I think it’s more exciting than sitting alone in a cubicle, writing and testing code. There is interaction, of course, but it’s nowhere near as diverse as in a public library.) But, best of all, I’d be making a difference: helping kids with their reports, assisting immigrants in English lessons and other relevant information, and teaching people how to read. What could possibly be more rewarding than that?

During the months of February through May of 2007, I interned with the MTA New York City Transit. I worked in the Simulation Lab, writing software that would quiz employees on their knowledge of the agency’s policies on train operation. Two days a week – every Tuesday and Friday – I would have to leave my home on the southern tip of Staten Island at 6:30 AM in order to arrive in downtown Brooklyn by 8 AM. My commute comprised of a ride on the Staten Island Railway, followed by a scenic trip on the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan, succeeded by a quick ride to Court Street (in Brooklyn) via the R train. I hated going to work. However, every morning, as I emerged above ground from the Borough Hall station of the 2/3/4/5/M/N/R/W subway lines, I was greeted by a very peculiar-looking piece of art.

Standing all alone in Cadman Plaza, this jumble of metal was simultaneously easy to spot yet difficult to notice. The aluminum sculpture, consisting of basic geometric shapes, was unlike its surroundings. For one, it was metal while everything around it was either cement or stone. (There are trees there, too, but they only awaken in warm weather.) Secondly, it was blood red. However, I had no idea how long it’s been standing there. (I only noticed it once I’d become comfortable with my morning routine, finally being able to look anywhere but simply straight ahead, no longer afraid that I was going to get lost.) What the hell is that? I’d wondered to myself as I walked past it, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. Besides providing the passersby with some kind of interesting visual focus, this sculpture seemed to serve no purpose.

One day, on my way home from work, I decided to walk up to this red beast (and a beast it was, hovering a good four feet above me) and figure out just what is it exactly that I’ve been eyeing for the past several months. Much to my surprise, I found no plaque or other explanation next to it. Inscribed in the base, however, was what looked to be the artist’s signature: C. F. Smith. That can’t be it, I thought to myself. You put a nine-foot tall sculpture near Borough Hall and that’s all you have to say for yourself? I circled the figure several more times, trying to find some explanation for its existence. I finally gave up and went home.

Curious to find out more about C. F. Smith’s gigantic metallic mess, I Googled the artist’s name (which, in its entirety, is Cheryl Farber Smith) and discovered that the title of the sculpture is Leaning Firm. Ms. Smith, I found out, was attempting to “create a composition that simultaneously suggest[ed] motion and repose.” At first, I could not understand what that meant. How can you be moving at the same time that you’re standing still? I asked myself. (If you haven’t noticed yet, I talk to myself quite often.) But then it hit me. Thousands of people pass through Cadman Plaza on their way to work or school (the Brooklyn Law School is idyllically located behind the Brooklyn Courthouse) everyday, constantly in a hurry. And yet I’ve caught dozens of people – myself included – stopping to look at this strangely beautiful piece. Thanks to artists like Ms. Smith, busy New Yorkers are constantly reminded to slow down and take it easy. Leaning Firm, and other pieces like it located all over the city, encourages us to bask in the beauty that surrounds us every day.

This magnificent sculpture (9’4” H × 7’5” W × 5’7” D) will be taken down in July 2007.