Hi Riley,

My absolute favorite thing about librarianship is that almost everything I
have learned has the potential to be useful and I never know what little
titbit of knowledge is going to be necessary on any given day. Also, the
things I learned in school aren't necessarily the things I need to know -
what's really important is that (and yes, this is a cliche) is that I
learned how to learn. What systems librarians do today isn't going to be
what they'll be doing in 2019 and beyond but a good foundation of
knowledge, curiosity about the world, and problem-solving, communication,
and interpersonal skills will keep you adapting to all the changes.

Whatever you major in, I recommend getting a broad base within general
education. Ideally, you'd have the opportunity to fill those GE
requirements with stuff other than just survey courses - for example, a
class about science fiction versus American Lit 101. And think about your
assumptions about classes. You can think, "Ugh, why do I have to take
a *sociology
*class?!" or "You know, someday I might work somewhere with a lot of people
from different backgrounds." Also, don't toss out those papers,
presentations, etc. at the end of the semester because you can assemble
them into a portfolio of sorts for future job searches.

College tours are going to show you the shiny new stuff on campus - dorms,
dining halls, rec centers, etc. Look past that and ask students who their
favorite teachers are, etc. What kind of access do they have to their
professors? How many classes do they have with full-time faculty? Are there
teachers with industry experience? What kind of jobs are available for
students on campus? Do they have co-op/internship opportunities for
students? In the long run that's more important than whether your dorm room
has a double bed or an XL-twin.

FWIW, my BA is in geophysics and geochemistry with an applied math minor
and I also have my MLS, with about 36 additional graduate credits in
miscellaneous stuff. Looking back at college, I wish I had continued my
language studies past my first year and done a semester or year of study
abroad. Also, a few stints in retail were among the most valuable for my
professional development because it helped teach me to professionally
interact and communicate with a wide variety of people, including a lot of
difficult people. Difficult people are everywhere.

Ellen

Ellen Knowlton Wilson
Electronic Resources Librarian
Room 250, Marx Library
University of South Alabama
5901 USA Drive North
Mobile, AL 36688
(251) 460-6045



On Fri, May 30, 2014 at 1:14 PM, Riley Childs <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Want to step in and say thank you, and keep em coming, I enjoy reading
> about everyone's backgrounds and their journey per se...
>
> Riley Childs
> Student
> Asst. Head of IT Services
> Charlotte United Christian Academy
> (704) 497-2086
> RileyChilds.net
> Sent from my Windows Phone, please excuse mistakes
> _