MLS Success, pt. 1--Learn to Learn

In a quest toward a more normal life and a more normal blog , I'm going to write a series of posts that I dreamed up before my mother died--about how to succeed in library school. I wanted to write about this while I could still be considered an authority on the topic.

The weeks or months between being accepted into library school and beginning classes can be productively used to collect your personal bag of tricks for success in graduate school. I explored The Study Guides and Strategies website to find my tricks. An excellent starting point is to learn how you learn, using one or more of the assessments suggested.

One thing I learned is that I have a higher level of music intelligence than I thought. I have found it helpful to "music-code" my classes--Gilbert and Sullivan accompanied Reference class, Calypso accompanied Digital Libraries. Perhaps the best thing I got from that was a wider appreciation of music, but I also think it helped me focus--listening to the assigned music pushed my thoughts and energy into the class.

Another thing I learned is that I am a visual learner. A tool that has worked exceptionally well for me is the mind map or cluster diagram. There are several examples on this page--all of them a bit more artistic than I usually manage. I have used mind maps in graduate school for brainstorming papers, planning projects, and giving presentations. I also use a mind map instead of a daily to do list. My favorite resource for mind maps is the book Mapping Inner Space by Nancy Margulies. I am also enchanted by her comic book version, Map It!, which is sold as a 5-pack for use with kids.

I looked through several books about graduate school before I started. Oddly enough, the book I found most useful for adding to my bag of tricks was for younger students. I didn't follow the method in What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson very closely (although I started out with grand intentions). However, I made some mind maps about the method and used that to pick and choose what technique would work for me during a given task.

Next in the series: Project Planning     #

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