convinced by their passion and attitude that echoed what I had been told about the course by my colleagues.
IP: How important do you think it was that the course was an accredited course? OY: Since I was mainly doing the course to be able progress in my career, it being accredited was key. When I’d do wishful browsing for jobs that I’d like to do one day, many of them listed a CILIP-accredited LIS master’s as a nec- essary requirement. I’m originally from Finland so I considered doing a remote course from home as that would’ve been free for me to do, but the Finnish cours- es aren’t accredited and many of the master’s level programmes are hard to get into without having been through the undergraduate programme. I eventually concluded that a Finnish course being free didn’t offset the benefits of a full, accredited
course that was much more straightfor- ward to apply to.
IP: Do you have any tips or insights about the process of choosing a course for those about to embark on it? OY: I think the crucial thing is to care- fully consider why you’re interested in doing the course. All the courses had their merits and sounded interesting, but I obviously couldn’t do all of them, so if I’d sat down and articulated to myself what I was hoping to gain from the course before I started looking them up, I might’ve saved quite a bit of time.
Calculate financial costs and time impli- cations: university in the UK is not cheap and if your course is in person, you will have to pay for (usually peak time) train tickets, bring or pay for food, etc. which may not sound like a lot, but will add up. Going to classes in person is also more of a time commitment than remote classes
– working half days to accommodate in-person classes is unlikely to be as smooth as with remote classes. I would argue that the benefit of meet- ing your lecturers in person, being able to sit down with your peers between or after classes and taking advantage of on-campus facilities (like one of UCL’s 21 libraries!) is worth the commute, but that depends entirely on your circum- stances. If you work on the side, you should also consider when you will have the time to do preparatory readings and class work, and how much time you can dedicate to doing coursework, whilst still getting enough rest.
I’ve loved my course and I’d do it all over again if given the chance, so I wish good luck to anyone looking to apply for a LIS course – whichever course you choose, as long as you go in with eyes open and prepared, it will be the best choice you’ve ever made. IP
Case study 2
Distance learning with Robert Gordon University
Jimi Mitchell explains how he got more than he was expecting from distance learning and why it’s a good idea to have clear goal from the start – even if the goal changes with time..
Choosing the right course
I was studying Creative Writing at the Uni- versity of Surrey but because study space was hard to come by on campus, I would study at the local public library. During one such study session in 2018, I saw a poster advertising a part-time role in the library. I got the job, as a frontline library assis- tant, and decided on doing a master’s a few months into the role.
I had completed my undergraduate degree in Zoology and knew distinctly that I did not want to pursue a career in scientific research. After a brief foray into business
36 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
management, I got a job as a library assistant at Glasgow Caledonian University. Very quickly I realised this was the right sector for me. If you are at the point where you have fallen in love with the library and information profes- sion too, then it is time you considered further qualification. The sector needs more passionate people who are prepared to ensure its prosperity in a world where it’s constantly challenged for its relevance.
I opted for part-time and distanced as I was already working in the sector and could see how the course would actively benefit my work and vice versa. This was the longer path, but I already
September 2023
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