by Laura
Today I took my first look around Davis Library. Davis Library is specifically designated for Serious Grad Student Research.
Scary-looking, no?
It’s only been a few weeks since I’ve been officially upgraded to full-time nerd status, so I’m feeling a bit rusty. However, I managed to deduce that the education journal I was seeking was in L4T22. Okay. Apparently my superior knowledge of the Dewey Decimal system would only take me so far. And here I thought that the check-pluses I earned in library during elementary school meant I was set for life.
With the help and reassurance of not one, but three different staff members, I was able to navigate this new categorization process which may be difficult for those of you who are not grad students to understand:
1: Look up what you need in the computer. Can you get the article online?
2: If not, see where it is in the stacks.
(It turns out that those funny letters like L and T are there because of this other, complex system called the alphabet. Therefore, the L section is after K.)
3: Go find it and check it out.
Genius! But, somehow, even with assistance, this took me 30 minutes. Suddenly earning my PhD seemed like a long road ahead.
It’s odd being a student again. I told my advisor that I was learning to let things unfold, and to possibly even enjoy becoming immersed in academia and educational exploration. I don’t think she really believed that I had reached this point of zen, but she agreed that telling myself so was an excellent start.
So … here’s to excellent starts?
Laura
Harold
