LIS New Professionals Network

Hi

Thought I'd start off a new Graduate Trainee discussion for this year. I am a trainee at Aberystwyth University. I have been here over a month now. There are two of us. I am currently split between two teams, half the week on Eservices and Communications and the other half in Customer Services (Lending). I think starting in August has been quite good as it allows us both to ease ourselves in before the students get back.

I am currently looking into MA courses, really want to go to Sheffield and study full or part time, their course looks really good but I am debating over getting another years experience first before studying for my masters as I think the Continuing Prof Development course (which you can do after 2 years or more experience) has a greater choice of modules!

Anyone else thinking of Masters courses yet or am I just too eager

Best Wishes
Patrick

Hi Patrick

I was a trainee at the University of Cambridge last year, and really enjoyed myself. It's great that you're already thinking about the MA, the deadlines for some universities (UCL in particular) do come up very quickly! We had a session on applying for Masters degrees in October, which seemed scarily early at the time but in hindsight it was very good to get us thinking about it early on.

Good luck with your trainee year :)

Annie

Thanks Annie,

Have you gone on to do your MA? I am now getting drawn to the idea of getting a full time job (hopeful I know) and trying to do the MA distance learning. It is a more expensive option when you lay it down side by side with a full time course (4,000 for full time thereabouts and 6,200 DL) but I suppose on DL you can earn more and learn on the job (if I get one!).

Best Wishes

Patrick
 

Yep, I'll be starting at UCL on the 26th! Just to warn you, the fees for next year may be a lot more than they are this year, both UCL and Sheffield's actual figures for this year turned out to be quite a bit more than the estimated fees they had published when I was first looking at applying. (Full-time fees for UCL are £5775 this year).

Good luck with your course I hope it goes well for you. I have emailed a few Unis regarding cost and they say they won't know until Spring time. Think they should be made to publish them at the start of the year before people apply. When did you find out about this years fees?
 

I found out after applying but before I had decided which of the two courses I applied for I was going to accept. I hope your applications go well!

Thanks again Annie. I will start my applications very soon I think. How long were you given to make a decision after you were accepted on to the courses?

As I remember it, for UCL there wasn't really a deadline for making the decision, it was just "let us know as soon as you can"!

Hi everyone!

I have just started as a graduate trainee at The London Library. Only just completed my first week, but loving it so far!! Considering postgraduate study at City University or perhaps UCL, just going to keep an eye on all my possible options!

Hopefully I'll get to meet some of you in the future, especially if people are heading to the Big Smoke.

Hey everyone, 

Like Rosie I'm also a graduate trainee at the London Library. I've never ever been able to say before that I love my job, but in this case it's so true! 

This post is going to seem like deja vu from the above, as I'm also looking at PG study in those institutions.