I Wish I'd Known...

...that the professors are not as mean as they sometimes seem online. I wasted a lot of hate on some of these folks before I met them! -- J.D., Hattiesburg, MS

...that when professors give you instructions, you should read them and follow them TO THE LETTER. A lot of poor grades in the SLIS master's program can be traced to not following directions exactly. To some of us, this strict adherence to instructions seems to run the risk of stifling creativity, but in the meantime, they're the ones with the gradebooks and red pens. So follow instructions! -- J.D., Hattiesburg, MS

...that when you are working as part of a group, you should check the work of all the other members, no matter how much you trust them. In many SLIS assignments, as in the real world, you are often responsible for the work of your entire group, as they are responsible for yours. Fair or not, that's how it is. And we all hate group work because we can't know what's going through the other members' heads. Well, find out--reserve a few days before a group assignment is due for group members to exchange and check each other's work. You'll feel more secure in the quality of your work, and you can better avoid plagiarism. (Remember, this is distance learning--often you don't know these people. -- J.D., Hattiesburg, MS

Is there anything you wish you'd known when you entered this program? If so, e-mail it to usm.lissa@gmail.com and we'll post it here.