TAKING CARE

THE GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE

BY: AURORA CACIOPPO

As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, grad school has sometimes presented itself with a few extra challenges. My final column for Summer 2017’s Grad School Guide will be dedicated to the trials and tribulations of trying to balance academia with caring for my mental wellbeing.

For a long time, I did not understand my condition. I never imagined there were others that were struggling the way I was. After seeking help and working with a professional, I thought I had mostly gotten over this lonely/negative mentality. WRONG. I began grad school and the impostor syndrome was so real. I questioned if I was meant to be an academic almost daily. I found myself comparing my abilities to every person in the program and as a result, I convinced myself my thoughts were not valuable enough to share. Even making small talk with new classmates terrified me.

Me panicking about every. Single. Thing.

My anxiety was peaking; panic attacks crept up on me far too often and it resulted in me becoming very quiet and very afraid. If any of you have experienced these feelings, you’ll know it is beyond frustrating. I am a happy and goofy gal. I love to laugh, and I usually make friends by asking about a favourite treat, colour, and/or type of dog. I am passionate about so many things, especially art and museums. Not being able to act as my true self in a program I am so excited about was painful. My self-confidence, ability to learn, and overall happiness was on a steady decline.

It wasn’t until I finished my first semester of graduate school that I realized many of my classmates were juggling their education with their mental health just like me. Anxiety, for example, is ever-present in the classroom (!!!!!). This blew my mind. It was also comforting and calming in a very bizarre way. My out-of-whack illusions of classmates as competitors transformed into more positive thoughts of my peers as museum allies (even though I had no enemies to begin with).

I realized the following and remind myself of it as often as I need to (very often):

~ My classmates do not judge me. They are learning from me, just like I am learning from them ~

"Lean on me"... This is what students helping students looks like!

Once I became closer with my peers, we began to discuss the challenges and frustrations that come with maintaining a healthy mind, body, and lifestyle while dealing with the pressures of grad school. Encouragement and reassurance from my friends followed very quickly. Project and paper pitches became a regular occurrence on lunch dates and Facebook chats, which eased me into feeling more comfortable with discussing class materials, which led to feeling confident enough to participate in class!

Another helpful tip for anyone that wants to feel zen: the Inforum has a special corner with a meditation stool, yoga mats, an iPod with guided meditation sound clips, and more! It’s a great place to go for a work break if you’re studying at the iSchool. The University of Toronto also has mental health resources. You can go on their website to find someone to call, where you can go, or what you can do if you are looking for some guidance. 

Sync your breathing with this gif 

I am so grateful that the importance of mental healthcare is gaining recognition, especially in educational institutions. Providing options for those in need is critical. So, if you or someone you know is having a hard time, take action! Be open; offer yourself as a safe space, and do not be afraid to reach out to someone if you want or need help.

That's all she wrote, folks! Thanks for joining me this summer. I am signing off for now, but please send me a message if you're feeling unsure or alone. I believe in paying it forward! 

A GRAD STUDENT'S GUIDE TO SUCCESS

THE GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE

BY: AURORA CACIOPPO

Welcome to the second installment of Summer 2017’s The Grad School Guide! Please join me in my conversation with Bretton, Jenny, Kendra, and Shauna on the ups and downs of an academic year at the iSchool.*

Step 1: Get accepted into the MMSt program. 

Celebrate and feel extremely proud! Buy new pens and notepads and begin one of the final steps of achieving your childhood dreams of becoming a museum professional. 

A page from Aurora's grade 3 activity book. Photo courtesy of Aurora Cacioppo.

Step 2: Show up to your first day of class. Question your abilities and wonder if you really belong. Panic for a moment. Make a game plan to counter your negative thoughts. 

Bretton: Tackling self-doubt was a big challenge during my first year. I was often worried I would fall behind, I feared my ideas and perspective would be wrong, and I was constantly struggling to get a grip with my to-do list. With a year under my belt, I know that I should proceed with more confidence in my ideas and in myself.

Jenny: I came to U of T from a program with no participation marks, so I struggled with the pressure to contribute to discussions in every class! It took a long time to feel like I could formulate a comment on the spot that was both relevant and coherent - I’m still working on it.

Shauna: Overcome the “impostor syndrome”! When you graduate from your undergrad you feel like the bee’s knees, and then you come into your grad program and see that everyone else is equally accomplished, if not more so! You might feel like a fraud and like you don’t belong in the program, or like you’re not as smart and awesome as you thought you were. But once you start talking to people about it, you realize that a lot of other people are also struggling with the same things and feeling the exact same way.

Source.

Step 3: Find your groove

Jenny: I took some time at the beginning of the year to figure out where and when I work best (Knox College Library, noon to 5 on weekday afternoons), and I work under those conditions as often as possible. Work tends to expand to fill the time you allot to it – I try to fit the readings and assignments in around my life, rather than the other way around.

Shauna: In my undergrad, I always kept an agenda with all my jobs and classes assigned a different colour. I fell off the wagon a bit this year and didn’t keep up with my agenda and I paid for it when I missed an assignment due date! I recommend investing in some coloured pens and an academic agenda/planner or calendar.

Bretton: Write things down! I have every piece of Apple technology that helps with scheduling and organizing; however, nothing is more effective than using my physical Moleskine agenda and making lists.

MMSt student Tabitha Chan's beautiful bullet journal!

Step 4: Grasp onto a museological theory or practice and drive it home

Bretton: Cheryl Meszaros' Ethical Interpretation will forever be an influence in my professional and academic practice. There is something so tangible and progressive about the theory and I see it as an influencer in the future of museological practice. Secondly, I am much more aware of the convergence of libraries, archives, and museums in the information field - while there is extensive theory and literature, it is something that is a reality in our business and poses a series of both benefits and challenges we as information professionals will have to face.

Jenny: It’s not a discrete piece of information, but once you start thinking about the relationship between museums and power – social, political, financial – it’s virtually impossible to stop looking through that lens, and it changes everything.

Kendra: Cheryl Meszaros’ writings on “Whatever Interpretation” and “Modelling Ethical Thinking” have been useful frameworks to look critically at museum discourses and understand how museums communicate or represent ideas. Another theory I often use to unpack inclusion of diverse audiences in museums is John Falk and Lynn Dierking’s Contextual Model of Learning. I’m glad that attention is increasingly being paid to the personal and sociocultural context of the visitor within the context of the museum.

Source.

Step 5: Fall in love with a course and give it your all! (For these three, Judy Koke & Keri Ryan’s Interpretation and Meaning Making took the cake)

Kendra: I appreciated that this course delved into the value and the complexity involved in an interpretative plan, as well as examined new trends in interpretative strategies and vehicles. It intersects with so many other areas of museology (ex: curation, collections, digital, and visitor research) with emphasis on effective communication and cross-collaboration in an institution.

Bretton: The content was exactly what I see myself doing in my future and Keri and Judy's professional insight into the industry was invaluable.

Jenny: It’s a great blend of theory and practice – you get to think and talk about what works in museum exhibitions and why, and the assignments are genuinely very fun.

Step 6: Reflect on your year and set goals for what’s to come 

Bretton: I hope to get more involved with the student body and engage in other campus activities!

Shauna: I volunteered and worked in museums last year but next year I would like to become more involved in the museum community and contribute more by attending (and maybe speaking at) symposiums and conferences, and possibly publishing something.

Kendra: It’s my personal goal to take advantage of the academic and professional resources that are available at the iSchool. I am hoping some of my work on inclusion provides a basis for a future conference presentation. I’ll also be closely following the workshops and research series because they really do expand and enrich in-class learning with topical examples.

Source.

After reaching out to my peers, I learned that we were experiencing similar anxieties. My final tip is to be open about the challenges you are facing with your classmates. The bond students form over the demands of grad school is unparalleled!

Source.

*Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

THE STUDENT-SUNDIAL CONNECTION

THE GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE

BY: AURORA CACIOPPO

Greetings! I am so pleased to be the contributing editor for The Grad School Guide this summer. As I contemplated what valuable tips should be shared with incoming and/or current grad students, I got seriously sidetracked by S-Town. This podcast, as some of you may already know, is hosted by Brian Reed and was released in March 2017 by the producers of Serial. It’s about John B McLemore, a man who hates his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama. He reaches out to Brian and asks him to investigate a local crime, but once the research begins, an entirely new story is unearthed. Suddenly, Reed (and every listener) gets caught up in the life of John B. Fear not, I won’t reveal any spoilers.

John B often quotes passages found on sundials, an interesting tradition I became fascinated with. As a human who is enrolled in post-graduate education and is also desperately trying to manage every other aspect of my life, I am dedicating my first column of The Grad School Guide to sundial philosophy. I hope that from this time-measuring wisdom, graduate students will be inspired to become true masters of Museum Studies.

Source.

“Vita in motu” - Life is in motion
Accept that everyone is coming from a different stage of their life, and most importantly, different areas of expertise. Do not doubt your abilities. Instead, be confident in what you do know, and try approaching your insecurities with being open to learning about what you don’t know. Show up to as many events as you can. There are countless educational and professional development opportunities, and time moves quickly! Take advantage!

“Be as true to each other as this dial is to the sun”
Get to know your peers! These are the people you will work with during and after your degree. This will be your first network of museum professionals! Recognize your own strengths and weaknesses, offer your help when appropriate, and don’t be afraid to ask for help in return. I have learned so much simply by listening to what my classmates have contributed in lecture, group projects, or while editing their papers. Be open, be interested, and be yourself. 

“Take the gifts of this hour”
The gift of this hour is this: the bathrooms in the Bissell building basement are the best. There are a lot of them, and no one is ever there. You’re welcome.

Source.

“Altera pars otio, pars ista labori” - Devote this hour to work, another to leisure
Explore! Visit museums with your classmates. Discuss what you liked about your visit and what you didn’t. Go over what you failed to understand and share what you did. You’ll quickly learn that each person notices different things. This practice will allow you to get to know your friends better, it will open your eyes to different methods of interpretation, and this process will better prepare you for class discussions and assignments.

“Vivere memento” - Remember to live
Get out of your home, the museum, work, etc., and do something completely unrelated. Try a new restaurant (there are SO MANY in the area – contact me, I will hook you up); go to SkyZone trampoline park; go to a regular park; visit an escape room etc. etc. etc. Live that life of yours!

Source.

“Dum tempus habemus operemur bonum” - While we have time, let us do good
Don’t be too serious. Life as a student is stressful, but it is also a special time where we have the freedom to take chances. Research what you’re passionate about. Find what works best for you. As museum professionals, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the way people understand art, history, and objects. Do good with it.

“Tedious and Brief”
This is one phrase that isn’t found on a sundial; rather, it’s something John B repeats in S Town. Nevertheless, I think it’s something that’s worth reminding ourselves of. Yes, at times, things can seem tedious. But in the grand scheme of things, it is incredibly brief. Take time to remind yourself that it is most definitely worthwhile.