As a current or prospective IDST student, you may wonder: what can I do with my degree after graduation? We are slowly building our alumni network to bring in knowledge and learning to impart to our growing community.
In our first interview, we talk to Eden. She graduated in 2023 and is now pursuing a Master of Library and Information Studies at UBC.
What made you decide on the IDST program? Are there advantages to being in the program compared to other traditional majors?
A big part of my decision to pursue the IDST program was the flexibility it offers in terms of course planning and exploring topics that interested me. In my case, I was interested in looking at development from Psychological and Sociological perspectives, as well as exploring my passion for creative writing. In other traditional majors, I don’t believe I’d be able to explore these interests to the same extent and depth that the IDST program allowed me to. The program provided me the opportunity to curate my courses and focuses to be truly aligned with my academic motivations and also allowed the flexibility for change as I discovered my career aspirations.
What would you say to undergraduates reading this who are deciding on the IDST program? Do you have any words of wisdom to share to those who are unsure about their path to graduation?
The IDST program is truly dynamic in the sense that you have the opportunity to tailor your degree to encompass subject matter and aspirations that interest you – whether you have specific career or academic goals in mind or you are uncertain about your path! Personally, I had uncertainties about my academic and career aspirations – I changed my mind about what I wanted to pursue a lot during my undergraduate degree. This program embraced those uncertainties and allowed me to find a path that interests me which I am now pursuing in a graduate program.
What motivated you to pursue graduate studies? Did your experience in the IDST program influence your decision?
The IDST program was definitely a major influencing factor when I was considering pursuing graduate studies. I am a first-generation university student who didn’t have extensive knowledge of the inner-workings of undergraduate academia – let alone graduate studies! I believe my experience in this program and independently curating my degree prepared my to pursue a master’s both academically and personally. For my particular master’s program, I felt that coming from an IDST academic background really aided in not only the admissions process, but also approaching coursework with an interdisciplinary framework – a factor that I believe is crucial to any dynamic field.
What are your plans for the next few years?
I hope to complete my masters in the next few years while exploring different positions in the Library and Information fields and potentially pursue a PhD!
