I’ve got one last class to take, and I’m asking the esteemed members of the Dope for advice on what I should take.
There are two options under consideration:
History of Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Programming for Children and Young Adults
Please choose one or the other in the poll, and if you want to post an extension, feel free!
ETA - Messed up the C&P in the poll - that last one should be "Programming, because it’s more interesting. " Please vote accordingly. Thanks!
You should take Programming, because there’s less risk of being forced to have a serious discussion about the works of Stephenie Meyer in the classroom.
I chose History. Rachellelogram has a good point, but she said “less risk” and there is always the chance that you would be assigned to turn “Twilight” into a game, making the entire semester a serious discussion about the works of Stephenie Meyer.
What are you majoring in and what are you planning to do with your degree?
Library Science, and the second half of the question isn’t really relevant to the selections above for various reasons I don’t wish to share with the universe at large. Sorry if that makes it harder to choose.
Suffice it to say that the reasons offered above are what I’m asking people to decide based upon. I am unable to tell from here which course would be more interesting or more easy - thus my asking people here for opinions.
(I am, it should not be necessary to specify, not going to hold myself to the results of the poll, regardless of what they are. Just seeing what people think of the options in general.)
I’d see what your course and/or life load is looking like at the end of your graduate studies. Are you going to have to do a thesis or somewhat? Is your life hectic? If you’re going to be busy, I’d go with what seems easiest. If you have lots of time, go with what’s interesting. 
Also…GPA. No need to bring it down, even a smidge, for something that is only ‘interesting’, if you won’t have the time to tackle it thoroughly. You can always take another class later for recreational purposes.
Find out who’s teaching the two classes, and what kind of reputation they have. Interestingness and easiness both depend a lot on the instructor.
ummm…by “programming” , do you mean computer programming or social programming?
(seriously, I’m not being snarky)
The public librarians that I know all complain that the library management stresses “programming”— which management defines as social programs, hoping to get people coming thru the doors. (An electric beam counts the number of people entering the building, and the management’s sole definition of success is increasing the number of clicks on the electic eye.) So they stress “programming”–meaning social programs --kiddie singalongs, story hour,hobby courses in paper mache and origami,live music performances in the cafe…
Anything except those boring old books on the shelves…
On the other hand, if your university’s programming course is about computers…well that could give you more useful skills than the course on history of kiddie lit.
Ooh, take that one. Maybe I’ll be mentioned in it!
Believe me, that will be taken into consideration, but sadly, not until much closer to the start of the term when they actually announce those things. In the meantime, I have to declare SOMETHING right now.
Social programming. I only wish we had courses on computer programming - I’d have taken them ALL. I really wish I knew more (anything) about that sort of thing.
If it makes a difference, I don’t think it hurts anything to say that I’ve already taken a course on Adult Programming, and one on YA Materials and Programs.
So yes, that means that I have already done several projects focused on Twilight. It holds no fear for me now. 
Unless Lasciel is applying to PhD programs in the future, his/her GPA is unlikely to be considered when interviewing for jobs. I love being a librarian - but I wish the master’s degree was less of a hoop to jump through.
Of the two, I’d take programming. You said you’ve already taken adult programming, but this is one of those areas that the more skills and ideas you have, the better. I’m academic, but I could absolutely see a case being made for using those skills as a first year experience librarian in a university. The history one? Meh. And I was a history major.
(Take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I am an academic librarian and have never, ever worked in a public library. Nor will I ever, most likely. I like my ivory tower. 
)
Mm, that’s fair. So if you’re just asking me what my own opinion would be, I’d take the Programming class because it’s more interesting to me. I like literature quite a bit and I’ve taken some literary theory courses before which I enjoyed, but programming is something I did a bit of in a more work-like setting, and I loved it and want to know more!
But really isn’t “more interesting” and “easier” completely subjective? Because I’ve had more than one absolutely amazing teacher for literary theory/history type classes, I’m inclined to find those classes both easier (because I have the background for it) and potentially less interesting (because can the instructor live up to the amazing ones I’ve had?) But that’s just my story.
Also: the utilitarian approach: do the history of children’s lit class if you’re going into academia and do the children’s programming class if you’re going into industry.
I chose the “Programming, because it’s more interesting” option. I assume that you do not know how to program, and you have taken history classes before…
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I just noticed that you meant social programming. Consider my vote expunged.
I am really incredibly biased on this question because social programming is my favorite thing in the world to do. I am incredibly jealous that you actually have programming classes - are you completing your MSW or some other degree?
That said, programming is something you will do a lot of with your career (I assume.) It’s not like you’re going to learn much history on the job. So consider that.
On reflection - looks like you are talking about library science. I was thinking more along the lines of nonprofit/service programming. Carry on.
Voted programming because it is easier (meaning more interesting,the second one) because it seems like something that has more relevant real world practical applications, could be a portfolio builder for a job application or something. Also because I like giving presentations.
you may not, in which case disregard my opinion entirely.
It’s actually more similar than you’d think. I have a social worker sister-in-law and a child-psychologist (works with groups of autistic kids and their parents) best friend, and we’ve gotten together and compared notes on the programming information that we’ve learned from various courses, and the goals and procedures and tricks are amazingly similar. On reflection, I suppose I shouldn’t be too shocked, but it really is funny that it all stays mainly the same.
The point about doing programming as part of the job and that history won’t come up is a good one. That’s something I hadn’t thought of - instead of taking something to facilitate work, taking something that’s interesting that I won’t learn much about while working.
No, I totally hear you on that, and if I had more information about the courses at this time, I’d be using that info instead - like knowledge of the professor, comparing the syllabi, all that jazz. But none of that’s available now (grrr) and I have to pick something, so I figured that getting a general opinion from a group of smart people would be a useful tool in the absence of really anything else to go on.
As far as backgrounds go, I’ve had two programming classes before, so I’m a little more familiar with those, but I did a LOT of history (and found it both easy and enjoyable) in undergrad, so I can’t imagine that it would horribly hard either. But again, with so little information to go on at the moment, I thought that other people might be able to point out things I hadn’t considered, or personal experiences that I could think about.
I also wondered if there would be a bias towards what people personally think is “easy” or “interesting” because of their own backgrounds (which is what I was expecting) or alternatively, because it is my LAST class. I wondered whether that would influence opinions.