September is winding its way closer to us, and with it, the start of a new school year at the MCI.
For this reason, we’re hearing a lot from would-be interpreter trainees. That’s great! We’re always interested in hearing from bright, well-informed people with a powerful command of two or three languages.
Some of the folks who contact us have a clear understanding of the impact interpreter training will have on their lives. They are ready to make the commitment and to put in the time. They are ready to push themselves hard to succeed as future interpreters.
Still, some of the people who get in touch with us haven’t always done their homework. They don’t always have a concrete sense of what they might be embarking upon when they apply to the MCI. It’s with this latter group in mind that I share this list of three things that the MCI is not.
1. The MCI is not like any other kind of university degree you have done before
All of our students are intelligent, high-achieving people. They have done prior degrees, and they have always been at the top of their class. They are used to excelling. But when they enter our program, they have a different experience altogether. They struggle. They work harder than they ever have before. Sometimes, it can be hard psychologically to go from being a straight A student to playing catch-up.
I speak from experience. Before I trained as a conference interpreter, I had been around the block. I had worked as a community interpreter for roughly 15 years. I had an MA. I had a PhD. In all those other experiences, I had done well. Yes, there were some bumps along the way. (I told the tale of one of those bumps in a blog post last year. But I always knew I would make it to the finish line.
When my interpreter training started, I was suddenly a lot less sure of myself. This is because the training was difficult in a way nothing else in my life had been. I lay awake at nights wondering whether I was actually going to pass my courses and get my Master of Conference Interpreting. I had never had my faith in my own intellectual abilities tested like that before. It was not a comfortable experience.
It takes nerves of steel, and hours of practice, to excel at consecutive interpreting.
In the end, some very serious self-discipline and hours and hours of practice paid off for me. And I see the same process at work in my students. Everyone does a double-take when they understand just how hard being an interpreter is. But the ones who get over their shock and do something about it succeed.
In addition to classes, our students also interpret 15-20 live events on campus each year.
2. The MCI is not something you can do “off the corner of your desk”
Training to be an interpreter is very, very difficult. If you don’t keep your eyes on the prize, you likely won’t make it. So being a student at the MCI will require you to set your priorities, at least for a few school terms.
Are you a star hockey player? Sorry, but your practices and games are going to have to take a back seat. Are you a mom or a dad? Start thinking now about good childcare options. Because bouncing your toddler on your knee during online classes just won’t work. Holding down a job while you go to school? I understand — I had to do the same thing when I was an interpreter trainee. But you still have to commit to attending classes and, perhaps more importantly, clocking some serious hours of practice.
Now, regular blog readers, I know what you are going to say. “Andrew, you are always preaching about good self-care for your students. Getting exercise, spending quality time with loved ones, etc.” And it’s true. You can’t interpret all the time. You need to maintain other facets of your life. But they cannot come first in your life, at least not while you are taking classes with us.
3. The MCI is not a good fit for everyone
I find that the general public has a major misconception about interpreting. They tend to think it’s easy. As a result, applicants to our program sometimes share that misconception. This is particularly true when they learn that the first year of the program is given entirely online.
But each year, usually just past midterms in the first semester, our Year One students come to us in a bit of a panic. The program is harder than they anticipated. There is a lot of work for them to do. It’s not easy to master interpreting in three different settings, because the way people interpret in healthcare, in the courtroom, and in conferences is not the same. Some of these students decide the MCI is not for them.
Our Year Two students also build their skills by delivering beginner workshops to MCI applicants.
And that’s okay. There are probably easier ways to earn a graduate degree out there. There are certainly careers that are easier to enter into. If you are reading this and thinking, “interpreter training doesn’t sound right for me,” that’s all right. There are other options that might be a better fit for you.
I know. These three pointers make it sound like the MCI is all about hardship and struggle. I can understand why you might think that. But I saw a quote recently, from Arnold Schwarzenegger of all people, that, believe it or not, helps put things into perspective.
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
He was talking about bodybuilding when he said it, but he could just have easily been referring to interpreter training. Our job is tough. If we can come to terms with that, and if we can rise to the challenges we face — especially after getting knocked down — then we will be stronger for it.
Students take a break from work in the lab to
blow off some steam.
I also know that the pointers above make it sound like the MCI faculty must be pretty mean-spirited. But nothing could be further from the truth. I have taught at five different universities and been a student at a couple of others. I have never met a team of teachers that is more passionate and compassionate than the MCI faculty. Our teachers will make a commitment to you. Our teachers will go the distance with you. But you have to make that commitment and go that distance with yourself.
Finally, I know that the three pointers make it sound like the MCI is all work and no play. Yes, our students certainly work hard. But they also build bonds with their classmates that are incredible to see. And, we make time — in class and out — to have a good laugh and express our silly side.
Is the MCI more than you bargained for? It just might be. But at the same time, few other experiences that I can think of will leave you tempered like steel, reassured in the knowledge that a whole team of people is rooting for your success.