December 2015 Archives
Posted December 17, 2015
I officially finished every assignment for this semester on Tuesday, and I’m currently only waiting on one grade to find out my GPA for my first semester in Library Science School, in order to humble brag on Facebook. I’ve returned all my books, organized all my notes, and printed the last thing I’ll print for this semester. And as exciting as that is (Yay! I’m done!) I can’t say that this hasn’t been a whirlwind semester. I’m still getting used to public transit, I keep forgetting to do my laundry, and the world of library science is much larger and cooler than I expected. I can definitely say I’m happy with where I am. With the first semester winding down, some of my friends and I were talking about why we chose Simmons. For most of my friends, who are archives students, the scale was easily weighted in favor of Simmons because it’s the number one school for archives in the nation. Another friend said that she decided to go to Simmons because of the…
Posted December 10, 2015
It’s the end of the semester. I have two assignments left, two days of work, and four days. I’m trying not to stress out. However, looking at the semester, I’m trying to make sure that I’ve achieved the one goal I set out for myself: To Have No Expectations. I like to theme my school years. Junior year, for example, was the Year of Yes, and I said yes to every opportunity I could, from entering the honors program to becoming a head tutor. Senior year was my Year of No, and that year I did my best to not add extra work to my overfull schedule. Entering Grad School and moving to Boston, however, required a new focus. I’d learned a lot between the yes year and the no year, and I knew what I could handle without freaking out. So this time around, I decided that my focus would be to have no expectations. I wouldn’t expect classes to be difficult or easy. I wouldn’t expect myself to always have it all together….
Posted December 7, 2015
Two days – this is all that stands between me and my last assignment this semester. Technically, my last class is next Tuesday, December 15, when half my classmates in my Information Organization class will present their research on an LIS topic. My group is presenting in this first week, so my only job for next Tuesday is to listen and bring a snack. I think I can handle that. Finishing this first semester is a little surreal. A year ago, I had no intentions to apply to Simmons, and here I am one sixth of the way through my program. Last Thursday I turned in my eleven page literature review for my Foundations class. My focus was the information behavior of lawyers, and it really gave me a new respect for my colleagues on the legal team at my work. Ultimately, I found that there are really two levels of information seeking in legal work; first, there is basic legal research, and second, there is a more complicated process of finding the solutions within that information…
Posted December 4, 2015
In some ways, book lovers are the easiest people to buy a gift for. If all else fails, they will always be ecstatic to unwrap a new book. But wading through the infinite pool of possibilities to choose the perfect book (or book-related item) can be daunting at best. Enter this gift guide, complete with the best tried and tested book and gift options around! So before you head to the store this season, arm yourself with this list…and some sort of caffeinated beverage…and prepare to win at your holiday shopping this season! For the traditional book lover… In our glitzy, shiny, high-tech world, there are still those who love the dusty smell of an old book, love to crack open the binding and feel the coarse paper between their fingers. For the traditionalist on your list, steer clear of the chain stores with their e-readers and their paperback-filled shelves. Instead, visit your local used book store and hunt the racks for a hidden treasure. Maybe you’ll find an early edition of…
Posted December 3, 2015
For those wondering, I did win NaNoWriMo. I’m currently in the final throes of the semester, with a LibGuide, a presentation, a homework assignment, 2 discussion posts, 2 annotated bibliographies, and a five-minute instruction session standing between break and me. It’s a lot of work, but I’m sure if I focus and crack down, I’ll get everything done without being stressed. So, of course, this weekend I’ve made plans to go to the Boston Public Library Book Sale and go Christmas shopping. I’m sitting in the SLIS lab co-working right now, and trying to not stare outside at the Simmons Green Cupola against the brilliant sky blue background. With winter break fighting its way toward us, and the end of the semester nigh, I have to keep reminding myself to focus on completing tasks and paying attention to the present here and now. Here are some of my tips for refocusing attention from ‘four weeks of no school’ to ‘6 assignments and 12 days left to get everything done’. Co-working An extensive rewards system, i.e: ten minutes…
Posted December 2, 2015
*I want to preface that the topic discussed in the following blog post is something that is near and dear to my heart. The thoughts and opinions that follow are not meant to insult anyone. Please enjoy the oncoming rant. Thank you.* Dear Disney, Remember the good ‘ol days when you were known for creating stunning works of animation and beautiful stories? Remember all the colorful characters and memorable songs that have become, for many, wonderful pieces of childhood nostalgia? Well I remember those days. In fact it wasn’t too long ago that your studio produced what many argue to be one of the best Disney films in years. I’m sure you know the one that I am talking about. It’s the one with that extremely catchy song that kind of sort of hasn’t totally gone out of the public conscious. Oh I remember what it was called. FROZEN!!!!!!!! Considering that this little blockbuster of yours has earned $1.219 billion at the box office, I was kind of shocked to read that in the coming years, your…
