Tips
Overcoming Growing Pains
Posted April 12, 2022 by Elizabeth Poland
I am very surprised to say I am nearing the end of my first semester here at Simmons! It feels like a whirlwind, to be honest – I applied and got accepted in October, moved to Boston in December, and started school in January. I am very grateful for the people who have supported me in this big life transition from my parents to my boyfriend to the friends that I’ve made so far in my classes. I definitely believe I made a smart choice moving to the city a full month before the semester started, but nothing could have prepared me for the transition into grad school life. It might have been because I accidentally signed up for 4 courses instead of the recommended 3 or fewer, so I quickly started to drown in responsibility. About a month into the semester I had one of those existential crises where nothing I was doing made sense — why was I going to grad school anyway? Why don’t I just escape civilization? What am I doing…
Spring Break?
Posted March 3, 2022 by Bryanne McArdle
Next week will be Spring break, and the first one I’ve had since 2016 when I graduated with my BA. It feels almost surreal as I haven’t had one since being an undergrad due to covid. It’s left me wondering exactly what will I do with my time off? Of course, part of me will still be working on some course work. I have some long-term books and projects that are due at the end of the semester that I would like to get a start on. But I also really need to take this time to relax before the end of my last semester kicks into gear. It will be a balancing act. But spring break is always a good midpoint marker and it’s weird to think that this semester is nearly half-way over. It has gone by so fast and has been so great. I hope I can continue to enjoy it as things turn towards the end and get ready for whatever lays ahead for me. But like I said earlier, I…
Wellness Week
Posted December 14, 2021 by Johnna Purchase
This past week LISSA – the student library organization here at SLIS – organized a week of activities to help promote wellness in the run-up to finals. Designed to facilitate relaxation, these bite-sized events were thirty minute moments every evening at 7:30 so that students could break seamlessly without needing the added stress of carving out an entire evening to practice wellness! On Monday, pet-owners and pet-lovers alike gathered to introduce their pets to their SLIS colleagues. Chris, a Ph.D. student studying accessibility in public libraries and LISSA Community Liaison, hosted the event with her two dogs Boomba and Lacey and foster dog Tripp. On Tuesday, students engaged in meditative journaling to reflect on the past semester, set goals for the semester to come, and remind themselves of their “why” for being in the SLIS graduate program. Rosie, LISSA President, provided prompts on dreamy powerpoint slides that participants could journal directly onto while the old at heart wrote out their intentions on paper. Wednesday evening turned physical as Johnna, LISSA VP of Events, helped participants…
A Three-Part Guide to Daylight Savings
Posted November 9, 2021 by Abbey Metzler
On Monday evening, or really what I would call at most late afternoon, I sat at my desk in my office building watching the sun go down. Spring forward and fall back, daylight saving time has come to an end here in the United States. I know that I am somewhat alone in loving winter. Five lake-effect snow laden years living in Central New York will do that to a girl. But, even I felt the spike of dread at watching the sky darken at an early 4:30pm. I know that a lot of Simmons students aren’t from New England, myself included. Winter here is not the same dusting of snow that shuts down major Southern cities. Before we also start to resign ourselves to hibernation until Spring, I thought I would share my plan to make our long, cold nights a little less daunting. Maybe these three tips will make you winter people yet. We are always looking for converts! Step 1: Read. I know. I know. We are all here in the…
Staying Positive
Posted May 15, 2020 by Sarah Callanan
So we are a few weeks in to the break between the Spring 2020 Semester and the Summer 2020 Semester, and it’s obviously a bit different this time around with COVID-19. Last year around this time I was on a trip with my family, and this year we’re in the middle of a pandemic and Massachusetts is still under a stay-at-home advisory. One thing I’ve thought a lot about during the past few weeks is stress caused by the outbreak, and the importance of staying positive. Here are some of my tips for staying positive and coping with stress during this difficult time: Remember that this is only temporary and you are not alone! Maintain a sense of routine! As much as I love staying in my pajamas, I have a more positive attitude when I get up, get dressed, and go about my everyday routine. Take a break from COVID-19 news, media, and other pandemic-related content. I disabled news notifications on my phone a while ago, and I’ve been trying to limit myself from…
Tips for Remote Work
Posted April 15, 2020 by William Crouch
Like everyone else, both my school work and class work has been severely disrupted by the ongoing pandemic. I just wanted to share a couple of tips that have been helping me work at home. The main one is pretty obvious but it’s incredibly important to set aside a place solely dedicated as a workstation in a place without distractions. For me, this is my living room that does not have a television or anything that could make me lose focus. Working on your bed has been studied to cause sleeping issues so even just getting up and working on the floor can help you prevent this. The next one is one that I have done in the two semesters I have been here already, create a calendar or list of due dates for assignments. This will help you keep in your mind when things are due and prevent accidentally missing a deadline. Finally, the most important one, is to make sure you’re practicing good care of yourself physically and mentally. We all know that…