From one student to another: helpful tips for your first few weeks at York

Posted on September 10, 2013 by sobiaali

Welcome to York. It’s the first week of school and some of you must be freaking out. Do not worry, this week is going to be the most memorable one down the road. I have done all my shopping for school, mapped my classes and am still getting over frosh week. But there is still one thing that I need for my first week: energy! Why? Because there is still a lot to do!

The first few weeks of school usually offers so many opportunities to ask for help and support or to meet new friends/classmates – which really makes a difference. After my first day back I have: found a partner to study with, asked for help with some confusing course material, grabbed a coffee during the break, and most importantly, found someone I know in my class!

I never miss a class in the first few weeks. I try to get to know my professors and if I don’t like that class, I change it right away. Just like Cynthia said in her last blog, I have never regretted changing classes.

I also tend to make a list of things I need to do every school year, or things that I didn’t do last year. Time management is at the top of my “goals” list this year. I work part-time and study at the same time. It is sometimes hard to finish school work by their due dates because I get caught up with all sorts of other things. But that’s what the university experience is all about. I need to set goals, get focused and get done with it. School work is always a priority.

Most importantly I make sure I am getting enough sleep and I am eating well. It simply allows me to seize opportunities and do everything on time.

Don’t be afraid to make changes

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Cynthia B Archer

Transition is a key word this week. Many of you are new to York and looking for a path to your future. I guess everyone is giving you advice. My suggestion is: if you really do not like a class, quickly change it. I probably changed one course each year and never regretted it. In fact, I often discovered new interests and strengths. For example, I dropped Introduction to Political Science and took Introduction to Biology instead and ended up majoring in Biology.

Welcome to York. It is the sixth university where I have worked or studied. I truly love this school. My job as University Librarian is to give you great library services, collections and spaces. This blog is one endeavour to get your feedback and guidance to improve your libraries at York; Scott Library, Bronfman Business Library, Frost Library, Steacie Science and Engineering Library, and, let us not forget the “virtual” York University Libraries (the library website). Feel free to review and respond to previous blog posts that talked about IT, my new iPad-mini and study spaces in the library.

Cynthia
Your University Librarian

Saying good-bye to the summer

Posted on August 26, 2013 by sobiaali

Am I ready for another school year? Not yet. I feel that we did not get enough of summer this year. Do you agree with me? Maybe it feels that way because I have been busy doing other things than basking in the sun! As the summer comes to an end, I feel I still have more to do.

My brother gave me a book last week. It’s called “LEAN IN” by Sheryl Sandberg, currently the chief operating officer at Facebook. The book is about women, work and the will to lead. I have just finished the first chapter and I am so inspired. I can’t say I woke up the next day a totally different person but surely this book will change the way I see things. I feel every powerful book does that to me. Have you been reading a lot this summer?

I haven’t been able to get back to my book for a few days, though, because I went to Canada’s Wonderland this weekend for the first time. Such an awesome experience! I went on most of the rides including the Extreme Sky Flyer which apparently is Canada’s largest free-fall swing. I felt my heart was swinging more than myself. To add to that, I woke up having no voice the next morning.

Despite all the fun, the two most exciting things to the end my summer with are: 1) that I successfully finished another shadow painting and it’s ready to go on the wall! Most people don’t know that I am an artist. I like to paint for fun. I have shared the picture and would love your feedback on it. 2) I am going to a cottage this long weekend in Bruce Peninsula. I haven’t been to a cottage before.

Do you have any suggestions on how to make the most of the end to summer? Do you have any plans before another busy year?

A sneak peek at SPARK

Posted on August 12, 2013 by sobiaali

Last Thursday, I attended a very interesting focus group. Do you think it was about getting a spark from the library? It actually was not. It was about the upcoming Virtual Learning Commons project known as SPARK, which stands for “Student Papers and Academic Research Kit.” SPARK is, quite simply, a 24/7 eLearning resource for students that need help with any aspect of completing an assignment.

Basic concerns such as how to start an assignment and where to look for the right materials for an assignment are all addressed by the SPARK modules. Most students including myself don’t know where to start. I am usually bombarded by ideas and I don’t know which one to use! SPARK addresses all these issues.

Its 3 major categories of “Getting Started”, “Exploring” and “Pulling It Together” are broken down into 13 excellent modules. Many of these modules contain short videos to demonstrate the needs. Can you believe there is an “essay editing” module under the “Pulling It Together” tab? Wouldn’t you love that? Most importantly, SPARK can be accessed from anywhere and anytime from multiple devices.

There were other students who attended the focus group to share their ideas and how they see SPARK making a difference in their academic career. In their words, they saw SPARK as: intuitive, helpful, a time-manager, guide, like Google but more efficient, not overwhelming, easy to navigate, etc. The modules are not just limited to writing papers, but any kind of assignment. They encourage you to ask different questions to yourself to find out what you actually need to complete the assignment as well as how to manage time between assignments.

To share with you, I am quite excited to use this service. Are you as excited as me? What do you think about this service? Do you think students would rely on SPARK when they are on the verge of breaking down due to overwhelming assignments?

Looking for a seat?

Posted on July 29, 2013 by sobiaali

By Sobia Ali

I am sure this discussion has been touched on by many others. My topic today is about the current status of seating in the library. Summer is almost over! As usual, libraries are less busy in terms of students during this time but those starting school in September will be looking for places to study.

While there are 4 other libraries on campus, students still aren’t able to find a seat in the library. I know that is a unique problem in its own and at the same time it’s a campus wide issue. What is the library doing to help students find a seat? I struggle to find a seat during regular hours but I don’t try and find one when I have to study for exams or work on my own laptop. Those are the only times when I don’t care about a seat. I would simply sit on the floor and work on things. But I find students doing this most of the time. Why do you think they do that?

I do it because I like studying in the library and any other space on campus doesn’t have the feel of a library. Libraries are a motivation in itself. Secondly, because that is how I study at home. I get lots of space to spread out my material and stretch my legs as opposed to dangling from the chair if I was sitting.

Fortunately, I have been able to make a studying plan for the upcoming year. I am going to plan ahead where and when I am going to study. At the same time I will explore what times the library isn’t greatly busy so I can drop by to for a print resources or go through materials when I have a break between classes. I have also decided to diversify and explore spaces in other libraries. Do you think this plan will work? What are your suggestions for students looking for a space? What would you have done?

The coolest place to study

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Cynthia B Archer

By: Cynthia Archer

Thanks for checking out this blog. We are seeking the advice, feedback, suggestions and commentary from students about York University Libraries buildings, collections and services.

Where is the coolest place to study?

During summer classes it is relatively easy to find the perfect place in the library to study, complete assignments or collaborate with colleagues. Do you come to the library to study? Why or why not? Where is your favourite place? What do you like about it? What could make your favourite place even better?

My favourite study space must have lots of natural sunlight along with a great view. I will need a place to put my feet up and plenty of room to spread out my working materials. Fortunately for me I can “tune out” most noises so I don’t need to use music for white noise or seek out a truly silent area. Lastly I usually want something to drink and nibble on while working on papers and reports. I have to tell you my office in Scott Library is almost perfect. Its one shortcoming is that the windows don’t provide a panoramic view of the outdoors. Therefore the perfect place for me to work on assignments would be at one of the tables by the window in Fireside Reading Room at Frost Library, overlooking the rose garden with a cup of coffee and a handful of chocolate covered almonds.

If you haven’t seen the Fireside Reading Room since its renovation last November, take a look at this video we created that showcases the space.

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