Masland Library Blog

Student workers promote the library; but sometimes even we acknowledge you can have too much of a good thing. Here are some suggested alternatives.

1. You really need sleep, but you should be studying: You’ve been up all night, but all night wasn’t enough, and your eyelids weigh a million pounds, each.

Alternative: stay in your room. Consider sleeping 10-20 minutes. This light sleep cycle is perfect for a mind-clearing power nap, and your best sleep is bound to happen in your own bed, not at a library table.

2. You’re really hungry, but you should be studying: You’ve got a craving for potato chips. You know, and I know, that those chips aren’t supposed to be in here, what with the rustling bag and the oily finger prints.

Alternative: head to the commuter lounge. The noise level is fairly low, there’s couches, tables, computers - you can even buy your chips in the vending machines there!

3. You really want to fight with your friend/significant other, but you should be studying: you can’t seem to stop thinking about how annoying the world is, when you should be figuring out how to end world hunger.

Alternative: walk through the neighborhood. Grab a friend who will listen, or if you feel comfortable, go for a run by yourself. The creepiest people who live in that neighborhood are probably your professors, and the walking will calm your nerves and clear your head.

4. You’re really getting claustrophobic, but you should be studying: Your room, the library, the MAC, yourroomthelibrarytheMACyourroomthelibrary-- MAKE IT STOP! You need a car.

Alternative: take the bus to Newtown. From the stop outside Bottom Dollar, to the stop near Starbucks, the trip is $2.25 each way. The ride is a little long, but if you want a place to study all day, that Starbucks is definitely the cutest place to do it.

5. You really want to drop out of school, but you should be studying: forget campus, forget even Newtown - that’s way too close. You might see someone you know. You might think about homework. You might have a flashback to today’s lecture. Help.

Alternative: go home. Sometimes, if at all possible, you just need your family, your room, and some good food before you venture back to the familiar face of the library front doors. And that’s okay! Even the most independent of us need a break from the sterility of library life. Take the weekend, and come back refreshed.

If we’re being honest, there are loads of times the library just isn’t your best friend. That’s okay. Before you waste hours staring at the wall, get your mind and body in the right place. And when you come back, you might actually be able to get things done. 

~Christine 

In case you missed the first part of this blog series, I have set out to show Masland Library visitors that the library is a valuable resource for social entertainment. In Part I, I hit on some of the library’s top movies of various genres. While movies are great entertainment for large groups of people, they do not necessarily facilitate great social interaction. If there is much interaction, the movie has probably become background noise and everyone missed an important movie scene. So now I bring you to music, the perfect element to set the mood for your social events. Even you are the loner of the party Taylor Swift once eloquently stated, “People haven’t always been there for me but music always has.” Therefore, I encourage you to check out some of the library’s music and let it permeate the atmosphere of your social life.

               

Music

*The library’s CD collection can be found on the 2^nd floor on your left before entering the computer lab. Although I will not expound upon them here, the Masland Library has some RECORDS available to borrow. If you are retro enough to own a record player, ask us more on how to get your hands on a record.

Romantics Sampler – CD M5 .R663 1995

Let me clarify first by saying this is not a compilation of songs for a passionate date. The word Romantics refers to a time period and genre of classical music from the 18^th century. This is music is called romantic because it explored the breadth of emotion in a way music had not before. Therefore, the modern music listener can find great refreshment in these pieces.

Scott Joplin Piano Rags – CD M25 .J81 P53 2004

Now these are some true American originals. Just imagine you and your friends in some small town establishment out west 100 years back, playing cards and listening to an old man tickling the ivories with some good old rag time.

Spanish Guitar – CD M126 .S62 2002

This CD is sure to bring that spice that was missing from your life. Do not forget about this one for all of your Cinco de Mayo parties.

Quartets – CD M450 – CD M457.4

While great majority of our CD’s consist of classical music, I wanted to highlight the quartet section of the collection. In Fall of 2013 the world renown Ying String Quartet came and played for our school. Some of the greatest classical music was written for such a group of players on these instruments: two violins, a viola, and a cello. Only four instruments! This music is not only for the sophisticated.

Jazz, Louis Armstrong – CD M1356 .A736 D445 2000

Jazz, Duke Ellington – CD M1366 .E461 D933 2000

Jazz, Coleman Hawkins – CD M1366 .H395 C654 2000

If you have not been sufficiently exposed to big band jazz, you are missing out on one of the greatest musical joys in life. This music may, dare I say it, make you want to dance. To give you a little more direction within these three artists, Louis Armstrong played some mean trumpet (and had a great voice!), Duke Ellington worked the piano, and Coleman Hawkins played some sweet tones on the tenor saxophone.

Star Wars Original Trilogy Soundtrack – CD M1527.2 .W721 S27 2004

                It is Star Wars. Need I say more?

International Music Mix – CD M1627 .I58 1999

A little bit of this. A little bit of that. Musical flavors from all around the globe. Now you can connect with all of your multicultural friends!

Simon and Garfunkel – CD M1630.18 .S55 S5 1972

I have always considered these guys to be the original indie band. They formed a new genre of folk-rock in the 1960’s. That may seem old but their music does not sound it. Simon and Garfunkel is great for the car or chilling at all times of the day.

Soulful Music by Leontyne Price – CD M1670 .P953 1996

I cannot say I have ever listened to this lady, but I do know she was famous. The nature of the music of this album is just as the title suggests.

Manheim Steamroller, Christmas in the Aire – CD M2065 .M354 C475 1995

If you have ever listened to Christmas music on the radio, you must have heard Manheim Steamroller. I would describe them as new age electric orchestra rock going wild on Christmas tunes. These songs could put you in the holiday mood in July.

Michael Card, The Hidden Face of God – CD M2198 .C37 2006

Michael Card is an older but well known Christian artist that came to our school in Fall of 2013. This is only one of several albums we have of his, but check them all out!

We are only a month or so into the school year, but the homework is starting to pile up. Readings are stacking up, papers need to be written, and projects need consideration. With papers, projects and readings looming overhead, I have developed a list of tips to help a student stay on top of the mounds of homework that further our education!

1. Time it. I have seen the excellent advice of pacing yourself; set a timer, generally 25-45 minutes.  During this time period you do some hardcore studying, not letting anything distract you. When the timer goes off, take a 5-15 minute break (setting the timer for that as well) to just do something leisurely. Then go at it again, setting a timer to get some firm studying done. 

2. Close Facebook. No, seriously. Close it. In fact, don’t touch the browser at all unless you are doing research. Don’t give yourself any excuses. If you absolutely MUST check your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, then do it during the 5-15 minute break mentioned above. Be SURE to have your timer though, because then you can’t get sucked in for endless hours; the timer will force you to stop and go back to work. 

3. Environment matters. Don’t lay on your bed, or lay on a couch. Your environment matters greatly when you study. If you study in a relaxing environment that you always associate with a feeling of rest, then your brain is going to switch to that resting mode it has for that environment. Choose study-specific environments, like the library, or the commuter lounge, or even just your desk in your room. If you don’t believe me that environment matters, ask Matt McAlack! He’ll prove it to you in all the brainy technical terms you’ll need. 

 

4. Prioritize. What’s due first? It’s best to get the things that are due first out of the way. People often try to get the easiest assignments done first, but that’s taking up valuable time that could be better spent on something that is due sooner. This way, you don’t stress out about something that’s due tomorrow because you were working on something that is due in three days. Prioritizing has been especially easy for me with the app ‘MyHomework’, which I got on my Kindle Fire HD. It’s absolutely free and it puts up the list for you of what’s due first. 

5. Study Alone. I hear often that people study better in groups, but guys, when we get down to it, we all know that the people we have around us are distracting. When you’re spending time with friends, even if you’re both supposed to be doing homework the temptation to goof off and have fun is overwhelming. It is often best to study alone, or study with one person who is quite studious themselves. It is easy to find a solitary space to study in with the study rooms at the library, to which the keys can be checked out right at the front desk. 

 

6. Use flash cards and notes. This method is especially helpful if you’re in a class that has important terms that must be remembered. Write the term down on one side of an index card, and then write the definition on the other side. Then quiz yourself, only looking on the definition side once you’ve tried to give your own. Also, during readings, it is highly profitable to take notes. If something stands out to you, or if there’s something that you personally disagree with, go ahead and write it down! The professor will absolutely love it when you bring it up with them or the class. 

7. Get a head start and don’t cram. This is incredibly important. The sooner you get to work on some of your homework, projects or papers, the sooner it will be done. Cramming is not healthy, mentally or emotionally, and you retain a lot less information when you cram than if you study at a more casual pace. So try to make a list as early in the semester as you can of homework, big and small, and their due dates. This way, when you get something done before it’s due, you’ll have some time to just relax and do something fun instead of cram for that particular piece of homework.

8. Reward yourself. I saw a fantastic idea on Pinterest where a person put gummi bears every so often on the pages of the book they were reading; when you get to the gummi bear, you eat it! This can also be used with M&Ms, Skittles, etc. It motivates you when you get a reward. I would highly suggest this method; a mini candy bar always tastes better when you’ve worked hard to earn it! It gives a much more positive attitude towards homework when you know you’ll get something good out of it.

9. If you don’t understand something, ask! Every single teacher I’ve had here at Cairn has always responded graciously to any emails I sent with a question. Teachers love it when you ask questions because that shows you’re doing the work and thinking about it, and that you want to do the work well. If there’s a prompt for a homework assignment that is confusing for you, or if the guidelines for your paper or presentation could mean a couple different things, just send the professor an email and ask them. They will be more than happy to get back to you and elaborate on what they mean and what they are looking for. Just remember; it never hurts to ask!

10. WANT IT. This is the most important tip I could possibly give. You have to WANT to get your homework done, or else none of these tips will work anyways. You have to be willing to sit down and work hard for this education that you are paying to have. College is a gift that plenty of American students take for granted. We’re here to experience and learn, and to learn we have to do some things that aren’t always pleasant. Even if it’s not pleasant, you can want to get it done. And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn a few things by the time you finish that annoying homework assignment or tough paper. 

~Rachel Krodel

 So, it’s threatening to become a common situation: a major snow storm has you stuck on campus on a snow day - without electricity, without WiFi … without NETFLIX. What are you supposed to spend your day doing now?! Believe it or not, there was a time when people curled up with a good book when the weather

If you watch NEW GIRL: Jess Day is probably the best teacher, ever. Submerse yourself in the kind of whimsicality that she would enjoy by visiting the children’s section on the library mezzanine floor. For the best picture books, try Caldecott award winners, which have their own section. For a heavier read, try Harry Potter (how have you all gone without them for so long?!)

If you watch THE OFFICE: Remember when Michael Scott started his own paper company? Oh, what fun… Some of the library’s books on entrepreneurship and marketing are really entertaining (okay, they lean more towards educational, but can’t earning money be fun, too?) 

If you watch PARKS AND REC, or situation comedy/parody: The library has a great little section of parody fiction, humorous quotes, and joke books. Try browsing call numbers PN 1647 - PN 6261.

If you watch ANIME: Right under that comedy section are a few books on comics and manga art. 

If you watch GOSSIP GIRL, UGLY BETTY, or CARRIE DIARIES:  If New York socialites are your thing, try “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton or “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Bonus - “The Great Gatsby” is really, really short.

If you watch SUPERHEROES: Try “God on the Streets of Gotham” by Paul Asay, or any of the books based on movies in that section.

If you watch THE MINDY PROJECT: One of Mindy’s trademarks is her love of pop culture, but remember Mindy’s pastor fiancé, Casey? Explore how pop culture meets the church in books such as “Pop Culture Wars” by William D. Romanowski, or “Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns” by T. David Gordon. Or… you could always mosey over to the BIB REF section? Hey, I guess it’s not that bad after all.

~Christine Fitzpatrick