iStudent Blog
iStudent Blog
Students in all of our programs, as well as applicants, will find the iStudent Blog a gold mine. Written by a current student, this blog provides important information and resources and useful advice, including posts about courses, career pathways, online learning, time management, student groups, conferences, and financial aid.
New To iSchool? Gain Peer-to-peer Insight On Best Practices Here!
Published: Monday, August 27, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Welcome to the SJSU School of Information! Fall semester has just begun, so there’s no better time to create a success plan. As a student who is almost at the end of her program, I’m going to share some best practices and resources for new (and returning) students that helped me along the way. In this article, I’ll walk you through my recommendations for making the most of your iSchool experience from day one.
New Tool: Find An Elective Without A Core Course Prerequisite
Published: August 20, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
You should already be familiar with the suite of tools available to help you develop your focused plan as part of the Advising Toolkit, including the Unit Planning Tool and MLIS Course Tracker. These tools can help make your life easier as you plan each semester towards completing your degree. With a wealth of classes to choose from and multiple career pathways, it can sometimes be overwhelming to narrow down your class decisions, not to mention checking if the class is intensive, how many units it is and whether or not there are prerequisites. Luckily, a new tool has been developed to save you time when trying to figure out which advanced classes you can take, based on what core courses you still need to complete
Unexpected Benefits Of An MLIS Degree
Published: August 13, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
From backyard projects to beefing up your resume, we’re going to talk about the less conventional benefits of your future degree. I hope this blog post gives you the confidence to transfer the skills you develop in school to your next job application or venture into uncharted territory. At the very least, this article should make you proud of your personal development every day you work towards your MLIS or MARA degree.
Professional Associations: Info 200 Free Membership
Published: August 6, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
So you’re about to start your first semester as an iSchool student, you just enrolled in INFO 200 and you’re not sure what professional association(s) to join. Lucky for you, I’m here to walk you through the complimentary one-year membership available to all MLIS students in INFO 200. I’ll also share some reasons why you should consider becoming a member with multiple associations, including student and local chapters.
Get Social Media Savvy This Summer – Part 4: Blogs
Published: July 30, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Blogs are the original social media. Even before MySpace, which started as a blog style site, there was LiveJournal and Open Diary. We’re talking circa 1999 before y2k and broadband internet. In that sense, blogs have withstood the test of time. They can be very personal like diaries, but they can also be informational like academic journals (although never as formal or peer-reviewed). Some blogs include pictures, links and videos and others are just plain text. Most blogs allow comments (just like social media) but make sure you read the site rules before engaging in public discourse. The last thing I’d like to mention before diving into my lists of LIS blogs is that most bloggers make their contact information available should you wish to reach out to them.
Get Social Media Savvy This Summer – Part Three: Instagram
Published: July 23, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
In the third installment of the Social Media Summer series, we’re taking a look at Instagram. Instagram is a simple way to capture and share images and video. So why is Instagram relevant to an iSchool student? Well, aside from the fact that you can look at really cool pictures of libraries around the world, it provides a platform for visual learners to access information in a format that is best suited for them. If you are among the 40% of college students that are visual learners, which means you prefer to be taught through pictures and other visual aids, then Instagram might be the right social media choice for you.
Get Social Media Savvy This Summer – Part Two: Facebook
Published: July 16, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Welcome to the second chapter of the summer series Get Social Media Savvy. Last week we talked about many of the great resources available on Twitter. This week we’re going to discuss another popular social media platform: Facebook. It’s not just for looking at pictures of your cousin’s puppy in Wichita anymore; you can leverage the platform to expand your professional network, keep up-to-date on changes in your field and discover upcoming events and job opportunities.
Get Social Media Savvy This Summer – Part One: Twitter
Published: July 9, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Tweets. 280 characters, 500 million times per day from over 330 million active users. It’s like walking across the entire U.S. and having a brief dialogue with every member of the population. Admittedly, I tend to stray away from social media. It takes time to sift through the copious amounts of content to find what you’re looking for and quite frankly, like all of you, I’m busy! Well my friend, reader of this blog, you’re in luck. I’ve found some of the best LIS related Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts and blogs for you to enjoy on your summer break (and beyond), starting with Twitter in this first post of the Get Social Media Savvy This Summer series.
The Lives Of Three Phd Students – Is A PhD Right For Me?
Published: July 2, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
As my final semester at SJSU rapidly approaches, I’m starting to look for jobs and also research PhD programs. There are two main reasons I’m considering a PhD: the increasingly competitive job market and as a lifelong learner, more school sounds fun! I had the opportunity to speak with three of San José Gateway PhD Program’s current students. The San José Gateway PhD program is an international doctoral program currently offered in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). If you’re interested in more information on the program itself, I recommend visiting the FAQs page or filling out an information request form. For this article, I wanted to focus on the personal journeys of the three PhD students I interviewed:
Survival Tips For The End Of The Semester
Published: June 13, 2018
We’ve almost reached the end of fall 2017. Everybody’s busy trying to meet deadlines and wrap up their classes. It can be hard to look forward to the holidays when all you can think about is that final paper you need to get done. Hang in there, the finish line is so close you can almost touch it! Here’s my advice for keeping your head straight while you tackle those final assignments, as well as start getting prepared for the holiday season.
Five Steps To Apply For Financial Aid
Published: June 13, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Many students are worried about how to pay for their program. Most people qualify for some form of financial aid, you just have to take the time to apply for it. Thankfully, the process is pretty streamlined and once you’ve read this article you should be confident navigating the world of student loans. There’s still time to submit your application for 2018-2019 funding; the deadline is at the end of this month, June 30. If you’ve been dragging your feet, now is the time to take action by reading this blog post and getting your application completed before it’s too late!
Tips For Paying Back Your Student Loans Faster
Published: Monday, May 21, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
You’ve finally graduated and landed your dream job. Six months have passed and everything’s going great until you remember, it’s time to start paying back your student loans! Don’t let that thought fill you with dread. I’m here to give you some tips for paying off your balance in a flash. Short of winning the lotto, it’s going to take some extra effort on your part, but with the right mix of know how and dedication, you’ll be on your way to living student loan debt free.
SAASC is Looking for Officer Nominations
Published: May 11, 2018 by Katie Kuryla
Have you not applied to being part of the SJSU Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists because you just don’t know what you will be doing? Do you think you don’t have enough time? Well, Catherine Folnovic, a former SAASC member, let’s you know what to expect as a member of the chapter.
Save Money Going To School Online
Published: Monday, April 30, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
Before the iSchool, I had no experience taking classes online. I was a little apprehensive at first, but now I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There are so many advantages to being a virtual student. One that might not seem obvious right away is the financial benefit. With the rising cost of tuition and the burden of student loans, applying to an exclusively online program like those offered by the SJSU School of Information, is a smart move.
Tax Benefits For Students: How To Max Out Your Tax Return
Published: April 9, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro
The deadline to file your 2017 federal tax return is fast approaching. If you haven’t submitted yours yet, gather your W2s and 1098Ts and get to a tax office or a computer pronto! But first, read this blog post to find out how being a graduate student can impact your taxes. Making sure you’re informed about special student deductions and credits will help you maximize your refund and ultimately offset the cost of college.
Tax Benefits for Students: How to Max Out Your Tax Return
Published: April 9, 2018
Know what credits and deductions are available to students so you don’t leave money on the table.
Hot Off the Press: Dr. Hirsh’s Latest Textbook
Published: April 2, 2018
Find out what’s new in the
second edition of Information Services Today.
The second edition of Information Services Today: An Introduction is now available! Published by Rowman & Littlefield, the book brings together 43 experts from across the LIS field, exploring what it means to be a library and information science professional today.
Meet Your Faculty Advisors
Published: March 26, 2018
New welcome videos help you choose the right faculty advisor for you.
You’re bound to have questions as
you navigate through your program at the School of
Information. Thankfully, the iSchool has plenty of resources
to help you along the way. One of those is the faculty advisor team, who are available
to answer your questions about course selections and career pathways based on their areas
of expertise. Now you can watch a quick one to two-minute welcome
video to get to know each advisor and determine the right person
to reach out to for assistance. With 50 advisors to choose from,
you are sure to find your perfect match.
Library 2.018 Design Thinking Conference Recap
Publish
ed: March
19, 2018
Gain insights from the Library 2.0 virtual conference, “Design Thinking,” held on March 8.
Over 5,500 people registered for the first Library 2.0 virtual conference of the year. “Design Thinking: How Librarians are Incorporating it into their Practice” was held online and for free on March 8.
Applications for iSchool Scholarships and Graduating Student Awards Now Open
Published: March
12, 2018
Don’t let the opportunity to reduce your tuition fees and be recognized pass you by!