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Tag: Penn State

Virtual Book Display

Check out some books to help improve your knowledge on a variety of topics! Reading is a great relaxer after a busy day.

Title: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Business

Author: Charles Duhigg

Year Published: 2014

Topic: Changing your life through habit

Where you can find it: Penn State University Libraries, Schlow Library

Summary: Duhigg defines habits and explains how they work through various narratives. He states that any change in one’s life (healthy living, being more productive, and being more successful) can all be traced to the science of habits.

Reason to read: Check out this book to help you get into better habits and achieve your personal goals

Title: Big Magic: Create Living Beyond Fear

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Year Published: 2015

Topic: Living a fulfilling and creative life; mindfullness

Where you can find it: Penn State University Libraries, Schlow Library

Summary: From the author that brought you Eat Pray Love, this book asks readers to embrace their curiosity and creativity to gain inspiration for their lives. Readers are asked to discover the “strange jewels” within them and aim to live a more mindful and soulful life.

Reason to read: Big Magic is a great book for the soul and will challenge you to be mindful and creative in your every day life. It is important to take care of our mind and body, this book is a great way to break away from your busy life and focus on yourself.

Title: Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties

Author: Beth Kobliner

Year Published: 2017

Topic: Personal Finance

Where you can find it: Penn State University Libraries (book is currently being used for class material), Schlow Library

Summary: A guide for 20-30 somethings to assist them in various personal finance topics including:

  • Credit card debt
  • Student loans
  • Health insurance
  • Saving plans
  • Investing

Reason to read: Even if you aren’t in your 20’s yet, this book is a great source of personal finance knowledge that you should read BEFORE graduation. Use this book to educate yourself on these topics that you’ll find will become relevant in your life sooner rather than later.

Title: Unshakeable

Author: Tony Robbins

Year Published: 2017

Topic: Financial freedom and confidence in a world of uncertainty

Where you can find it: Schlow Library

Summary: After interviewing 50 great financial minds, Robbins creates a financial playbook for investors of any experience to ensure they will be prosperous no matter the state of the economy. Check out this book to quickly achieve your financial goals and learn to be confident in our volatile world. Note: All profits from this book are going straight to Feeding America.

Reason to read: This is a great book for anyone. Don’t let the topic of investing scare you, Robbins is aiming to help those who don’t have investing knowledge or experience. Millennials aren’t investing enough and are missing out on a lot of opportunity to earn great returns over time. You’ll thank yourself for reading this book in the future.

 

 

 

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Resource Highlight: Penn State Library Databases

Need to do some research for a class project? Still not sure what majors interest you? Are you just generally curious? Do you have a never-ending thirst for knowledge? Good news, there’s a database for that and it’s provided to you by Penn State University Libraries. There’s a wide variety of databases from the Aerospace Database all the way to the Zoological Record. So why should you use these databases when you can just Google or ask Alexa anything? Library databases are credible, scholarly information that is hand-picked for students to assist them in research.

One great aspect of a library database is that you don’t have to worry as much about credibility. That being said, still make sure to evaluate the source and ensure that the information provided is relevant to your research needs. However, most library databases include scholarly articles, trusted news sites, and up-to-date information from credible sources.

These resources are available to students for free, take advantage of them! Penn State often pays for specific databases in order to provide students with the highest quality of information for our research. This is an awesome opportunity and a great way to help improve your project or knowledge.

Not sure which database to use? Don’t worry, the library provides categories and a search bar to help you narrow down which database to use. Still not sure? Ask a librarian, they are very familiar with the databases and can help you pick the best one for your needs.

Check out the library databases and more information about library resources here!

 

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Freshmen 101: 10 things you should know as a new student

1. Use the library’s resources

The library has so many books and databases catered to research that students need to do for classes. Check them out here.

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2. Don’t eat at the hub every day

Although Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express can be tempting, meal points are not unlimited and hub meals can add up. While the Hub’s food options are a great break from the dining halls, they should be used as more of a treat, rather than an everyday occurrence. It’s all great and delicious until you’re out of meal points with 4 weeks until the semester ends. That will cost you. Plus meal points barely get a discount at the Hub compared to the dining halls. If you’re really bored, try walking across campus and trying out a different dining hall. You’ll be surprised how different the food will be. Check out meal plan comparisons and the different discounts students get here.


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3. Student discounts downtown

If you do venture downtown to one of the many delicious food options (again do not make this an everyday occurrence, it is pricey) look out for student discounts. Many places offer free incentives and discounts if you show your student ID including Chipotle, Subway, and Chick-Fil-A. A quick Google Search on the restaurant’s name and coupons will often let you know. Check out this article on national chains that usually give student discounts. Don’t be afraid to ask at other State College restaurants for their student discounts!

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4. Meal points @ Creamery

If you have a large excess in meal points and are worried you won’t be able to use them all. Don’t give all of them away to upperclassmen just yet.

  • Meal points roll over from fall to spring semester
  • Meal points can be used at The Creamery to buy half gallons of ice cream and gift cards.

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5. Freshmen 15 is real

While you’re managing your budget don’t forget to manage your diet. Buffet style is great, but that doesn’t mean you have to get “your money’s worth,” no matter what your dad says. The freshmen 15 is real and it’s easy to overeat when you have dessert available at every meal. Most dining halls have great salad bars and there are tons of ways to stay active on campus. Want more tips on how to avoid the freshmen 15? Check them out here.

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6. Cite your sources!

Whether it’s an educational article from a library database or a picture you found through Google make sure you cite your sources. Penn State does not take plagiarism lightly. Not sure how to cite your sources properly? Ask your professor how they would like your works cited formatted and any librarian would be glad to show you how to make sure you’re citing correctly. Alternatively, you can check out the library’s quick guide to citing sources here.

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7. Watch out for fake news

While we all like to laugh at this, fake news does exist. It’s not funny when you accidentally use a phony article to back up your research paper or class presentation. Take the extra time to make sure your sources are credible (once again librarians are experts on this). Check out this how to spot fake news tutorial from the library.

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8. Use your student loans for school expenses only

This tip relates back to our budgeting discussion. Student loans are a great way for students to afford higher education, but taking out more loans than you need for tuition & books can hurt in the long term. Once graduation hits you’ll want to pay the loans, which have now accumulated interest. Try to only use student loans for school expenses to avoid extra debt. Want some more info on debt and student loans? Try out https://www.debt.org it’s a great resource that has tips and information on student debt.

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9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

This applies to everything in your college career. Never have I ever regretted asking a question in a class, club, job, interview, you name it. Many people at Penn State are willing to help!

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10. Watch out for credit card scams

This may seem obvious, but credit card companies often target college students and lure us in with fun incentives like gift cards and t-shirts. However, it’s important to know when you’re being advertised to. If a credit card gives you $50 for signing up but charges you an annual fee of $30 per year then you’ve lost money on that card after 2 years. Credit cards also impact your credit score so it’s important to do research before you sign up for a card. More information on credit card scams can be found here.

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