Annual reports online

Did you know the library has a collection of Annual Reports from over 140 companies, government bodies and other organisations?  View these reports online by searching the library catalogue.

There are also a limited number of print reports on level 1.  Have a look at this quick tutorial to learn more: http://moodle.itb.ie/mod/scorm/view.php?id=54705

Remember, annual reports are issued by a variety of bodies:

• Companies, such as Aviva, Diageo, Tullow Oil, Viridian
• State bodies, such as Coillte, Forfas, The Equality Authority,
• Professional bodies, such as The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland
• Special interest bodies, such as The Irish Film Board, National Disability Council, The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre

Your library account online

Did you know that all ITB students and staff have an online library account.  If you are not on-campus this week you may wish to know how to renew your books online, reserve a library book or view your reading history.

You can also use your library PIN to access the online databases, including scholarly articles and conference papers, from home.

If you do not know your library PIN, email us to reset it: LibraryInfo@itb.ie

Come on down: we're open!

This week:

The Library is open

 Tuesday - Thursday: 9.15am - 6.00pm

 Friday: 9.15am - 5.00pm

The Student Information Desk is open

 Tuesday - Friday: 9.15am - 5.00pm

(img: "We're open" by Enrico Donelli via Flickr)

Printing in the library

Need to know how to print in the library?

Adding funds to your account:
You must have print credit in order to print in the library.  You can top up your print credit online using a Laser/Debit/Credit Card:  http://www.itb.ie/cashless  

View tutorial on Moodle



Printing black and white:
There are 3 printers in the library.  Kopikat 1 & 2 are black-and-white printers / photocopiers.  They are located around the corner from the library desk.  To print, select either of the following printers from the printer list: Lib_Kopikat1 or Lib_Kopikat2.  When you send a document to Kopikat 1 or Kopikat 2, you need to log in at the printer.  Log in using your student number and network password on the keypad on the printer.

View tutorial in Moodle



Printing in colour:
Kopikat 3 is a black-and-white / colour printer.  It is located near the Journal shelves on level 1.  If you wish to print in black-and-white, select the printer: Library_Kopikat3. If you wish to print in colour, select the printer: Lib_Colour_Kopikat3.  When you send a document to Kopikat 3, you do not need to log in at the printer; the document will be released automatically.

View tutorial in Moodle

Reading Week opening hours

Happy Halloween from all the library and SID staff!!!

Don't forget that we are open next week!

The Student Information Desk is open from 9.15am - 5.00pm, Tuesday - Friday.
The Library is open from 9.15am - 6.00pm, Tueday - Thursday and 9.15am - 5.00pm, Friday.

It's time to change your password

As Reading Week approaches, here is a timely reminder to change your network password.  You use your network password to log onto ITB PCs, to access Moodle, to access email, to print / photocopy etc.

Network passwords must be changed every 100 days. So change it now to ensure you can log in over Reading Week.

You can change your password as follows:

(1) Before it expires: change your password at any ITB PC.  Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE and select the option to change your password

(2) Before or after it expires: bring your student card to SID (9.15am - 5pm, Tu-F) or the Library Desk (5pm - 6pm, Tu-Th)

(3) After it expires: sign up for password recovery before your password expires.  Then you can recover your password from off-campus should it ever expire.  You can register here and recover your password here.

(4) After it expires: there us a SMS Password Recovery service available to students who cannot come to campus.  Call 1518  415090 and follow the directions.  There is a €3.00 charge for this service; the charge will be added to your telephone bill/taken from your phone credit


Remember, the best option is to change your password, at an ITB PC, before it expires.  But always have a backup plan, i.e. sign up for password recovery before you need it! 


(image: "password" by husin.sani via Flickr)

Need access to your xdrive from home?

Did you know that you can access your x-drive from off-campus?  Don't forget that if you are using a laptop or tablet, you are considered to be "off-campus" (as you aren't logged into the ITB network).

Via the ITB Student Hub: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=593

New library books: Sept-Oct '13

There are lots of new books in the library this month, including text books, DVDs, past student projects, reference books etc.

 

Class number	Title
006.3 MAC	Nine algorithms that changed the future: the ingenious ideas that drive today's computers / John MacCormick
158.7 LEV	Industrial/organizational psychology : understanding the workplace / Paul E. Levy.
302.35 ROB	Essentials of organizational behavior / Stephen P. Robbins.
305 BAK	Equality: from theory to action / John Baker, Kathleen Lynch, Sara Cantillon and Judy Walsh.
305.231 BRO	Unlearning discrimination in the early years / Babette Brown.
305.231 SAN	Child development / John W. Santrock.
305.8 CON	Racism, gender identities, and young children: social relations in a multi-ethnic, inner-city primary school / Paul Connolly.
305.9 WES	Second-generation transnationalism and roots migration: cross-border lives / by Susanne Wessendorf.
306.9 CHR	Taming time, timing death: social technologies and ritual / edited by Dorthe Refslund Christensen and Rane Willerslev.
336.20129417 CON	The student's tax handbook: finance act 2012 edition / Tom Conlon and Eddie Coleman.
336.20129417 DUA	Stamp duty: Finance Act 2012 / Darragh Duane.
361.007 SHA	Applied social care: an introduction for students in Ireland / edited by Perry Share and Kevin Lalor.
362.88082 REH	Moving in the shadows: violence in the lives of minority women and children / by Yasmin Rehman, Liz Kelly, and Hannana Siddiqui.
370.1934 KIL	Include me too: human diversity in early childhood  / edited by Kenise Murphy Kilbride.
371.3 CHA	The arts good study guide / Ellie Chambers and Andrew Northedge.
371.3 MOR	Managing your own learning at university: a practical guide / Aidan P. Moran.
371.90941 VOG	Success for college students with learning disabilities / edited by Susan A. Vogel and Pamela B. Adelman.
372.21 HAY	Early years practice : getting it right from the start / by Nóirí­n Hayes.
372.21 MHI	Early childhood education and care : an introduction for students in Ireland / edited by Máire Mhic Mathuna and Mark Taylor.
375.0010941 KEL	The curriculum: theory and practice / A.V. Kelly.
438.002465 KRA	Geschaftsverhandlungen [begleitbuch, Lehrerhandlungen, DVD] / von Wolfgang Krause und Jargen Schneider.
438.002465 KRA	Geschaftskontakte [begleitbuch, Lehrerhandreichungen,DVD] / Wolfgang Krause, Ann-Christin Bayard.
438.002465 SCH	Neue Kontakte [kursbuch &DVD] / von Roman Schatz und Tuula Pantzar.
448 FRE/C	Frequence jeunes : methode de francais  1 [textbook, DVD & booklet] / G. Capelle, M. Carvalli, N. Gidon.
448 FRE/C	Frequence jeunes : methode de francais  3 [textbook, DVD & booklet] / G Capelle et al.
448 FRE/C	Frequence jeunes : methode de francais  2 [textbook, DVD & booklet] / G.Capelle, N.Gidon, M.Cavelli.
448.2 BIR	Le francais en gros plans : cours video [textbook & DVDs] / Renee Birks, Raynalle Udris, Charmian O'Neil.
448.2 CAF/B	Cafe creme  1 [livre, cahier d'exercices, guide pedagogique, CDs, DVD, photocopiables] / Marcella Beacco di Giura.
448.2 CAF/T	Cafe creme  2 [livre, cahier d'exercices, guide pedagogique, audio cassettes, DVD, photocopiables] / Marcella Beacco di Giura, Sandra Trevisi, Pierre, Delaisne.
448.2421 BRO	Tele-textes [Cahier d'activites, DVD] / Elspeth Broady, Ulrike Meinhof.
577.64094183 DOY	Ten dozen waters : the rivers and streams of County Dublin / Joseph W. Doyle.
582.1 FUL	Buds of the Banner : a guide to growing native trees and shrubs in Clare / Janice Fuller.
582.130941 BLA	Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland / Marjorie Blamey, Richard Fitter and Alastair Fitter.
613.71 FAR	Developing sport expertise : researchers and coaches put theory into practice / edited by Damian Farrow, Joe Baker and Clare MacMahon.
613.71 REI	Functional testing in human performance / Michael P. Reiman, Robert C. Manske.
616.89075 FRA	Saving normal: an insider's revolt against out-of-control psychiatric diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the medicalization of ordinary life / Allen Frances.
635 GRA	Bloom : inspiring gardens / Gary Graham and Ciaran Flanagan.
657 WOO	Frank Wood's business accounting 1 / Frank Wood and Alan Sangster.
657.3 ALE	Financial reporting / David Alexander and Anne Britton.
657.3 MAH	Consolidated financial statements : a step-by-step approach / Paul Mahony and Niall MacLochlainn.
658 GRI	Management / Ricky W. Griffin.
791.43095 PUG	Tradition, culture and aesthetics in contemporary Asian cinema / by Peter Pugsley.
941.83 CRO	Charting change: Blanchardstown 1837-2012 / Elizabeth Cronin.
CD 438 UNT	Unternehmen Deutsch : [sound recording] / C. Conlin.
CD 468.2421 NUE	Nuevo Ven 2 : libro del alumno [CD] / Francisca Castro, Fernando Maran, Reyes Morales.
DVD	Flamenco [DVD] / de Carlos Sauro.
DVD	The city of lost children  [DVD] / a film by Jeunet and Caro.
DVD	The Mystery of Edwin Drood [DVD] / a film by Timothy Forder.
DVD	A civil action [DVD] / a Wildwood Enterprises/Scott Rudin production.
DVD	Baraka [DVD] / a Mark Magidson Production
DVD	No man's land [DVD] = Nikogarsnja zemlja / a film by Danis Tanovic.
DVD	Before the rain  [DVD] / a film by Milcho Manchevski.
DVD	Microcosmos [DVD] / Directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Paennou.
DVD	The intruder [DVD] / Roger Corman.
DVD	Hitler, a film from Germany [DVD]
DVD	Welcome to Sarajevo  [DVD] / by Frank Cottrell Boyce.
DVD	Schindler's list [DVD] / an Amblin Entertainment production.
DVD	Kaspar Hauser [DVD] / Peter Sehr.
DVD	The promise [DVD] / directed by Margarethe von Trotta.
DVD	Die Blechtrommel [sound recording].
DVD	The birth of a nation [DVD] / D.W. Griffith.
DVD	Schtonk! [DVD] / Helmut Dietl.
DVD 448	France actualites : extraits du 20 heures de TF1. Teacher's notes.  [DVD] / compiled by Peter Dyson.
DVD 448	Le cinema de la vie [DVD] : extraits de films de Ãeric Rohmer.
DVD 575	Life on earth a natural history [ DVD] / David Attenborough.
DVD 943.0879	Die letzten tage bis zur einheit  [DVD] / Spiegel TV.
DVD 943.0879	Jahresreckblick 1994/ Spiegel TV.
DVD 943.0879	Funf Wochen im Herbst  [DVD] / Spiegel TV.
F	A tale for the time being  / Ruth Ozeki.
448 FRE/C	Frequence jeunes : methode de francais  2 [textbook, DVD & booklet] / G.Capelle, N.Gidon, M.Cavelli.
OP 373.09417	Why education matters : the importance of education to Ireland's economy and society / edited by Fintan O'Toole.
P 280	Web based image analysis software for Astronomy studies / Padhraic McCabe and Mark Lyster.
P 281	ITB8 virtual CPU / Anthony Forde.
P 282	Fingerprint validity sensor / Andrew Stitson and Dmitri Petrov.
P 283	Understandable - Virtual - Wind / Cormac Lynch.
P 284	Taxi locator application for mobile device / Martin OGrady.
P 285	CAMIRROR : designing and building an iPhone 4 app / Roger Cromer.
P 286	Wireless asset tracking / Brendan Lawless.
P 287	An investigation into the effectiveness of Honeypots as protection against the modern-day hacker / William Crowe.
P 288	Handheld barcode scanning device for displaying plant information / Sean Lock.
P 289	Web-based internationalised email calendar/organiser / Ireneo Mercado III, Ade Hamarrow and Anthony Teng.
P 290	Online music store / Cormac Lynch and Nathan Gilbert.
P 291	Tracing user activity in computer systems / David Ryan, Ian Croft and Brian Goslin.
P 292	Honeypot IDS : SNORT intrusion detection system / Kevin McDowell.
P 293	Single application for multiple virtual machine vendors / Paul Nicholls.
P 294	Vulnerabilities in wireless security protocols / William Crowe and Kevin McDowell.
P 295	Creating a java softphone using the SIP Protocol / William Crowe and Kevin McDowell.
P 296	The creation of a tool to trace user activity on OSX / Andrew Carroll.
P 297	Tracing user activity on Linux / Andrew Carroll.
P 298	Automatically connecting to wireless networks using Android and NFC / Conall Kenny.
P 299	Digial picture viewer (project design and development) / Jonas Fernandez.
P 300	Physiotherapists exercises digitalised / Graeme McGrath.
P 301	A soil analyser for field archeology applications / Graeme McGrath.
P 302	Detection of glaucoma symptoms using Machine Vision / Sean Bruen
P 303	Automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy / Mark Fahey.
P 304	ITBucks / Frances Monahan, Sharkmarke Sharif and Loui Osman.
P 305	ITBWebConnection / Tezo Nzau and Davina Mhando.
P 306	Web accessibility / Valentina Danciu.
P 307	Content management system with educational plugin games / John Earls, John Doherty and Jeffrey Farnan.
P 308	Premier game predictor / Gerard Byrne, Adrian Jebb and Jim Smith.
P 309	Analysis and redesign of the arched truss beams supporting the roof of the National Aquatic Centre / Shane Butterly.
P 310	Design and analysis of heat sink / Ndoma Manuel.
P 311	Adding timed-text captions to the Moodle Deaf Studies plugin / Marianne Osborn.
P 312	Fitness application / Kevin Kelly.
P 313	Spam analysis on email addresses inside a website / Colin Hagan.
P 314	Online music video album tacking system / Patrick Kurmana.
P 315	Digital photography shopfront / Jonathan Gilger.
P 316	Problem reporting tool / Andrew Sowerby.
P 317	A portfolio analytics website / Jason Poonoosamy.
P 318	COMP H6025 / Radhika Sohoni.
P 319	Address book online / Caroline Desprat, Maxime Esprit and Donatien Naves.
P 320	Augmented reality 3D object interaction application on the Android OS / Donald Ade-Onojobi.
P 321	Computerised inventory management system / Jim Bowen.
P 322	Design and analysis of a linear crane / Steven Crane.
P 323	Design and analysis of insertion and ejection mechanism for a server rack / Paul Comerford.
P 324	A CMS for schools / Abdelmalek Chaoufi Canoura.
P 325	Hot topics manager : redesign of a business application / Heidi Duchting.
P 326	!Hunt : the candidate centric executive search recruitment mobile application / Sylvie Daniere-Doyle.
P 327	An investigation into the energy saving potential of upgrading elements of a domestic heating system / Ross Donnelly.
P 328	A study into the energy saving potential of lighting controls in cark parks / Paul Lennon.
P 329	The feasibility study of a wind turbine proposal for the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) / Sean McDonnell.
P 330	The challenges of integrating photovoltaic systems on power quality / Roland Nshieteh Mumuluh.
P 331	The feasibility of implementing an energy policy within a dated industrial facility / Ciaran Fennell.
P 332	Design and specification of a tracking parabolic reflector on a solar tube / Robert Joran.
P 333	Survival device : heated jacket powered by renewable energy / Jason Rafferty.
P 334	Remote environmental monitoring and control system / John Joyce.
P 335	Radio controlled assistive device for children with physical disabilities / Ruaidhrí Fernandes.
P 336	Remote oil tank level monitoring / Nicholas Morgan.
P 337	Design and development of a metal shear machine / Moulaye Dao.
P 338	Analysis and redesign of the Fliker Scooter / Jonathan Fagan.
P 339	The effect of various seed treatments on the establishment of Lolium perenne L. and Lolium multiflorum Lam / Brian O'Reilly.
P 340	The viability of and attitudes to naturalistic planting in Urban Spaces / Deborah Bailey.
P 341	The evaluation of mulches and landscape fabrics marketed for weed control on sale to the amateur gardener / Colm O'Callaghan.
P 342	The comparison of coconut coir and perlite as growing media when used to dilute peat through the growth of Lactuca sativa 'All Year Round' / Ciaran Farrelly.
P 343	Food security and its associated issues in the Eastern and Central Areas of Sub-Saharan Africa / Charlotte Wright.
P 344	Selected grafting techniques for the propagation of eucalyptus clones / Oliver Sheridan.
P 345	Glyphosate in the soil and its effects on crop nutrition under Irish conditions  / Paul Doran.
P 347	The implications of hedgegrow structural characteristics and management regimes on floristic species richness and relative abundance / Fintan Damer.
P 348	Plant parasitic nematodes in sports turf  / Aidan O'Hara.
P 349	The effect of microclover on turfgrass establishment / Paul Walsh.
P 350	Analysis of the performances of selected clones of wild cherry Prunus avium L. from Germany and the UK and an Irish provenance under Irish climate and soil conditions / John McNamara.
P 351	The effect of containers (air and white containers) on containerised plant stock's root systems / Damien Blackweir.
P 352	An evaluation of seaweed meal for incorporation in growing media / Mary Folan Conroy.
P 353	The benefits of reduced peat based media using wood fibre as a peat dilutant / Assumpta Meally.
P 354	Can the application of non ionic soil surfactants increase the carbohydrate level in the cool season grass perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) / Jimmy O'Connor.
P 355	The effects of organic fertiliser and conventional fertiliser on tomato plants grown in a peat based compost and a peat free compost / Seamus Keoghan.
P 356	Secure communication / Tejaswi Majety.
P 357	Sales website for paintball equipment / Vladimir Kapustin.
P 358	A java based teaching tool for public key encryption / Astrid O'Connor.
P 359	Carpentry shop app for android phone / Eoin O'Carroll.
P 360	MoneySense : an android application for household budget and disposable income / Gerard Coffey.
P 361	E-commerce website with accessibility analysis / Brian Matthews.
P 362	A mobile reference application for the metabolic unit of the Temple Street Children's University Hospital Dublin / Stephen Doherty.
REF 582.16	The trees of Great Britain and Ireland / by Henry John Elwes and Augustine Henry.
T 85	Insider sabotage : the risks with IT administrator privileges / Una McGovern.
T 86	The privacy invasion of the social network / Conor Somerville.
T 87	Emotional intelligence : enhancing academic and social learning through encouraging student engagement with emotional skills development / Aiden Carthy.
T 88	Phonetic and phonological coding of Irish sign language in the Signs of Ireland Corpus : a cognitive-functional account / Gudny Bjork Thorvaldsdottir.

Time management

Effective time management can reduce stress, boost your productivity and help free up time to spend on your personal life.

Here are 4 simple tips to help you manage your time effectively:

1. Make a list (and use it!!). Ensure listed tasks are attainable. Prioritize your needs and the needs of others around you (family/work). Set reminders on your phone and make use of online calendars like Google Calendar to keep track of tasks.

2. Set deadlines and make a real effort to stick to them. Set deadlines a few days in advance of the submission date,  this allows for the possibility that other things might get in the way.

3. Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is not always the most efficient way to accomplish things. Our minds work better when we focus and concentrate on one thing.

4. Use downtime to plan and prioritise tasks, you could use time stuck in traffic to formulate an essay plan. You could also dictate your notes onto your smart phone and use the time commuting effectively by listening to them and revising (especially good for auditory learners).



(image: "Time is Running Out" by Andrea Zamboni via Flickr)

World Food Day

1. “Save Food.” According to Oxfam, wealthy nations throw away almost as much food as sub-Saharan African nations produce each year. To combat food waste and the large expenditure of resources that accompanies it, the GROW Method encourages individuals to create shopping lists, to bring food home from restaurants, to label leftovers with “eat by” stickers, and to reuse leftovers in creative ways.
2. “Shop Seasonal.” Oxfam encourages individuals to plant a garden or buy seasonal produce from local farms. Rather than simply promoting local foods, the GROW Method’s focus on seasonality can help reduce energy and resource losses. According to researchers at the University of Texas, “Eating locally is not always the greenest option if it means a food item is grown out of season…. For example, lamb grown in New Zealand with native rainfed grasses and shipped to the United Kingdom is less energy intensive than lamb locally raised in the United Kingdom on feed produced by use of energy-intensive irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides.” 
3. “Less Meat.” According to the FAO, livestock production is responsible for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and according to Oxfam, urban households in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Brazil could reduce emissions equivalent to taking 3.7 million cars off the road by swapping beans for beef once each week for a year. The GROW Method recommends replacing meat and dairy products with vegetables or legumes once a week.
   
4. “Support Farmers.” This principle helps to ensure that small-scale farmers are paid fairly for the food they produce. Oxfam points out that many small-scale farmers in developing nations spend more money buying food for their families than they earn from selling their harvests. But, if Americans in urban areas bought Fair Trade chocolate bars twice each month, 30,000 small-scale cocoa farmers would reap the benefits. In addition to buying Fair Trade products, the GROW Method suggests buying produce from farmers markets.
5. “Cook Smart.” This principle is aimed at saving water and energy when storing and preparing food. Oxfam points out that taking the following three steps when cooking vegetables on the stove could reduce energy use by up to 70 percent: using just enough water to cover the vegetables, using a flat-bottomed pan with a lid, and reducing the cooking heat once the pot begins to boil. The GROW Method also recommends preparing more cold foods and turning off appliances when able.

(Source:  http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/oxfams-grow-method-engages-individuals-in-building-a-better-food-system)

Noise zones in the Library

The library is divided into three main noise zones:

• Red zone: silent study
• Orange zone: individual study
• Green zone: group study 

The library is divided into zones to allow for you to study either in groups or on your own, according to your preferences.  But please be aware of how your behaviour, particularly the amount of noise you make, impacts on other students.

Remember, the library is primarily a place to study.  

 To see the different noise zones, have a look at this quick Moodle tutorial.

Booking a library PC

The library is very busy these days and there is a lot of demand for library PCs.  Therefore, the PCs can be booked for one hour at a time.  So, plan ahead!  If you know you have an hour free between lectures, book a PC to save yourself queuing.

Things to remember:

• The library has over 20 laptops that you can borrow and use anywhere (due for return on the next college day)
• PC bookings last for 1 hour, and they start at the top of the hour, e.g. 10am - 11am, 11am - 12pm, 12pm- 1pm etc.
• If a PC isn't booked, feel free to use it.  Just remember that you may be asked to move at the top of the hour if someone else has booked it.
• PCs in the Group Study Area (A Block) and in the labs are not bookable.

Have a look at this quick Moodle tutorial to learn how to book a PC.  And if you aren't sure what your library PIN is, contact us to reset it: LibraryInfo@itb.ie

Get SMART

It's semester one and the assignments are building up already!  Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when deadlines start to loom?  Maybe your time could be organised more effectively?

SMART goals might help!  SMART goals help students to make the best of their study time; working smarter and harder is the key to academic success.

  SMART goals are:

  Specific  

 Achievable

 Measurable 

 Relevant  

 Timely

For instance, a student might say: I have two assignments due in two weeks: an assignment on the causes of World War II and an assignment on benefits of wind turbines.  This week I will concentrate on reading / researching the topics.

Specific

Be precise and detailed when setting goals. Use action words and think about what actions will give you the best results for your time and commitment. 

Specific:  (1) I will read about the main causes of World War II and take notes.  (2) I will research the benefits of wind turbines and take notes.

Measurable 

In order to know whether or not you have been successful, it is important to create measurable goals.  Always be clear about what you will achieve and when you will achieve it.

Measurable: (1) Between 3-4pm on Tuesday, I will read and take notes on the recommended chapters for World War II.  (2) Between 10-11am on Wednesday, I will research the benefits of wind turbines on the online databases, and take notes.

Achievable  

It is tempting to be over-ambitious when we set goals!  Ensure that the goals you set for yourself are realistic; unachieved goals may lead to frustration or resignation.

Achievable: At the end of each hour, I will have read about / researched my topic.   I will have a set of notes outlining the main ideas and important details of each topic.

Relevant
Most of us are very busy during term-time.  If a goal is not particularly relevant, it is easy to lose interest and motivation.  Create goals where you will be able to see the benefit of achieving them!   

Relevant: When I take notes, I will be aware of how I plan to use them: to write my assignment and as a revision aid before my exams.

Timely 

With so many demands on our time, it can be challenging to fit everything in.  It is important to have a clear calendar of due dates so that we have enough time to work on each goal (even the ones we don't particularly like!)

Timely: Although I'm more interested in wind turbines, I will study World War II on Tuesday because that assignment is due sooner.


(image: "001_362_01.01.2013" by Paula Naugle via Flickr)

Mind mapping

Mind mapping is a technique that will help you organise your thoughts and ideas.  It helps you to:
 (1) organise ideas from other people (e.g. from lectures, from books, from online resources etc.)
 (2) organise your own ideas (e.g. brainstorming about a topic, structuring an essay etc.)


It's a visual way of seeing the information and how it fits together.

Moreover, mind mapping helps you remember information because the maps are structured in a way that your mind finds easy to recall and review. Mind maps can be drawn by hand or using a piece of software.In this short video, Tony Buzan explains how and why he invented mind mapping...



You can create your mind maps on paper or electronically. Have a look at these free mind mapping websites.

Need to know about referencing?

Are you starting to write your assignments?  Do you need to learn how to reference your sources correctly?  Have a look at this short tutorial introducing the topic!

 
Learning to reference is a vital part of student life.  Referencing your sources correctly will help you to avoid plagiarism and loosing marks in your assignments.

Last semester the library subscribed to RefWorks, an online resource that can help you to keep track of your sources and reference them correctly.  See the online tutorials for more information!

Worried about plagiarism?

As you are starting to write your assignments, you have probably be warned about the dangers of plagiarism.  Plagiarism is a topic that students everywhere must get to grips with!

This short video from Bainbridge College gives a good overview of what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.


You can also have a look at our short Moodle tutorial introducing plagiarism...

Two heads are better than one... ?

A study group is a small group of people who regularly meet to discuss the subjects they are studying.

Often, people can accomplish more by sharing their skills and resources than by working alone.

The ability to work in groups is widely encouraged in the business world, as well as in colleges.

Here are a few pointers for setting up a study group:

1. Select people who seem to share your desire to reach your academic goals.
2. Look for people who stay alert in class, who take notes, who ask questions, who respond to the lecturer's questions. (This may represent two or three different people, but that's good because you may all have different learning styles represented in your group).
3. Limit your group to four to six people.  Large groups get unwieldy and small groups can easily get off track.
4. Schedule a meeting to "test the waters" and see how you get along together. Once the group seems to be doing well, try to schedule regular meetings.

Need technical assistance?

The Computer Services Helpdesk is located in the Library (Block F).

Changing your password
If you need to change your network password, bring your student card to the Student Information Desk (9.15am - 5.00pm, Mon-Fri) or the Library Desk (5.00pm - 8.00pm, Mon-Thurs).

Other technical queries
The Computer Services Helpdesk is open:

You may also find the answers to your queries:
 ... on the ITB Student Hub: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?cat=15

Dropbox

Do you ever lose work because...
 ... you updated an old version of a document
 ... you can't find your USB / flash drive
 ... you're not sure if you saved it correctly

Dropbox might be the answer!  It is an online hosting service that uses cloud computing to store and share files and folders.  You can log into your account from any PC with an internet connection.  That means you need only have one version of your document, you need only save it to one place and you won't need a USB or flash drive.  (Although it is always a good idea to back up important files!)



Features of Dropbox
 
File Sync
1. Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically (i.e. one version!).
2. 2GB of online storage for free, more if you join the space race .
3. Sync files of any size or type.
4. Sync Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
5. Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected.

File Sharing
1. Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on a set of files.
2. You can see other people’s changes instantly.

Online Backup
1. Automatic backup of your files.
2. Undelete files and folders.

You can download Dropbox here

Note taking: using the Cornell System

When it comes to note taking, there are many different systems. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. One of the most effective and efficient systems is The Cornell System. It helps you to organise and summarise your study notes, and it will help you when revising for CA's or exams.

The Cornell System helps you to arrange your notes in a way that will allow you to find the important information more easily. This system can be used both during lectures and when reading from library books, journals, online resources etc

Have a look at this short tutorial to learn more.