Biological Sciences Scholars

Resources for the Biological Science Honors Students

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Call Us  614-292-OSUL (6785), ext. 3.

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  • Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Sat 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
  • Sun 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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Search our FAQ for quick help any time of day.

I wish someone had told me...(library related)

- There are a lot more services provided in the library than I originally thought. 

- how to find a book in the library

- The difference between the different library search tools (discover, research database, books and more, etc.) and when to use each

- I wish someone had told me tips on searching for information.

- I wish I had known that 18th wasn't open 24 hours on the weekends (click here to check locations and hours)

- I wish I knew what resources were available sooner. (your subject guide can get you started!)

- The film resources offered! (stream movies for free from several different services)

- Logging into the OSU library page before going onto google scholar will help you find sources from OSU easier. (and it prevents you from getting scammed by fake journal articles!)

- There are a lot of free articles on OSU Libraries website (literally hundreds of thousands of articles that are NOT free elsewhere)

- The library information workshops are super helpful when it comes to searching for books and navigating the libraries (Yes!! Especially the First Year Success Series (https://guides.osu.edu/fyss)

- how many options I have for libraries. I discovered a lot more than just Thompson. Go to other libraries, not just Thompson or 18th Avenue/the importance of making use of different library locations (locations and hours)

- about the library link in Carmen (Pro-tip: your subject librarian can custom create a guide just for your class, and link it to your Carmen site. Just ask your instructor to reach out to the librarian!)

- I wish I had known that there were so many resources available for assistance and help within the library./There are a lot more services provided in the library than I originally thought./That there is almost always a source available for what you need.

- The difference between the different library search tools (discover, research database, books and more, etc.) and when to use each (this can be complicated! Starting with a subject guide can help)

- I wish someone had told me tips on searching for information.

 

Advice from previous years:

- that libraries are not as difficult and scary to navigate as they seem

- which floors aren’t generally packed and are good locations to study at

- the school of architecture: they have a ton of computers there and you can be pretty isolated

 

 

Peer Advice

I wish someone had told me...

- The free drinks at curl with a reusable water bottle.

- Try to get yourself communities to a volunteer service  sooner than later (you can search for specific student organizations, sign up for your department newsletter or listserv, or ask instructors and advisors what they recommend; Pro-tip: a lot of student organizations have social media accounts, and that can be a good way of previewing what they are all about!)

- try to work ahead all the time

Past years advice...

- Definitely organization. College brings about a lot of new and unfamiliar ideas, people, practices, and expectations. Something as simple as a guide to creating a planner could help students focus more on learning rather than getting oriented.

- How essential study groups are.

- I found it very very helpful to have 2 planners one for what I have to do (plan in advance) and one for what I did (write down the past) this helped me to get a better gauge of my productivity and how long certain tasks took me so that I could plan accordingly and therefore decrease my stress and keep from overwhelming myself with an impossible to-do list. I feel like everyone tells you how "alone" you are in college in terms of finding opportunities and studying, but I feel often overwhelmed with support and my email is filled with opportunities and it almost scares me how much there is to get involved in and to know, so I wish I had known sooner how to sift through an incalculable number of opportunities in order to find ones that I have a passion for and that I enjoy.

- I wish I knew about the importance of going to office hours.

- I wish someone had told me earlier that I could find syllabi for classes at https://syllabus.osu.edu/.

- I wish that someone had told me about the tutoring opportunities sooner.

New to OSU Libraries?

A+ Research Coaching - NEW

­­­A+ Research Coaching offers help for students with writing and research assignments. Can’t find the information you need? Want to discuss with a fellow student how to organize and use what you’ve found? We can help you refine your thesis or research question, find and use sources, and much more.  A+ Research Coaching provides one-on-one consultations to get you the help you need.  You can schedule an appointment through OnCourse by visiting our website at go.osu.edu/aplus.