Starting a first semester at Butler can feel a bit overwhelming. Students new to campus may find themselves wondering about the best places to study, where to go to find research materials or whether they have time to pick up lunch before their next class. Fortunately, Bulldogs have access to a wide variety of resources geared towards making their college years run as smoothly as possible — services experienced scholars already take advantage of and first-years should know about.
Libraries
Butler has three libraries located on campus: the Irwin Library, the Science Library and the Education Library located on South Campus. Students can check out books, journals or other publications to use as sources for projects. Butler Libraries will always have staff on hand to help patrons find any material they need.
Maythazin Minthu, a senior public health and sociology double major, has worked for Butler Libraries the past three years.
“Knowing the different kinds of databases that [the library] has to offer [is helpful,]” Minthu said. “I don’t think I learned until a year ago that we have a subscription to The New York Times … If you go to the Butler Libraries website and search for New York Times, it will pop up as an option. You just have to log in with your Butler ID.”
In addition to books and research materials, the campus libraries offer a service called Kanopy, a collection of over 19,000 documentaries, foreign films and indie films. These can be streamed as research materials or just for entertainment.
Irwin Library also offers rental technology, which comes in handy in the event of technical difficulties with a personal device.
Junior arts administration major Kimberly Phelps has become familiar with the rental resources after working in the library for two years.
“You can check out laptops for up to two weeks,” Phelps said. “You can check out iPads [and] in special circumstances there are more specialty [items] … Sometimes you have the right laptop for a specific project and sometimes you don’t.”
For those who prefer to study at night, the Science Library is open 24 hours — perfect for night owls or anyone lucky enough to avoid 8 a.m. classes.
HRC
Few parts of college are more miserable than getting sick or injured. Fortunately, the Health and Recreation Center (HRC) offers a massive variety of medical services students can utilize.
The HRC provides rapid testing for strep throat and mono, tests and prevention measures for the flu, allergy shots, ear clearing, sports physicals and crutch rentals, along with numerous other resources and services.
These include multiple resources related to sexual health — everything from confidential contraceptive delivery and pap smears to sexually-transmitted illness and pregnancy testing. These subjects may be uncomfortable to discuss, but there are resources in place to assist with any questions students may have.
Beyond physical health, the HRC also provides resources to support students’ mental health. The Department of Student Well-Being offers individual, group, and animal-assisted therapy sessions, as well as teletherapy for those unable to attend in person. Free access to the Calm app, which offers sleep and relaxation aid through guided meditations, is also available.
The HRC also hosts many workshops and awareness campaigns to help students stay up to date on their personal health. Whether physical or mental, there are always resources available to keep Bulldogs healthy.
Boost Mobile Food Ordering
Certain schedules do not leave much of an opportunity to take a break for a meal. If it is a 15-minute rush to get to the next class, there might not be time to wait in line for lunch. However, thanks to the Boost Mobile Food Ordering app, busy students never need to go to class hungry.
Teddy Riefke, a junior risk management and insurance major and Butler Brew employee, knows how handy the app can be.
“The Boost pre-order system is very useful for students,” Riefke said. “You can pre-order your food or drinks on your mobile device before or after class, and then select the time to go pick it up … As soon as you get out of class, it could be ready for pickup.”
The Boost Mobile Food Ordering app is synced directly to student dining accounts, so flex meals and dollars alike can be used to order food ahead. It can be used at A-Town Cafe, A-Town Market, ResCo’s Midtown Provisions and the Butler Brew. Planning ahead is key to making sure that students with tight schedules are fueled throughout the day.
Getting around
College often comes with more free time than ever before; why not use it to explore the surrounding Indianapolis area? A bus stop is located in the traffic circle at the front entrance, between Clowes Hall and Dugan Hall. Students can travel downtown or around Indianapolis without personal vehicles on campus.
For those that prefer to travel and exercise at the same time, Butler students can also utilize Pacers Bikeshare. By applying for a Butler University pass and downloading the BCycle app, students can rent bicycles from over 50 stations around Indianapolis.
College should never be too stressful or leave students without any time to enjoy themselves. By using these resources, the college experience can be convenient, stress-free and fun.