Category: Just for Fun

National Oreo Day is Tomorrow!

National Oreo Day on March 6. Clear your cache, get cookies! Visit the desk 8am-6pm with your laptop or phone. Oreos on a green background.

Attention all iSchoolers! Tomorrow is National Oreo Day, and in celebration the Help Desk is giving out FREE OREOS in a variety of flavors – from your typical Oreo filling to Java Chip, Toffee Crunch, and Space Dunks (which apparently has pop rocks in it?). We will also have a variety of Gluten-Free Oreo options available. To get Oreos, all you need to do is:

  1. Stop by the Help Desk with your laptop or phone. (we’re located on the 4th floor of the new iSchool building at 614 E Daniels Street – when you step out of the elevator, we’re right to your left!)
  2. Clear the cookies on your personal device. Or show us you know how to do it. Or let the Help Desk-ers on shift show you how to do it. We aren’t picky, we just want you to have cookies!
  3. Get OREOS!

Didn’t know your laptop had cookies? Not sure why you should clear them? Let’s go over what they are!

Laptop “cookies” are actually small files of information a website will send to your browser. Your browser will save this information to make repeat trips to the same website easier — for example, this is how your web browser remembers you are logged into a website. While cookies are very useful, over time they can build up and cause applications to run slower, experience errors and glitches, and more. Clearing your browser’s cookies–or its “cache”–periodically can help your laptop run better, glitch less, and in general make your browsing experience a little less stressful. You can also check out this Knowledge Base article about how to clear your browser’s cookies to learn more.

That’s all for today! Stop by the Help Desk tomorrow, May 6 anytime between 8am-6pm to clear your cookies and get OREOS in return.

Tech Tips: Valentines’ Edition!

Printer love: who do you choose? Images of different iSchool printers surrounded in hearts. Lots of different shades of pink.

Happy Valentines’ Day! We hope you’re celebrating all the love in your life in all its different forms. Our Social Media team is going rogue this week to celebrate, and invites you to choose one of our fantastic iSchool printers as the object of your affections. Who do you choose? What printer in the iSchool is your go-to?

iSchool Pet Diplomas December ’22

Hey, iSchoolers!

We want to honor the real MVPs who give us that extra boost of willpower to get our degrees. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has vested the iSchool Help Desk the power to award honorary degrees to any pet who has helped their human through their time at the iSchool. If you have a pet at home who has stuck by your side through all of the Zoom sessions and homework assignments, then download a Diploma and fill it out for them!

We have diplomas for every program at the iSchool, plus a blank template for any other degrees that they may have earned along the way. If you’re on campus, you can also stop by the help desk ( 4th floor at 614 E Daniel) and pick up a hard copy!

iSchool-Pet-Diploma-Download

Lastly, please email us at ischool-support@illinois.edu with a picture of your pet and their diploma to have your pet featured on our social media!

"iSchool Pet Diplomas. Are you an iSchool student who is graduating this semester? Do you have a trusty pet who stuck by your side throughout your degree? Award your hardworking pet with their own iSchool diploma!" A white dog lays in front of a bookshelf with a graduation cap on her head and a pet diploma in her paws.

Help Desk T-Shirts

Have you seen the Help Desk’s awesome new T-shirts and felt a little jealous that you’ll never own a T-shirt that will ever be just as awesome?
Today is your lucky day; we are selling these T-shirts starting at $13.50! They come in four colors: tan, light yellow, white, and pink! You can view the T-shirts online at campus ink.
On the fence about buying? Purchase a shirt! If we don’t get 24 orders, we will be unable to order shirts for anyone. Orders are due December 11th.

Four t-shirts are displayed. From left to right they are tan, light yellow, white, and pink. The logo on the shirts in enlarged in the lower left corner. The logo is in light blue with the words "iSCHOOL HELP DESK" in a 70s, bubble letter font. The logo also includes an older desktop computer with a coffee cup and books next to it. The coffee cup has "Team Awesome" on the side. The books are titled "A Tale of 2-FA," "Printers and Punishment," and "Jane Error 404."

Welcome to the Problem Desk!

Group photo at the Problem Desk
Effective, Monday, April 4th. The Help Desk at 501 E Daniel St will be redesignated as the Problem Desk. Are you bored, have too much time on your hands, and feel like making yourself useful? Please stop by the Problem Desk, or email us at ischool-support@illinois.edu, and we will give you a problem to solve!
Our initial offerings are for problems in mathematics, philosophy, and fashion. Here are some examples:
Solve the following.
The limit as x approaches zero of the natural log of the difference of one and x minus the sin of x all divided by one minus the cosine squared of x
Does anyone deserve to live a happy and fulfilling life? Or are happiness and fulfillment gifts that we are never deserving of, yet some of us receive nonetheless?
Who wore it best? Featured are two models wearing an identical hat.
Solved problems will not be checked for accuracy, and solving a problem will not result in any compensation except for the knowledge of a job well done.

Honorary Pet Degrees!

Hey, iSchoolers!

We know that attending school from home can be tough sometimes, so we want to honor the real MVPs who give us that extra boost of willpower. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has invested in the iSchool Help Desk the power to award honorary degrees to any pet who has helped their human through school. If you have a pet at home who has stuck by your side through all of the Zoom sessions and homework assignments, then download a Diploma and fill it out for them!

An orange and white cat with diploma that reads "Masters of Science in Library and Information Sciences"

We have diplomas for every program at the iSchool, plus a blank template for any other degrees that they may have earned along the way. If you’re on campus, you can also stop by either of the help desks (2nd floor at 501 E Daniel or 4th floor at 614 E Daniel) and pick up a hard copy!

Lastly, please email us at ischool-support@illinois.edu with a picture of your pet and their diploma. We would like to create a collage of all our animal grads!

Managing Stress for Finals Week and Beyond

The end of the semester can be stressful, but it is important to take care of yourself while you are taking care of everything else.

Wellness is important for enjoying life during any time of the year and various resources around campus have recently created a new online magazine called Be Well Illinois that covers all topics related to wellness.
Check it out here!

Also, if you can, feel free to stop by the iSchool on Reading Day (Thursday, December 12th) for a relaxation event starting at 3 pm with free food and activities!
The event will be held in rooms 131 and 126.

Good luck on finishing up the semester and congratulations to any soon-to-be graduates!

Tech Tip: Taking a Break!

This week’s tech tip is also a life tip.

Take a little time away from your computer or phone or whatever device that can cause you stress.

It is important to bring yourself back to the things you love. Maybe that’s reading a book or watching a movie or catching up with a friend. Whatever brings you joy. Then you can get back to all the emails and the deadlines and various obligations. All those things will still be there whether you take a small break or not.

So take the break. Stay away from technology for just a little bit.

Thank you for coming to our Tech Talk.

Screen capture of Best in Show
Watch the dog show this Thanksgiving. Or just watch Best in Show.

Featured Pet of the Week!

We are thrilled to announce we will be starting a new Featured Pet of the Week segment! Out first feature is from our very own GA Riana and her kitty Nym!

Apart from being adorable, Nym spends her time playing fetch, sleeping, and screaming for food.

What’s a fun fact about your pet? Contact the Help Desk for a chance to get your cutie featured!

Photo of cat laying on a human bed Photo of a cat in a dinosaur costume