This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “What midterm-week strategies or tips have you have found effective/helpful?”

Gina D’Antonio—“Definitely starting early, start studying in advance … start the week before midterm week.”

Branden Garrett—“When it comes to reading just for general texts, I usually divide up my time in specific ways. [With a textbook,] I read for 30 minutes, and then I take a 30 minute break. And then I repeat that [going over the same information]. But then the next round, which is like the third wave, I do an hour break so I can digest that information without tiring out myself. So you really need to have a lot of [time] in order to study a piece of text, especially for chemistry ‘cause there’s a lot to take in. That’s how I do it.”

Atman Gondhi—“I like making charts to organize my work. I basically put everything on a piece of paper, I dictate how much time I’m going to spend on it, and then inevitably I probably will end up falling through on the amount of time—spending more or less time on certain areas. But I always set aside extra time for each section so I can study more at different times. And I like to space out my studying so that more material gets through my head.”

Daniella Reimann—“[I] definitely take some time to exercise in the middle of the day so that I don’t feel overwhelmed with a lot of work, [to] break up [my work], and to always get some sleep. That has to be one of the biggest ones.”

Josh Seong—“Know when your midterm is—keep that date in mind; write it down. Study in advance; make sure you review every time. Once it’s midterm week, you can just study and focus on the sections you have trouble with … If you’ve been studying a lot beforehand, it will be much easier for you.”
 

Molly Flaherty—“Getting enough sleep and making sure to wake up in time to eat a good breakfast before your tests and not rush into it.”

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “What brings you to the Library today?”

Jamie Silk—“I usually come to the Library in between classes. I feel like it’s easy to get stuff done when it’s nice and quiet, especially today since it’s raining. Sometimes I’ll sit on a bench outside the Library [because] the atmosphere here is nice … nice place to study, either with friends or by myself.”

Rachel Lavelle—“I’m studying for a quiz that I have in 15 minutes. ”

John DiValerio—“I’m just hanging out: doing some homework, doing some research. It’s a rainy day, and I didn’t want to leave the Library ‘cause I have a class downstairs. So I decided to stay put.”

Chelsey Hanson—“I’m studying for an exam. And I like that there’s a lot of people in here because that kind of helps me focus, in a weird way. I like being around a lot of people when I study.”

Gaurav Goel—“I don’t often come to the Library, but sometimes I need some stimulation. It’s a good place for stimulation, seeing different people and especially when I have classes on Mondays and Tuesdays … I’m doing a master’s course here. It’s a good time to meet people, meet with my fellow people who are working … it’s that push … towards an accomplishment.”

Nick Schultz—“I like to use the Library for a place to actually get some work done. I live off campus, so doing work a home becomes tough whenever all the roommates are home; it can be loud. Being here—this place urges you to get more work done.”

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “What do you wish the Library knew about your needs as a student?”

Peiyan Gong—“It’s a place to study … I’m a senior right now, so it’s been three years getting used to this place. I never think about things [that could be] new.”

Julia Nerney—“I definitely feel that they have the resources that I need, so I don’t generally feel that there’s anything lacking. I’m a neuroscience major, so I don’t necessarily know much about where I would find references for that because I know there are different subject librarians, but I don’t know if there’s one for that specific major. So that’s the only thing I can think of, but I have had a lot of success at the Library in terms of finding what I needed.”

Zach Leone—“I’m a freshman … I’ve only been here a couple of days, but when I ‘ve been using my computer there’ve been times when I needed to plug in, especially if the Wi-Fi goes down having [a way to plug into] the Ethernet would be nice. Other than that, it’s pretty comfortable. I like these chairs.”

Amanda Borroughs—“I’m a grad student, and I went to Villanova undergrad as well. Having been through the transition as the [library’s] second floor was developed … before it was [renovated], I feel that whatever I had needed in that “before” stage, was met [in that upgrade] there’s a more comfortable area—to do work comfortably but also not feel restricted to just studying (like hanging out with friends). A definite quiet study area is necessary, but that’s about it.”

Sally Moon—“The hours that the Library’s open: I think last year or a year-and-a-half ago the Library was open 24 hours near midterm season or finals season, and that really helped me. … Now I live off-campus so it’s hard to focus at home; I tend to focus a lot better in the Library. Even if the first floor were open 24 hours that would help me—probably other students, too.”

Katrina Marks—“It’s good for quiet places to study, which it already has plenty of. I enjoy having the feeling of being alone when I’m studying, so the nooks on the third floor, things like that, I enjoy.”

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “Why do you do your printing at the Library?”

Sierra Applegate—“because it’s convenient”

Caroline Nelson—“I’m usually here studying, and it’s just a convenient place to get it done”

Samantha Nitto—“probably because it’s most convenient—I don’t have one in my room, so I can always stop here on my way to classes.”

Lea McNabb—“Well, I have all my classes in Tolentine or Mendel, so it’s just the closest … rather than going to Bartley or something like that. It’s very accessable.”

Charles Smith—“This is just convenient for me today. I was kind of in a hurry … on my way to class kind of in the middle of campus, so it’s convenient for me.”

Emily Walthouse—“To do printing, I know that there are three printers here: there’s two on the first floor and one on the third floor. So I know that a printer’s always going to be available … Even though sometimes the printer’s not always working, I feel that this is the most reliable location. It’s also closer to my classes than the Bartley Print Center or other printing locations.”

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “Have you made any new-school-year resolutions?”

Chelsea Runkle—“to get back in the swing of things since I haven’t been to school in a couple of years. I’m just starting grad school today … and working full time—so making time for class.”

Alexander Fernandez—“to not procrastinate and stay on top of all my work this year”

Christian Powers—“I’m a transfer student, so trying to get involved with the community here and find out what Villanova has to offer.”

Aleczandra Bryant—“Well, I’m a first-year student, so just trying to get through freshman year, trying to keep my grades up, join new activities.”

Jowayria Rahal—“Not to allow myself get overwhelmed by school work, get it done on time and not procrastinate on it. That would be amazing if I could just shut my Facebook for a minute and get down to work and get it done. This is my one and only resolution this year.”

Daniel Doris— “I’m trying to pull my GPA up, so just a general rule of staying on campus until 5:00 whether my classes are done at noon or not. So I’m coming in for my 8:30s and treating it like a job and then coming home only after I’ve spent time in the Library to do some work. … I get here when I can, and then I leave when I’m done.”

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “What do you look forward to this semester?”

Caitlin St. Amour—“I’m starting law school, so it’s going to be a whole different way to go to school, different kind of classes. So I’m looking forward to really starting learning about what I want to do—if that makes sense—as opposed to undergrad classes, which were so broad. So that’s what I’m excited for: to actually start what I’m going to be doing [as a career].”

Danielle Morro—“I’m going to start grad school here in a week, for school counseling. So I’m looking forward to that. And probably most specifically, I have an internship placement within a classroom setting, so I’m excited to get some experience within the classroom and learn through some hands-on experience.”

Mary Connors—“It’s my first semester of law school, so I look forward to meeting everyone and making new friends. And that’s probably what I most look forward to. … I have a great story now on my first day!”

Mary McLaughlin—“Well, it’s my senior year, so that’s kind of nerve-wracking but also very exciting. I guess I’m looking forward to—I’m working this summer and also taking classes—so having that balance and putting [into] practical use what I’m learning. I’m getting deeper into classes that are more specific to my major and more specific to what I want to do within my major. I’m marketing and international business, so a lot of my classes are going to have overlap between the two, which is exciting. And also just doing all the things I can do one last time.”

Sydney Riley—“I’m excited to meet a bunch of new people, especially—I haven’t met my roommates yet, so I’m excited to meet them. I come all the way from Seattle, so it’s going to be very interesting to get used to the east coast culture. I’m a freshman, so I’m excited to be away from home and be independent. I think that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”

Zachary Schlake— “I guess I’m looking forward to meeting my friends again and seeing them and just kind of getting back to hanging out with my friends that are here. … I’m going to be a junior.”

Falvey Memorial Library welcomed all new faculty members to Villanova to a breakfast reception this morning. If you are a faculty member who was unable to attend, we’re reprinting the general handout that was provided here, which gives a brief rundown of key contact information and services (double click graphic for expanded view). Contact us anytime if you have any further questions or suggestions for library staff.

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students and staff,
“Do you listen to podcasts? What podcasts do you listen to?”

Haley Miller—“I’ve listened to [only] one podcast ever and it was [from] Serial; it was a murder mystery. And I really did enjoy it; it was 12 episodes long and about 45 minutes an episode. They re-opened a man’s case who was being accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. It had my attention the whole time. I did it on a car ride … to somewhere and [then back] home. … That’s been my only experience [with podcasts]. It’s a true story. The case is currently being appealed in the Maryland circuit court system, so it’s still ongoing.”

Darrell Robinson—“I do listen to podcasts, but I don’t have a favorite one. I pretty much listen to anything that will catch my interest, but usually it’s language, stuff about languages, modern languages … There’s one I have on my computer to help me learn Chinese, for instance. … It’s on iTunes; it’s completely free … It’s great ‘cause you can listen and just go about your business, go about your day.”

Daniel Ehinger—“I only listen to one podcast. I listen to something called the Rooster Teeth Podcast. It’s an Internet company; they make Internet shows and they sell paraphernalia … it’s all video-game-based. I’m really into video games and Internet stuff, so that’s why I listen to them.”

Think of them as research accelerators,

…………………resource locators,

…………..idea developers,

…….database navigators,

personal coaches …

… we call them “subject librarians.”

Today’s subject librarian—Philosophy Librarian Nikolaus Fogle

What’s new this year?

NF—Well, the Philosophy program is about to welcome six new graduate students, who I’ll get to meet in August. And of course the philosophy collection is constantly growing. We’ve recently acquired the online version of the Loeb Classical Library, which is great for people doing ancient philosophy. We’re getting more resources online generally, including Oxford Handbooks and a Bloomsbury e-book collection in political thought.

What are the challenges for philosophy students who want to use the Library? 

NF—People often just don’t know where to start. Depending on the project, they might need to use any number of different research tools. And once they figure out where to go, students don’t always know the right sorts of questions to ask themselves in order to use them effectively. A related problem, too, is waiting too long to ask for help.

What resources does the Library offer to help philosophy students overcome those challenges? 

NF—We try to make navigation as easy as possible. The subject and topic guides on the website are pretty helpful, but librarians are also here in person to provide guidance whenever it’s needed. In addition to individual research consultations, we also do in-class orientations and workshops on research skills, tools and techniques throughout the year.

What do you wish philosophy students knew about you, about the Library? 

NF—I guess I just want them to know that the Library is here to provide them with help, and with resources. There’s practically nothing you might need that we won’t be able to get a hold of for you. And it’s not just materials—we’re here to provide you with the knowledge and know-how to enable you to move through the research process as effectively as possible.

What do you like best about being a librarian? 

NF—I love getting to help people, and finding out what they’re working on. I really enjoy collaborating with my colleagues in the Library and elsewhere on campus. And I love that I get to be a philosophy nerd in a really big way.

What do you like best about working with Villanova students? 

NF—Villanova students have such a wide range of interests, and so much enthusiasm. The humanities curriculum here is really great. I like that I never know what the next question is going to be. I also like seeing people’s interests coalesce as they decide on a paper topic, or a major, or a dissertation.

This week, the Curious ‘Cat asks Villanova students, “After your final exam or project, what’s the first thing you want to do for fun?”

Chantelle Casillas—“… go on vacation. I’m going to Barcelona.”

Robert Carey—“Beach—go right to the beach, Rehoboth Beach, that’s where I’ll go.”

Atena Hashemoghli—“I’m moving to New York. So the first thing is visiting Times Square or somewhere else to have fun, and enjoy the rest of the summer there.”

Jeffrey Hupf—“going to visit my friends and family back home in New Jersey … Hammonton, New Jersey.”

Ciara Sprance—“For fun? probably read a book that wasn’t assigned, read a book that I’m going to enjoy and not cry about or sweat about … I’m going to read a book by John Banville; he’s a good Irish writer. … I’m going to read The Sea, after I read this.”

Daniel Shea—“That is a hard question. Usually I go home for break … I usually go immediately, so I don’t really do anything [for fun. My home is in] San Francisco.”