Finals are stressful for students, which is why Falvey Library gives students a little boost before taking on those big tests and papers. While you’re getting all the details on this year’s event on May 3, check out this tasty scene from 2019’s event: a dessert bar! Because everyone feels a bit better after a cupcake or brownie (or both!)
Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.
Finals are in full swing, so here’s a cute puppy in an elf hat.
Good luck, Nova Nation. You got this!
Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.
Photo courtesy of Shawn Proctor, Communication & Marketing Program Manager.
Hey, Wildcats! Thanks for stopping by our Mario-themed stress busting open house. We’re glad you were able to take a break (even if just for a few minutes) with some pizza, candy, and video games.
Best of luck on finals, Nova Nation. You got this!
Photo courtesy of the Villanova University Digital Library.
Look out the window… The snow outside marks that finals week is here, and we are so proud of you for getting through fall semester!
Today’s TBT is from Volume 7 of Villanova’s The Spire, and is a reminder for you to take care of yourself this week. We know that studying for exams are tough and essays are long and tedious but don’t forget to eat and sleep well (things your mother would tell you) and mitigate your stress levels.
Luckily, Falvey Library can help you out with that. Falvey’s Stress Busting Open House is today, Thursday, Dec. 7, 1-3 p.m., on the Library’s first floor. You can come pick up a couple sweet treats, color, or play Mario-themed video games. Please join us today.
Hang in there, you’re in the final stretch now!
Isabel Choi ’26, Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library.
As Falvey’s Cat in the Stax, Rebecca writes articles covering a broad range of topics, from academics to hobbies to random events. All the while highlighting how Falvey Library can enhance your Villanova experience!
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash.com
Welcome back to campus, Wildcats! I hope you all had a restful break and were able to enjoy your time off and spend it with friends and family. It is important to be rejuvenated and re-energized as we enter the home stretch of the semester.
The passing of Thanksgiving marks various occasions: the end of November, the approach of December, the beginning of official preparations for Christmas, and the coming of finals. We are not only entering the Christmas season but the season of finals as well. From today, there are only two weeks until the first day of finals. And for those of you who are liberal arts majors, chances are you have papers to write instead of tests to study for, so these next two weeks are really crunch time.
While you research, write, and study, remember that it is important to take care of yourself too. Your work is only as good as you are! If you are stressed, tired, and overwhelmed, you won’t do as well on your assignments.
Take it Little by Little
This is a potential time-management strategy you can use to complete your final assignments. Let’s say you have a ten-page research paper coming up. Instead of looking at this project as a huge undertaking, break it down into smaller steps: read, highlight and take notes, outline, and write. You can break it down even further by doing a little bit each day (starting today). Reading 1-2 sources and take notes on Days 1-3, create an outline on Day 4, write 2-3 pages on Days 5-10 (or even 5 pages a day if you’re a fast typer, meaning you could have your entire paper written in 2 days), and review and edit on Day 11. And just like that you’re done, with some time to spare! This process works the same if you have a big test to study for. Study a chapter or section each day and review the material the day or two before the exam.
This method only works if you start early enough and give yourself enough time to work. If you wait until a few days before a paper is due to start working on it, you’re going to have to do everything at once which will stress you out. Starting your work ahead of time and working on it in bite-sized portions allows you to complete everything in a timely manner and keeps you from feeling overwhelmed. Hopefully, you’ll then have some free time to relax and focus on self-care. This strategy is also great if you have multiple assignments: you work on a little bit for each project every day, and you’ll have everything completed before their due dates.
Do Something You Enjoy
With all your focus directed toward schoolwork, it can be easy to forget to take some time to yourself. Do something this week that you love. This can be a range of things: read a book, watch a movie, workout, take a nap, get dinner with a friend, whatever makes you happy and will get your mind off school and exams.
Villanova’s Health Services has many opportunities for students to de-stress and take a break. They offer Pet Therapy every Wednesday at noon and 15 minute Chair Massages every Monday.
To remind students to take care of themselves during the finals season, Health Services will be hosting a Thriving Through Finals event on Thursday, December 7 at 12 p.m. in the Connelly Center. Pick up a healthy snack, meet the campus dietitian, and learn what foods you can eat to support you during finals week!
If you happen to be studying in Falvey on December 7, feel free to stop by Speakers’ Corner for our Stress Busting Open House from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Library will have snacks and video games. It will be a great way to take a break from work and re-energize yourself!
Rebecca Amrick is a first year graduate student in the English Department and a Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.
Mamma mia! Have finals hit you like a ton of bricks? Stop by Falvey Library’s Annual Stress Busting Open House in Speakers’ Corner on Thursday, Dec. 7 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (or until supplies last). Enjoy some SUPER refreshments and relax with Mario Universe video games and activities. We hope to see you Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches people there! This event, sponsored by Falvey Library, is free and open to the Villanova community. Wowie Zowie, Wildcats—You got this (and Falvey Library is here to help)—Good luck on finals!
Happy Thursday, Wildcats! It’s finals season, so for this semester’s final installment of the Curious Cat, we asked some Falvey patrons to tell us their favorite study snacks. Which foods keep you energized and ready for the next exam? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to watch the accompanying Reel on Instagram!
“Microwave popcorn, always.”
— Bronwyn Mogck ’23
“Iced Coffee.”
— Christina Aron ’23
“The Rice Krispies Treat marshmallow from Holy Grounds over there.”
— Cameron Hall ’23
“A bowl of popcorn with chocolate chips.”
— Hannah Rice ’23
“A corn muffin from Holy Grounds.”
— Keely Likosky ’23
“It has to be the cinnamon buns from ‘Sparket’.”
— Kai Coster ’26
“I would have to say it’s bacon. Going back to the apartment after a long day of studying, making some quick bacon, and then going back to study some more is obviously my favorite thing to do.”
— George Russon ’24
Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.
Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.
Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.
Photo courtesy of Jadyn Piotrowski ’26 CLAS
Falvey Library is extending service hours for final exams. Library services are available to the University community during posted service hours, (bolded below are the extended service hours.) Villanova students, faculty, and staff may enter the Library building 24/7 with a valid Wildcard. Electronic collections (articles, e-books, and more!) are accessible through the Library’s website 24/7. For a full listing of service hours, visit the Library website.
Friday, April 28: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)
Saturday, April 29: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)
Sunday, April 30: 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Monday, May 1: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, May 2: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, May 3: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Thursday, May 4: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Friday, May 5: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)
Saturday, May 6: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (book stacks close at 9:30 p.m.)
Sunday, May 7: 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Monday, May 8: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Tuesday, May 9: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, May 10: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Thursday, May 11: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (book stacks close at 11:30 p.m.)
Friday, May 12: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (book stacks close at 4:30 p.m.)
Good luck on finals, Wildcats!
Happy Thursday, Wildcats! Welcome to the final (pun intended) 2022 installment of the Curious Cat. Because it’s finals season, we decided to ask a question everyone has an answer for: How will you celebrate completing your finals?
It’s the home stretch, so buckle down, finish those essays, and ace your exams! We know you will!
Hopefully these responses inspire you and reinvigorate your will to wrap this semester up:
“Reading for pleasure.”
— Deidra Cali ’23 MA
(in unison) “We’re going to the Poconos!”
— Tierney Schiff ’23
— Josh Javier ’23
— Ishan Varma ’23
— Bridget Caste ’23
— Michael Correia ’23
Olivia Dunn is a senior at Villanova University. She works in Falvey Library as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and majors in Communication with specializations in both Journalism and Public Relations.
Ethan Shea is a graduate student in the English Department at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.
Hang in there, Wildcats! Finals will be over soon, and you can breathe a sigh of relief and dance (maybe not on any tabletops.) Good luck—You got this! Image courtesy of the 1968 Belle Air (page 23) via the Villanova University Digital Library. Read the full yearbook here.
Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. Her finals study tip: Get enough rest!