Finals Week At Fordham!

It’s that time of the year again! Snowfall, hot chocolate, gift exchanges...and finals. Here at Fordham, all of our students are starting to buckle down and prepare for the last projects and tests of the semester. While this is definitely one of the most high-stress times of the year, Fordham does its best to help all of our studious Rams relax a bit with some finals-week traditions, including...

1. 24/7 Library Access

If you find yourself cramming for a test or feverishly writing up one last paper (and, let’s be real, we’ve all been there), the library is the place to go. And luckily for Fordham students, the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week during finals. Pick a cozy study spot and read away--you’ll be in good company!

2. Christmas Mass

Even for those who don’t attend a Catholic church, attending Christmas Mass at Fordham is on the bucket-list of all Fordham students. Though it takes place on the Sunday right in the middle of finals week, tons of students make time to spend an hour listening to the mass preached by Father McShane--if only because he makes a ton of finals week jokes during the sermon.

3. Rodrigue's Coffee and Tea Specials

If you’re going to be burning the midnight oil, it would be a good idea to stop by Rodrigues and pick up one of their unlimited coffee or tea cards; if you buy one, you get twenty-five cent coffee and tea refills anytime during finals. That beats running to Starbucks every half hour!

4. Midnight Breakfast

The biggest finals week tradition at Fordham is Midnight Breakfast. Take a break from studying and come on down to the McGinley, where Father McShane and Co. will whip up waffles, scrambled eggs, bagels, bacon, and whatever other breakfast food you want in order to keep you full and focused on learning.

So don’t fear, future Rams! Finals week may be stressful, but our community will support you through thick and thin!

Finals Study Breaks both On and Off Campus

Despite the stress with studying for finals kicking in during this time of year, both Fordham and the city itself have been so consistent in offering great ways to take some breaks during this intense time of studying. At Fordham, we have a couple of days after our designated last day of class, which was on December 10th, that are called reading days. Basically on reading days, we spend as much time preparing and studying for the coming of finals and although I spent a majority of my time studying for finals, which was incredibly long and stressful, I still had a great weekend to look forward to in the city and on campus! On Friday, I managed to score some tickets to a taping of Live with Kelly and Michael and went with a couple of my good friends. Although we went primarily to see Idina Menzel, who was promoting her Christmas album on the show, we were surprised when they let us stay for a second show that was being pre-taped for the holidays with Nick Jonas and Sting! We even got some rehearsal footage of Sting’s performance before the actual taping, and I had some serious goosebumps from when he sang a song from his newest Broadway show “The Last Ship.” It also didn’t hurt that Idina Menzel gave us a little wave when we cheered for her during a commercial break. :) 

Some pics I took of Kelly and Michael interviewing Idina Menzel and Nick Jonas as well as a pic of Idina Menzel getting touched up before singing a song off of her new Holiday Wishes album. We had pretty great seats!

I also found it so interesting to see the behind the scenes action that goes on during these live tapings. Seeing Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan go around the studio and interact with the audience during commercial breaks was something I never realized they could do. They were incredibly gracious, took some pics with fans, and were so funny and down to earth with their interactions with us. 

Kelly Ripa at a commercial break. She was equally as charismatic off camera as she was on!

It wasn’t too much fun waiting in the cold, but with good company and a fun experience at a TV show taping, it was definitely all worth it in the end.

With two of my good friends who are also huge Idina Menzel fans. Waiting in the cold was so much better with good company!

Sunday was the beautiful celebration of Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, and I had the honor of being able to participate in two choirs at the 11:00am and 7:00pm masses. Seeing the church filled that day made mass seem so special, everything from the way the candles were set up in the church to seeing everyone light their candles in a solemn procession was so breath-taking and made me appreciate just how despite this stressful time, we can all join together to celebrate the coming of Christmas. After mass, we celebrated the lighting of the Christmas tree, which made me so ready for Christmas to come around. It’s the little things that Fordham does to bring a community together and to lift each other’s spirits up during a stressful time in every college student’s life that make me so grateful to go here. I wish everyone else the best of luck on their finals, a Merry Christmas and safe travels back home as well!

Fordham doing Christmas right. Picture is the University Church and the Christmas tree that was lit during Gaudete Sunday.

Weekend Update

Nicole Chiuchiolo

Finals week can be stressful, and sometimes you just need to get away from all the studying and do something fun. This weekend, I had the opportunity to do something both fun and productive! A few of my friends and I visited the Hayden Planetarium in New York City as an extra credit assignment for our astronomy class. It was an amazing experience, all of the exhibits were completely relevant to what we learned in class. The best part is that we were back to campus in time for dinner… and more studying. A visit to the planetarium was exactly what we needed to recharge!

My friend and me on our way into the awesome exhibit

Marisa Diaz

My weekend was filled with studying for finals, which start today. However, as a break from studying for finals, my roommates and I did Secret Santa to celebrate the holidays!

My roommates and me relaxing before finals

Nicole Cruz

On Sunday, I went to Madison Square Garden to watch the Men's basketball team take on St. John's. It was so much fun getting to see the Rams play at such a famous venue. We even got to see a few New York Knick players warming up after the game!

The Rams warming up before the game

Holidays and Concerts at Fordham

Fordham has always been known for its holiday festivities. Every holiday season, both of Fordham’s campuses are decked out in lights, tinsel, and many kinds of holiday decorations. In addition to Fordham’s glorious holiday appearance, the university has many holiday festivities spread out through the month of December. My favorite way to get into the holiday spirit at Fordham is by attending the university’s annual Lessons and Carols Festival. This festival is comprised of two concerts held on both Fordham campuses. It features The Fordham University Choir, The Fordham University Women’s Choir, The Aily/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance Program, and The Bronx Arts Ensemble.

The Lessons and Carols Program Cover

I had the pleasure of attending The Lessons and Carols Festival on both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. I really enjoyed the choirs, the dancers, and the orchestra at both performances. The choirs sang beautiful holiday carols, and there were even opportunities for the audience to sing along! My roommate is in the Fordham University Women’s Choir, and seeing her and my other classmates perform was so much fun!

The Fordham University Women's Choir performing at
their Rose Hill Lessons and Carols concert

The Lessons and Carols Festival is one of many examples of the wonderful holiday spirit that Fordham embodies. Getting into the holiday spirit can be very difficult, especially during these stressful weeks before final exams. Going to holiday concerts like Lessons and Carols, and taking time to relax is very important for college students. Fordham does a great job encouraging students to relax, and to take time away from intense final exam studying to enjoy the holidays. I really enjoyed my time at The Lessons and Carols Festival, and I cannot wait to continue to celebrate my holidays at Fordham!

Staying Sane During Finals at Fordham

     As December rolls around, so does one of the most dreaded times of year for college students everywhere: finals. While finals at Fordham are certainly no joke when compared to other schools, that doesn't necessarily mean we have to suffer as badly as everyone else — and there's a lot to do around here to take the stress off your mind, even if it's only for an hour or two.

      To destress, CAB (Campus Activities Board) offers everything from free massages to stress relief puppies in the McGinley Student Center. Another common outing made by students to take a break from studying is to go christmas shopping; whether it be on 5th Avenue, Columbus Circle, SoHo, or online from the comfort of your own dorm. Each of those destinations are place people fly to New York from across the world to shop at, but for us it's just a subway, Metro-North, or Ram Van ride away!

The Foyer of the New York Public Library at Bryant Park

     If you're the kind of person who needs to lock yourself inside a library for hours on end to concentrate, Fordham certainly has you covered. With the Walsh Family Library at Rose Hill, and the Quinn and (brand new and beautiful) Law School Libraries at Lincoln Center, you won't have to go too far from your dorm or classroom. If you want a change of scenery however, the New York Public Library at Bryant Park is a common destination for many students, just a short ride away on the D train from either campus.

     If a library doesn't meet your needs and you need a more remote space to escape from school and really be able to concentrate, you're not alone once again. New York may seem like the distraction capital of the world, but there are precious pockets of the city that are perfect to get away from the buzz of campus and New York life in general. My personal favorite spot away from campus to read over my notes and prep for exams is the East River Promenade, that stretches from 60th to 98th street on the Upper East Side, a short ride away from campus on the 4 train.

A Panoramic View from the East River Promenade at Night

    But not to break from Fordham tradition, finals can never officially start until after the midnight breakfast on the last reading day— because how can you feel comfortable taking an exam if you didn't get your french toast sticks from Father McShane?

Midnight Breakfast Mania!!

Poster for Midnight Breakfast

Father McShane and his associates serving up some food

Just some of the lovely spread

  It is 11:30 at night. There is one final left between myself and the holiday break and I have just finished eating breakfast. Midnight Breakfast is the wonderful study break that we, Fordham students, are treated to during finals week only twice a year. Midnight breakfast is the stuff finals-madness dreams are made of. We get the chance to put down our books and our laptops and take a break from studying and stressing to enjoy some delicious - FREE - breakfast foods served to us by the university's faculty, including the President of Fordham, Father McShane. Everything from waffles to french toast and cheerios to melon is at our disposal. The chance to take a breather, socialize, and eat is greatly appreciated by every student on campus and a nice break from studying to look forward to. On top of all the food this year there was also a giant inflatable snowglobe for students to go inside and have their photo taken with friends. One student would even win the chance to go inside with Father McShane and have their photo taken with him. Midnight Breakfast is always a successful - delicious - much needed break from the stress of finals and the anticipation of break. Now just one more semester between me and my next Midnight Breakfast! Bon Appetit!