On those days toward the end of the school year when Concordia’s libraries are packed with students — or a change of scenery could be as good as a rest — there are some lesser-known places on both campuses in which to write essays or review for exams.
Garden oasis: The Concordia greenhouse offers a lush escape for anyone with a bad case of spring fever. The atrium on the 13th floor of the Henry F. Hall Building has several tables set up for quiet study, as well as a place to boil water for tea. The greenhouse is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
Food for thought: Café X, the student-run fine arts coffee/snack shops at Concordia, is ideal to grab some caffeine and healthy food while pouring over the books. The cafés are located on the 2nd floor of the Visual Arts (VA) Building (1395 René-Lévesque Blvd. W.) and in the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex Building (Room EV-7.750, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W.). The VA Building café also has Gallery X, which showcases work by Fine Arts students that can inspire further creativity.
Career frontier: Sometimes it’s good to be reminded of why all that studying is necessary. Counselling and Development welcomes students to its Career Resource Centre on the 4th floor of the Henry F. Hall Building (H-440). “We’re happy to have students fill the dozen seats we have to read and perhaps use their breaks to explore options for graduate studies or to obtain help with job searches,” says Susan Hawke, the centre’s career librarian. “There’s so much here for students in one of Canada’s largest career resource libraries.”
Lofty cityscape: If it helps to imagine what your dream office might be like one day, head up to the 15th floor of the John Molson School of Business Building. “It’s the quietest place on the downtown campus with a beautiful view of Montreal and the St. Lawrence River,” says Aaisha Malik, a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student. Finding one of the two available seats is a bit like winning a lottery, but the seating along the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th floors offers similarly expansive views.
Heavenly sanctuary: No one needs to be praying for a miracle at exam time to find solace in the multi-faith Loyola Chapel. The stained glass, rich wood and historic artwork make for an ideal reading or thinking retreat.
Support hubs: Sometimes more studying alone isn’t the best strategy. To learn more about tutoring, writing assistance and other support services, drop by Counselling and Development’s Student Success Centre in the Henry F. Hall Building (Room H-481, Sir George Williams Campus) or the Administration Building (Room AD-101, Loyola Campus). The student mentors who staff the centres know where to go and what to do to help individuals to get the support they need. “As upper-year students, these mentors have all kinds of strategies to share, including tips on managing the end-of-term crunch,” says Marlene Gross, the centre’s manager.
Related links:
• Student Success Centre
• Career Resource Centre
• Concordia Greenhouse
• Café X
• Campus maps
