comblog – Page 85 – COM Ambassador Blog

Dany: On That Internship Hunt

Hey guys! I imagine some of you are starting to think about what you want to do this summer. I know I’ve been a job-applying machine the past few weeks. Luckily, the pressure to find an internship is much less than the pressure to find a job, and as a seasoned internship hunter I’ve got a few tips to help you on your search:

Know where you want to go

It helps when you have a few set locations in mind of where you want to intern. It narrows down the search, and makes it a lot easier to find what you’re looking for.

Know what you’re looking for

Similarly, nailing down your specific interest will further narrow down your searches. You want to make sure that what you find will give you the best learning experience and long-term benefits.

The Search

Start browsing on internship websites and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Some of the ones I use are InternMatch.com and YouTern.com as well as following @InternsNtheCity (which tweets about opportunities in NYC), @BostonInternshp (and no that’s not a typo!) and @PRJobLA. Twitter is an incredible resource. Even by just typing “Intern” and the location you want to work in the search bar will give you a ton of solid results. After exhausting that, browse the Center for Career Development and the COM Career Services databases. Update your profile and look for jobs that match you. And of course, don’t forget to look up specific companies if you have a couple in mind!

Get Organized

After searching every last form of “I need an internship” on Google, you’re bound to have a couple solid leads lined up. Bookmark all the ones you find and organize them into priorities. Some applications may have deadlines. Work on those first, as well as the ones you’re most interested in. Don’t leave your dream job for last! While you’re getting yourself organized, be sure to follow their social media. When they look at your application and begin doing some research on you, it looks good when they see the extent of your interest.

Tailor your resume to each company

Before you send in your resume, make sure it is organized in a way that will best represent your skills and what you can do for that specific company. Go to COM Career Services and get a second opinion if you’re having trouble. When you’re absolutely satisfied, send away!

Tweet about it

Continue to show your interest in where you are applying. Keep an eye on your email and your phone calls.

Finding internships takes a lot of work. You need to be proactive. With a little bit of luck and motivation though, it will all pay off. So get searching, applying, and hope for the best!

Donald: How To Not Be Socially Awkward On Campus

For an aspiring publicist, I’m a pretty awkward guy. However, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to avoiding as many awkward social interactions as possible here at BU. Here’s a few that might help you out:

Take the stairs as often as possible. It’s a proven fact that elevator rides are extremely awkward 99% of the time.
Try to leave your dorm before the class change time. Here on campus, classes are let out 10 minutes before each hour and a massive crowd of students takes over Commonwealth Avenue heading to their next class. In order to avoid the huge crowd (and the huge potential for awkward social interactions), leave your dorm a little bit earlier.
Always wear headphones while walking to class. That way you look busy and people will be less likely to come up and talk to you.
When a professor is looking to call on someone for an answer in class, immediately put your head down. The first person who makes eye contact with the professor will be the person he or she calls on.
Always have your cell phone easily accessible. When you’re walking down a hallway in the College of Arts and Sciences or when you’re just walking down Commonwealth Avenue, there’s an 85% chance that you will walk past that person that you met one time, but don’t remember their name and are unsure if you should say hello to them. Therefore, always have your cell phone nearby, so you can pretend to be texting someone instead of making eye contact with that person.
A general rule: AVOID EYE CONTACT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
If you’re eating alone in the dining hall, bring a bunch of textbooks with you and spread them out over the table so you look extremely busy, even though we both know you’re not studying at all and you’re probably watching something on Netflix. Then, put your book bag and jacket on the chair across from you so it looks like you have friends.

Last but not least, don’t overthink things! People on campus are just as worried as you are, and most people are too busy to take notice of the small, weird things you do. If something awkward does happen, if you laugh it off, others will probably laugh too! Don’t sweat the small things, and be as friendly as possible. People are a lot nicer than you’d think!

Kaley: Sorority Recruitment

Recruitment. The word makes me sound like an athlete or a member of the armed services. In BU’s spring semester, though, the word stirs images that are 100% the opposite of either: to 2,000 female students, recruitment means pink, pumps, and Pinterested décor.

I decided to get involved in Greek life before I ever set foot on BU’s campus –it was a factor I considered when narrowing my college options during senior spring. So, after waiting all of first semester and some of second, formal recruitment finally rolled around this weekend. To say the least, it’s an experience like none other.

All 700 “potential new members” –that’s me and about 699 other hopefuls who are striving to join sororities –are guided through the Marriott in Copley Square, and we spend different amounts of allotted time with each chapter in their own spectacularly decorated ballroom. In the past 48 hours, I’ve spoken in-depth with more than 100 BU women. And I’m barely halfway through the process.

The amazing thing is, each of the individuals I’ve spoken to has actually been an awesome person. The friendships I’ve forged during this process are authentic, and although the days at recruitment are long and the concept can seem intimidating, the first two days alone have reaffirmed the reason I ultimately chose BU last May: the people here are real. Sorority-land is considered a superficial place at many schools, but at BU you will only find more honest, confident, down-to-earth students. In my opinion, that speaks to the character of our student body.

Amy: Productivity Placement

After a semester of college one thing I've learned is that it's really important to study somewhere that helps you be productive. There's nothing worse than knowing you have to get a big paper done, only to be distracted by your surroundings for a solid two hours.

For some people that means heading to the library where it's quiet and everyone around you is studying or getting work done too. Mugar is a great environment for people who really thrive in that atmosphere, plus if you get bored of your surroundings the Boston Public Library is just a few T stops away.
Similar to the quiet library but not quite as immense are the top floors of StuVi2, Kilachand Hall (known as Shelton to many students), and the 6th floor of 100 Bay State. These are quiet rooms where many students go to study, and they've got gorgeous windows that give you a great view while you work.
Personally, I choose to opt out of the library whenever possible and head to cafes and coffee shops where there's a slight buzz of conversation and music, but nothing too distracting. The environment is relaxing, but not so silent I feel like every sound I make is resounding through the room. On campus, Pavement, Starbucks, or Blue State Coffee are great options for cafe setting study areas. During finals week they're especially popular for group study sessions! Another favorite of mine is the Thinking Cup Coffee Shop on Tremont St. because even though I'm still studying, I feel like I'm getting away from the campus hustle on Comm Ave. (plus it's right near the park).
Another great, albeit seasonal, option is studying on the esplanade looking out at the Charles River. If you can resist the urge to lie back and daydream, the esplanade is a great stress-free study spot in the spring and fall!

Wherever you go, the only requirement is that it should be right for you! Don't force yourself to study somewhere that doesn't work for you. Everyone's got their preferences, and sometimes it's nice to switch it up and try out someplace new. All you have to do is grab your laptop and textbooks and go find your spot!

Morgan: A Little Perspective from a Second Semester Senior

As I’m well in to my last semester of my senior year, I’ve started to reflect on my entire college experience. Being a transfer student, my experience might be somewhat a-typical. Two schools, two orientations, two different cities to explore, and two great groups of friends and tons of awesome professors who have helped shaped my life to what it is today. But the one thing that, when I look back I wish I did more of, was to document this entire experience.
Don’t get me wrong I have just as many Instagram pics of the Pru at sunset, Fenway Park in the summer, or the Common in the Fall as you do – but those aren’t the things you’ll need help remembering. What about the night before that snow day when you and your roommates decided to dance around in your PJ’s to pop hits circa 2002 while baking cookies and drinking hot chocolate until approximately 4am? Or the time the Red Sox won the World Series and you ran down to Kenmore Square to scream and celebrate with the rest of this awesome city? Or that time your club did something super cool like a big performance or created something cool or WHATEVER. The point is, these are the experience that you can only ever have in college – right now where you are.
As we’re getting all caught up in this exam and that class and that project and whatever roommate who you’re fighting with this week, we forget to appreciate this time and this experience.
So basically what I’m getting at is, take more pictures, videos, and even screenshot those hilarious Tweets you may want to look back on someday. 30 years from now you’re not going to want to remember the exam you took on February 12th for the psychology class you needed to graduate, but you’ll probably want to remember how you celebrated after.

Tom: The Power of iCloud Calendars

Hi all!

Hope your semester and winter has been off to a great start (don’t let the snow get you down!). My semester has been off to a racing start following my auditions at the start of this semester, and I’ve already felt the excitement setting in. However, although exciting, a busy schedule can sometimes cause your stress levels to rise.

I’ve been living relatively stress free at the start of this semester by making use of my iCloud Calendar. If you are someone who has a plethora of Mac products, such as a Macbook and an iPhone, I strongly recommend calibrating your iCloud Calendar.

iCloud allows you to link your computer and phone calendars so that you have a consistent calendar on the go. Sitting with your MacBook answering emails and need to add in an appointment for next week? Just pop it in your MacBook iCal and it also pops up instantly on your phone. Want to add an appointment on-the-go? Pop it in your phone calendar and it will show up on your iCal.

I have found this technique of scheduling and managing deadlines key to living this busy semester stressfree. I am happily getting the opportunity to act in three shows in my last semester, which has been overwhelming, but I am so glad to be able to manage it all. Huzzah for technology!

Alexa: Why You Should Live On Campus

It’s February, meaning it’s wicked cold in Boston and if you live on campus it’s time to pay your housing deposit! I’ve chosen to live on campus all four years and while there are benefits to living off-campus, here are five reasons I’ve chosen to stay on.

1. Easy transition coming back from abroad

It was nice being abroad and not having to worry about subletting an apartment or finding a place to live for the semester that I got back. All I had to do was pay my housing deposit at the end of the semester and I got my first choice when I came back in the Spring, (hello Stuvi 1).

2. Convenient Location

Even though I’ve chosen to live in West, which is about a 15 minute walk to COM, it’s nice living on campus and still having that close proximity to the gym and Agganis Arena.

3. No-Stress

If our sink breaks, Boston University maintenance will come and fix it. It’s nice not having to worry about calling a plumber or having to pay out of pocket for any type of maintenance.

4. Safety

While sometimes living on campus can be more expensive then living off, it gives my parents peace of mind knowing I have security at my doorstep.

5. The View

The view from my window is of the Charles River and the Boston Skyline, it literally could not get any better than that. I actually have to control myself to not Instagram a photo of it everyday, you’re welcome everyone. I don’t know when I’ll be able to live in a high-rise apartment overlooking the Charles river again, so I figure I might as well take advantage of it now.

Tyler: I Swear It Wasn’t Like This Before

When I got off the plane from London at Logan Airport two months ago, I gleefully welcomed the frigid weather. It was unbearable and exposure to the wind caused concerning pain to my face and hands, but it confirmed that I was home.

Don’t get me wrong — spending the fall semester studying abroad in England was the greatest thing I’ve ever done. And that was exactly the problem. I didn’t want to leave at all, but I’d accomplished my academic and research goals and completely run out of money. So, I had come to accept that it was time to get back to campus where I can focus more directly on working toward a career without being distracted by travel, a different social dynamic, and the whimsy of simply being elsewhere.

I take it back. I’d become accustomed to such a routine lifestyle of extremes in London. My time was spent in lengthy periods of either sitting quietly and nervously in a massive historical library or taking taxis, buses, trains, and planes to the new coolest place I’d ever been in my life. Classes ran once or twice a week. The weather was a comfortable, albeit often rainy, 50 degrees every single day. Plane tickets cost $40. I could drink legally!

Nothing feels right in Boston — the city in which I’ve lived practically all my life. I’m no longer on a cultural crash course disguised as a vacation. It’s not easy realizing that what I learn and accomplish in the next year very much decides how I spend the rest of my life. It’s not easy reverting to prudent financial habits. Fortunately, friends and family remain constant regardless of where I spend my time, and returning to those at home has certainly helped me realize what, or who, truly drives me to achieve my goals.

Jason: Countdown to the Finish!

It may be snowy here in Boston, but things are heating up for me at BU! As I mentioned in previous post this is my last semester-- so anyone who knows of any job openings... Just kidding. But I've started to solidify my post college plans and so far things are looking pretty good.

Right now the most exciting thing in the way of what I'll be doing after BU is my recent acceptance for an internship at CBS News! I still don't know my placement in the big world of CBS but it's still very exciting to have been offered this opportunity.

This semester I'm going a little out of my comfort zone and taking a couple business classes. One class, TV to Tablets, focuses on how the television and film industries are using new media to promote their products. The second class, Media Entrepreneurship is very unique class. I'll actually be creating a business plan and a pitch that could turn into a real business!

For now I'll end with a little self promotion. If you're interested in some of the work I've been doing check out my new website, jasonkashdan.com. Comment at the end of this post if you guys have any feedback. I'd love to hear it!

Thanks and stay tuned for more later in the semester! And as always make sure you're checking up for the newest episode of COMlife.

Hannah H: The Boston Bucket List

Over the past few weeks I’ve received some great news that is really going to impact my time at BU next year. My best friend (and sometimes my greatest nemesis) is moving to Boston this summer. My older sister, Madison, is graduating from college this June and then she’ll be headed my way to take on Boston with me.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from her impending arrival, it’s how much I still have to do here in Boston. She’s constantly rattling off ‘we should try this’ or ‘let’s do that when I get there.’ It’s like she’s more familiar with the city than I am lately. For this reason, I’m really making an effort to get out into the city this semester, take the time to familiarize myself with the areas I don’t spend as much time in, and branch out.

An aide to this exploration is actually my Production 1 class. All Film and TV students have 4 required courses: Production 1, Understanding TV, Understanding Film and Screenwriting. Production 1 familiarizes students with different equipment and editing software. Another aspect of the class is filming 3 different ‘short film’ projects over the semester. While it’s a lot of work outside the classroom, it’s also a great excuse to get off campus and into Boston. I’m only three weeks in and I’ve already had so much fun going into the north end and over to the financial district to scout locations for my projects. It’s also helping me find a few things I’m excited to try with Maddie when she arrives too.

While she still doesn’t understand that an apartment in the north end isn’t in walking distance to my classes on campus or that the t is our public transportation system not just a letter in the alphabet, she’s still teaching me a lesson or two. It’s going to be hard to sacrifice some of my binge-TV time (which I’m sure she indulges in just as much as I do) but I’m excited to dive into our little, (or not so little) Boston Bucket List together.