By Teagan Keane
Every COM student starts in the same place: COM 101. It is the kind of class you hear about long before your first semester begins, usually described as “the intro class everyone takes.” What you do not hear as often is how grounding and surprisingly motivating it can be, especially when you are still figuring out what you want to study.
COM 101 combines a large weekly lecture with a smaller discussion section, which creates a useful balance. In lecture, you are introduced to the broad landscape of communication fields. One week, you might learn about journalism’s responsibility to the public, the next week you might explore how public relations shapes brand reputation, and another week you might dive
into media production or advertising strategy. Even if you arrive on campus already confident in your major, the class invites you to understand how all of COM’s disciplines connect and overlap.
The discussion section is where things become personal. This smaller setting gives you space to ask questions, hear perspectives from other majors, and talk through what parts of the field excite you most. Many students say this is where they first realized what they actually want to pursue. It is also where you start meeting people who may become future group-project partners, internship tip-sharers, or close friends.
What makes COM 101 especially helpful is that it offers a low-pressure way to explore. You are not expected to know everything. Instead, you are given a chance to test your curiosity and see which topics spark something. By the end of the semester, you gain both a clear overview of the communication world and a better sense of where you want to fit within it.
If you are heading into COM 101 soon, keep an open mind and pay attention to what interests you most. This class may be your first step at BU, but it is also the one that helps you picture the path ahead.