By: Jess So
For worse or for better, college stereotypes exist for a reason. From the big-time finance athlete that rides a scooter to class to the anti-social physics kid that has an undeniable love for numbers and velocity. Coming from the college of communications, you’ll experience your fair share of COM majors that all fall on a spectrum from the hippie film connoisseur up until the cool sorority girl studying PR. Boston University may seem huge from the outside, but the community is much smaller than you would expect - and the likelihood you will run into one of these characters on campus is extremely high. So if you were wondering what someone’s major says about them, keep reading.
COM - Film and TV
These kids all have a favorite movie in mind that they’ve prepared to share before even applying to college. It is most likely La La Land, Interstellar, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, or some Orson Welles movie. They know how to rent and use equipment from Film Production Studios (FPS), so if you need advice they are your people. The typical film major will talk about their projects for Prod 1 or Prod 2 and walk around COM with an entire setup. Then you’ll find yourself in the middle of their shoot, walking away awkwardly as their camera points straight to the entrance of the building. Great people, nonetheless. Go-getters, friendly, and proud geeks in their own right.
COM - Advertising
Consists of around 80% girls. These are the kids that wanted to go to COM but just did not know what major to take up. Film is way too niche for them, Journalism has too much writing, PR feels unfamiliar, and Media Science has the word science in it - Advertising it is. These students also fall on a spectrum. Anything from Adobe God to a studious project manager with a stick up their behind. For context, I fall on the latter end of this spectrum.
COM - Journalism
These kids know almost everything and anything about reporting and giving interviews. If you get stopped on the street for an interview by a kid with a notebook and a pen, they are a journalism student. The line of students in this major vary - anything from the geeky freshmen passionate about the press with a knack for writing all the way to the second semester journalism senior applying for a job in business. Honestly, real.
CAS - Computer Science
I have to give homage to my little CS freaks all the way in the College of Arts and Sciences. As someone pursuing a dual degree in advertising and CS, I’ve met my fair share of unique personalities. And CS is no exception. Everything you already know about computer science students is true. Everything. They are extremely introverted, they wear glasses, and they prefer to sit alone during class. Be wary of the ones that look like they live in a cave, because they may smell like they do too. All that said, this is definitely a community built on “shared trauma”. The few friends I have in CS are incredibly helpful and will make an effort to lend a hand if your code is stuck somewhere or your web app doesn’t want to run. The professors here are not BU’s best (unfortunately), so the students really stick together to help each other get through the horrid theoretical math problems that are the stuff of nightmares. They seem antisocial and weird from the get go, but are ultimately really solid people.
CAS - Psychology
Ah, the psychology majors—BU’s unofficial therapists and overthinkers. These students can and will psychoanalyze you, whether you ask for it or not. They memorize the mbti personality test and are also pretty familiar with the world of astrology. They probably got into the major because they were either obsessed with Criminal Minds in high school or they went through a personal crisis and decided to "figure people out" (spoiler: they’re still working on it).
ENG - Engineering (any engineering student)
Engineering students at BU are a special breed. They walk among us, but they do so with their head buried in a math problem or their mind stuck in an overwhelming existential crisis of imposter syndrome. You’ll recognize them by their constant state of exhaustion, their TI-84 calculators permanently attached to their hands, and the distinct atmosphere they carry of having been humbled by physics one too many times. You’ll hear them muttering things like “I should have been a business major” or “Maybe I should switch to COM” while staring blankly at their laptop.
QST - Business
These are the kids that walk around in full on suits while carrying a black briefcase. You can spot them a mile away: Apple Watch on their wrist, Patagonia vest (or Lululemon quarter-zip) on their back, and a LinkedIn page that’s more polished than their GPA. By freshman year, these kids already have more than 500 connections on LinkedIn and a full blown internship waiting for them. Questrom students love to grind, but they also love to flex. The Questrom spectrum falls anywhere from the Finance bro always talking about how they want to rush the next frat or the ‘I Just Want a Degree’ kid that’s taking business because it’s said to bring a decent salary but isn’t as hard as any of the STEM majors.
At the end of the day, regardless of what major you choose to pursue, your BU experience will be filled with a mix of personalities that can be both chaotic and exciting. Whether you're debating film theories in COM, suffering through problem sets in ENG, or networking your way through Questrom, there’s a place for everyone. Of course, these are all just fun generalizations I’ve learned throughout the years of being at BU, and not everyone fits into their major’s mold so take this with a grain of salt. But if nothing else, this should help you navigate the wonders and quirks of the BU community. So next time you’re walking down Comm Ave, take a look around and you’ll be able to spot these faces in action.