Category: Boston

Kate: Where To Get the Most Important Meal of the Day at BU

You know that saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? Well while it might be true, I’ve never been one to live by this motto.  Until recently.

I’ve always been part of the camp that would rather sleep an extra 15 minutes than make a bowl of cereal.  But when I started working out with a trainer at the BU Fitness & Recreation Center, she basically told me we would have to stop working together if I didn’t start eating breakfast.  So here I am, trying to navigate my first meal options for the first time as senior in college.  I know, the most responsible.  The one advantage: I can share with you all the best places on campus to grab the most important meal of your day.

Pavement Coffee House. Previously known as Espresso Royale, Pavement owns the bagel sandwich game here on campus.  Not only do they have a variety of decently healthy options and extra fresh bagels, they also house a wonderful study space on campus that is frequently packed with students.  Go-to order: Sunrise Sandwich with sausage on a multi-grain bagel. 

Starbucks. I’m not gonna lie, coffee for breakfast is not uncommon in the college student world.  However, with the recent transition of the five (yes, five) on-campus Starbucks to the La Boulange bakery options, there are a variety of favorites that can now be heated up for your enjoyment. Go-to order: Grande iced coffee with whole milk & blueberry scone with butter.

T. Anthony’s. For those students from the tri-state area who are used to greasy diners, T. Anthony’s is the place for you.  It is also a favorite of mine for weekend morning feasts.  They have all the bases covered for those who enjoy the stacked omelette, the breakfast sandwich, and the syrup-topped specialties.  Go-to order: T’s Big Breakfast – french toast, two fried eggs, home fries, bacon, & coffee.  

Eastern Standard. ES is a big favorite among students when parent’s come to visit.  A little more expensive than the other options on this list, ES is unqiue for having an early morning breakfast option (you can thank their attachment to the Hotel Commonwealth for that) in addition to a brunch menu.  Go-to order: Breakfast Breads & Buttermilk Pancackes with Blueberry Syrup

Dining Hall. A very necessary addition to this list, the on-campus dining halls are the mecca of breakfast for the underclassman still on the meal plan diet.  With unlimited options like cereal, waffles, omelettes, and pastries, how could you go wrong? As a senior, I am always open to the gift of a guest meal by a lower classman (wink, wink). Go-to order: Waffle with a side of pizza (while you wait in line for the waffle machine more commonly known as line pizza) and bacon. 

This is obviously not an exhustive list and I’m sure I’ve missed some crowd favorites (Einstien’s and Brugers to name some honorable mentions) but just a few of my favorites.  Keep COM & Eat Breakfast.

Hannah C: Wicked Proud To Be A Terrier

I’ll just go ahead and let you know—being a student in Boston is wicked pissah. (Translation: really awesome.) Any Bostonian will tell you that, and I surely won’t be the last. If you’re exploring the COM website as I did a year ago, looking for more insight into BU, there’s a few things you should know about what sets BU apart from the rest. First and foremost, BU is located in the heart of the city known not only for its latest World Series win, but also for its reputation as a hub for higher education.

Earning a degree in Bean Town means being in the company of more than two hundred fifty thousand other students.  That’s something only Boston students can say about the city we call our second home. Boston is so widely populated with college students that it has been aptly dubbed America’s College Town.

Living and learning in a college town makes it possible to meet people from a variety of backgrounds. As a freshman new to college and to the city of Boston, I feel so lucky to spend time discovering what makes the city so unique while also finding common interests with students from all over the country and the world.

So far, during my first year, I’ve learned the meanings of New England phrases such as “wicked pissah” and the correct pronunciation of “clam chowder.” (It’s chow-dah). I’ve had the chance to get to know Boston and its residents when I interviewed them for articles for The Daily Free Press, BU’s student independent newspaper.

And at BU, I’ve met people from as close as my own hometown in New Jersey to as far as China, where my roommate calls home. My experiences meeting people at BU and throughout Boston have allowed me meaningful conversations with people I’d never had the opportunity to know otherwise.

Although I’m only one eighth of the way through college, I’ve had countless new encounters with people throughout the city, at BU, and from a dozen neighboring schools. And after countless introductions, I can sincerely attest to the unique pride that comes with the privilege of saying, “I go to Boston University.”

Kate: How To Dress for the Boston Winter

I have a morning ritual that includes checking my Weather Channel app from the warmth and coziness of my bed.  After a morning delay on campus because of Winter Storm Janis and a few texts from family members reminding me to wear a hat, I was a little nervous to see what today would bring.  High of 8 degrees with the windchill in the double digit negatives.  Woof.  While I love Boston, my answer for the tried and true question "What's your least favorite thing about BU?" is the cold.

In the past, I always traded practicality for dressing cute (i.e. the time I wore cropped pants and loafers when the high was 3 degrees).  However, now that I'm a senior, I've accepted that dressing warm is only thing to get me through the below freezing, snowy, blistery, icy weather that comes with a Northeast winter.  And here are my four rules for survival.

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Rule #1: Invest in a long coat.  I came to college with one of those michelin man, short North Face down coats without a hood and that was potentially the biggest mistake of my young college career.  Not only did I often come home with snow-soaked hair but the wind always found a way to blow up my back which was just not appealing.  Christmas of my sophomore year, I invested in the longer version above and have never looked back.  Pick one with a detachable hood and maybe even a fashionable little waist tie and you'll be happy as a clam.

Rule #2: You can never have enough scarves.  I'm a scarf horder. You can't really see it in this picture but I am currently wearing a massive, knit infinity scarf that has been my life saver in Boston.  Sometimes I walk around with it wrapped over my head and around my face and let me tell you, it is very warm.

Rule #3: Wool socks are back in style.  Freshman year, my dad bought me wool socks and I scoffed.  Three years later, I'm biting my tongue.  I even purchased these J.Crew Camp Socks in every color during an after Christmas sale.  Warmth is always stylish.

Rule: #4: Snow boots are a must.  After three years of pretending that my leather riding boots would get me through winter (shocker...they don't), I finally bought a Northeastern favorite, L.L. Bean Duck Boots, seen here.  I am in love. They are great for snow, rain, and ice and keep me from wiping out on slick spots down Comm Ave.

And there you have it folks. Don't end up like me, spending your first time three years as an icicle.  Practical is always fashionable.

Abby: Keep In Touch!

The other day I was catching up with my best friend from high school whom I hadn’t talked to in a couple of weeks. I was telling her about some problem that came up which I had stressed over, but by the time I was filling her in the issue was resolved and old news.  She said, “Abby! Why didn’t you tell me this happened?!”

And I asked myself the same question. An outside opinion would have helped me so much and gave my Boston-centric issue a fresh perspective (And it is always great to catch up with friends). Sometimes you get caught up in the BU bubble of lectures, studying, dining hall lunches and roommates that it is really easy to forget about the other aspects of your life.  I think it is so important to keep in touch with family and loved-ones and they are equally grateful to be kept in the loop.  With things like iPhones, and Facebook and Skype it is so easy to iChat your mom in Florida on your walk home from class, IM your best friend studying abroad in Dublin, Skype with your boyfriend abroad in Morocco and then call your family who lives in New Orleans.  Old school snail-mail is also a thoughtful and often overlooked way of keeping in touch.  I just sent an actual letter to my great Aunt who doesn’t have a cell phone and she was so grateful to be kept in the know about what I’m up to in college.  Sometimes things can get overwhelming when you text a friend to tell them to get on Facebook so you can send them a link to a video another friend saw on Twitter and then emailed you about.  So be careful to not get overwhelmed and only reach out when and for how long you want to.  If it takes you a day to respond to a text that is absolutely fine.  I’m sure your loved one will appreciate it no matter what.

Technology really does amaze me. Morocco is 3,515 miles away. I’m surprised I even get to see a picture.

This isn’t how it is every week, but sometimes you just have to call your Mom four or five times in one day. (We were making holiday plans and I kept losing the call in the elevator. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it, okay?)

 

Anneliese: Registration Survival Guide

Ah, the possible pain or glory of spring registration. For underclassmen, the day can seem daunting, as you are often left scrambling after upperclassmen claim the seats you were coveting. Here are some tips and reminders to keep you from having a meltdown when the melee begins.

1)   Wi-Fi or Die

Okay, so that’s a little dramatic, because you won’t sustain any bodily harm during registration. BUT, you want to make sure you have the most pristine Wi-Fi connection during your fated time slot. You don’t want to miss out on your ideal schedule simply because those annoying, little bars are blinking.

2)   Back it Up

Make sure you have a back up in case one of your preferred classes fills up. Then, have a back up for your back up.  And maybe even a triple back up. Better to be safe than sorry.

3)   Brunch it Out

My friends and I had a pre-registration brunch to help cope with the stress of choosing classes. It sounds stupid, but hey—if we couldn’t have the class we wanted, at least we had pancakes. Pancakes, and each other to rant to about the ordeal we had just survived.

4)   Gimmie a Break

Just because registration is over, doesn’t mean you should lose all hope. Winter break is basically the flea market of course shopping, with people dropping classes and picking up new ones during this time. The victory of claiming your desired class is made even sweeter, since you really have to wait and hunt for it. Crappy metaphor aside, my point is: Stalk the registrar over winter break.

5)   Don’t Sweat it

Even if you don’t end up with all of your number one choices, don’t freak out! BU offers a wide range of great courses with awesome professors, leaving you with a better chance of having good ones than bad ones. Who knows—your favorite course of the semester may even end up being one you hadn’t picked initially.

Happy registration, everybody!

 

Sara: Baby It’s Getting Cold Outside

It’s starting to get cold in Boston and chances are you’re mentally preparing yourself to start hibernating for the winter. It’s pretty easy from here on out to return home from classes, stay inside and drink hot chocolate/coffee/ your hot beverage of choice instead of adventuring around the city. BUT I’m here to try and steer you away from that mindset because although the city gets cold, Boston doesn’t stop! Welcome to the approaching winter season all you Californians/ Floridians, where we still function regardless of what wrath Mother Nature brings upon us.

Don’t let your adventurous side stop just because of the chill! Here are some great events happening around the city in the coming months that I look forward to all year:

-Ghost Tours in Salem, MA

Now through Halloween

-Ice Skating at the Frog Pond on Boston Common

mid November

-Boston Christmas Festival & Gingerbread House Competition

Nov 8-10 at Seaport World Trade Center

-Christmas at Newport Mansions

you have to take a trip to Newport, RI for this but it’s worth the drive!

(this is a tour through the Mansions, if you’re into history you’ll love it)
starts November 23

-Faneuil Hall Christmas Tree Lighting

(also check out BLINK! Light show)
November 23

-Boston Ballet Nutcracker

November 29- December 29

-Boston Pops Holiday Show
Boston Symphony Orchestra

December 4 -24

-First Night Boston- Boston’s celebration of the new year

December 31

(Am I jumping the gun by talking about Christmas before Halloween has even passed? Maybe…)

 

Steph: Travel the World with COM

I recently found out that I will be spending my Spring semester abroad across the pond in London! I absolutely cannot wait to begin my adventure. The best part about it is, through COM, I will not only be living and studying in a totally different country, but I'll also be working there!

When you study abroad through COM's programs, you get to fulfill an internship while you're there too. How cool is that?! And, you're guaranteed to find an internship, with a little help from a placement agency that the Study Abroad office works with.

COM has study abroad programs in London, Spain, Dublin, Paris, Sydney, and "abroad" in D.C. and L.A. Want to write for a music magazine down under? Wanna make documentary films in Spain? Or maybe you want to work PR in London? All those options are open to you through BU COM Study Abroad.

Stay tuned for my blogs from across the pond! Cheerio!

Maria: How to Avoid the Graduation Crisis

Commencement weekend is a little less than 7 months away. It may sound exciting to your mom and dad who don’t have to pay tuition after May 18th, but to me and other seniors, it’s one of the most terrifying thoughts. College has been the most amazing three and going on four years of my life, and to think that that will all come to an end soon is very scary. And it makes frightening questions come to mind - what do you mean no more four-day weekends? How am I going to afford anything without a student discount? And the question that is without a doubt on everyone’s mind: where am I going to work once I graduate?

Fortunately, BU and COM specifically prepare you well for graduation… or at least the best anyone could be prepared for graduation. COM has a great resource that I encourage everyone to utilize during his or her time at BU, and that’s COM Career Services. COM Career Services is there to help you with getting a job, even before you graduate. They have an online database full of internships and jobs in Boston and around the country. You can even access the database once you graduate, which is extremely helpful if you find yourself in a bit of a rut a couple months down the road after graduation. They also have cover letter and resume critiquing, which I take advantage of often. Who knows what companies are looking for on resumes and cover letters more than the people in COM Career Services? They also have fun activities that can help with your professional appearance – one example being a LinkedIn headshot photo opportunity, where you could go in and get a professional picture done for your LinkedIn!

On top of that, internships are highly encouraged in COM. Some students are required to intern as part of their curriculum, while others just take advantage of the amazing companies in and around Boston. I’m on my fifth internship during my college career, and I can honestly say that internships teach you more than you’ll ever learn in a classroom. You’ll never know the full experience of what it’s like to work in a certain industry until you immerse yourself into it. Internships prepare you for the real world and being a “real person” as I like to refer to people with jobs and careers. In addition they are amazing resume builders, and they can only help you get a job and further your professional life. Sometimes internships that you’ve interned with will even offer you a job after you graduate and are usually more likely to hire you over someone who is not familiar with the company.

All in all, it almost makes me cringe hearing the word graduation, but I know that COM has prepared me really well for the future and how to obtain a job. Take advantage of everything COM has to offer; it can only help you and make you a better student and candidate for a job in the future, and that will make you worry a little less about the g-word.

 

Lauren: Apples to Apples

Hi everyone!  Hope you're all having a fantastic semester so far!

Throughout my time here at BU, I've been a campus representative for a few brands (American Eagle Outfitters, IMAX, etc.) and now I've taken on the challenge of promoting the exciting card game, Apples to Apples.

Being a campus ambassador is a great way for mass communication, advertising and PR students to get experience with marketing, promotions, event planning & social media!  These positions have really helped improved my face-to-face communication skills and look impressive on my resume.  Plus, I've acquired a ton of branded promotional items over the years, which is awesome!  I've loved the experience that I've gotten working as a campus representative, and I highly recommend it to any student in COM!

With Apples to Apples, I get to work for Mattel, a huge toy-manufacturing company!  I go to on-campus events and student group meetings on a weekly basis to give away promotional materials, including lip balms, playing cards, t-shirts, full-sized games, tumblers and coupons!  The other Apples to Apples reps and I also host tournaments too and help spread the word about the game through guerilla marketing tactics!

If you want the Apples to Apples campus representatives to give goodies to your student group, email me at lhaslett@bu.edu!  We'd love to come by!  And definitely enter the Apples to Apples Crazy College Cash Giveaway here for your chance to win $10,000 IN CASH!

Follow Apples to Apples on Facebook & Twitter to get more awesome updates!

Until next time,

Lauren

 

Kevin: Go Sox!

Growing up, I was a diehard Red Sox fan. I remember my town announcing that they were going to convert our little league field into a mini-Fenway park was pretty much the highlight of my life. I remember arguing with my mom until I finally convinced her to let me stay up to watch the Sox win the World Series in ’04. I remember Jason Varitek signing my baseball and that ball might as well have been gold to me. So for me, living down the street from Fenway is a dream come true.

I think baseball fan or not, everyone needs to have a Fenway experience and go to at least one game. This year I went with my roommate to “Dollar Beard Night” and we ended up cutting up my bed sheet to make fake beards, taping them to our faces, and getting into the game for a dollar. (The Sox lost, but it was still one of the best nights of the year so far).

Now that it’s fall and the Sox are in the playoffs, (sorry Yankees, you tried) there’s so much going on around Fenway. The other night, David Ortiz hit a grand slam to pull the Sox back from a 5-1 deficit and I could literally hear the crowd from my dorm. Any time I want to go walk down Yawkey and look at all the banners and posters, it’s just a couple blocks away. Fenway is easily one of my favorite parts of Boston, and to anyone who says they’re not a baseball fan, just try it. Go to one game. I guarantee you’ll get some awesome memories out of it.