Classes – Page 6 – COM Ambassador Blog

Kaitlin: CrossFit

As some of you may already know, I’m a Cadet in BU’s Air Force ROTC program. On top of school, added ROTC work offers quite the experience (which I wrote about here). But after almost three years, I’ve finally begun to find my true passion in the program: working out.

Yup, I’m talking about the sweat until you’re basically bleeding, face in the dirt, can’t even breathe working out. And to make it even more intense, my instructors decided to add a little extra to our regiment: CrossFit.

When I first heard about CrossFit, the only things I really got out of the idea of it was huge, bulky men doing Olympic weight lifting, using steroids, and growing so large they could barely walk. After beginning my own CrossFit experience at 6:00am last Wednesday morning, I was proved seriously wrong.

Of course, the practice is incredibly intense, and should only be done if one is in great shape, but it’s also a lot different than I expected. In fact, it could even be done out of a gym, and if you have a yard big enough, at your own home.

The program has WODs, which are Workouts of the Day, relatively short but highly extreme schedules of exercises that will make you ache and maybe even cry. The WODs we do as a part of the AFROTC (three times a week, I might add) consist of either AMRAPs (as many rounds as possible [in a given amount of time]) or rounds for time (which means you do the scheduled workout until you finish).

In a given WOD, you might run up to two miles, do 200 squats, perform 200 pushups, or something of the like. But the best part? It doesn’t matter how good you are. You push yourself to YOUR limit, whatever that might mean, and challenge yourself. You finish with the mindset that you couldn’t have done another burpey or another situp or another lap. The progress that you note, and even the satisfaction that you feel after doing that last pushup, even when you felt it wouldn’t be possible, is incredibly uplifting and motivating.

CrossFit is about being the best you can be. Sure, using your fellow CrossFitters around you for inspiration can be helpful, but at the end of the WOD it’s your progress against yourself. Even after just a few sessions, I’ve noticed serious improvement in my endurance, strength, but most of all my patience and motivation.

Like I said, these workouts can be done on your own, at the FitRec or otherwise, just visit www.crossfit.com for WODs. If you’re interested in getting into it, and want to do it with professionals, there are several CrossFit gyms around Boston, some that even offer a free class for beginners- just check online for more details, or shoot me a message.

Tiffany: From TV to Tablets

Welcome back to school, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful first week of classes and are excited for the upcoming semester. I know that I sure am looking forward to making this semester (my last semester) an extremely memorable one. I’m particularly excited for my last chance to learn from the incredibly knowledgeable professors we have here in COM, spending my final semester dancing with Fusion, and sharing all my experiences one last time with you all.

This semester I’m taking a new course that COM just launched, called “TV To Tablets” and I couldn’t be more excited about it. After attending the first day of class and discussing what we had in store for us in the next semester, I knew immediately that it would be a challenging course in that it was unique from anything I’d ever taken in the past 4 years. The class, taught be Professor Luber, discusses how brands have created new revenue sources to align with the new digital consumer while leveraging a multitude of media platforms as strategic business solutions that have proved to be successful. This class pulls from all different topics in the communication world and expects students to think in terms of advertising, branding, television content, production, revenue, public relations, law, and basically a culmination of almost anything you could study in COM.

Although I am a senior and am on my out, it greatly excites me that COM is always creating new courses and altering already existing courses to ensure they are staying relevant and up-to-date with today’s dynamic society. Stay tuned for more updates from my last semester here at BU and in COM and I wish you all a wonderful spring semester!

Taylor: The Final Countdown

It’s that time of the year. Time for major investments in flashcards, increased coffee consumption, and constant professor office hour visits. Students are on the prowl for nice study spots and BU has a lot of options with open space.

Tips for selecting your study spots: try to stay away for the most common study spaces available such as Mugar Library and the Student Villages. Granted that the view of Boston is exceptional, the Student Villages offer extraordinary views of this Commonwealth. However, it is COMmon knowledge that congested congregations make it hard to study individually due to volume levels and the rarity of finding comfortable sitting. Here are five calm and effective study places for final exam preparation.

5. Mugar Library

Mugar Library is a very feasible place to study if you arrive early. The library’s convenience to the George Sherman Union makes small snack and lunch breaks likely. Claiming a cubby or small group table can get a bit iffy though! Be sure to select your spot before the huge influx of students pour in.

4.Shelton 9th and 1st floor areas

In contrast to StuVi’s, the 9th floor of Shelton is less clustered. The riverside view of Cambridge is phenomenal. No other way to watch the sunset and sunrise while reviewing notes.

3. Boston Public Library

Enjoy the reading room on the second floor of the Boston Public Library. Be sure to collect your thoughts and take a look at the massive open room with huge dome ceilings that share similarities to a museum.

2. Trident Bookstore

Located near Newbury Comics, Trident provides great vibes that assist in thought recollection and help tone down test anxiety. Be sure to keep an open ear out for samples of song bites from around the world.

1. Law Annex

Certainly forgotten around campus, the Law Annex has tons of lengthy tables equipped with outlets. This factor plays a crucial role in study selection. If you want to be completely isolated from others around campus this is your place!

Jason: Madrid Retrospective

Yesterday, December 5th 2012, I officially finished my classes and my internship here in Madrid and I have 8 days left until I return to the states.

As I'm sure you will here from every person who has studied abroad this has been by far the best experience I have had in my life. I have learned so much at my internship; not only technical skills but also many aspects of the cinema industry in Spain, the United States, and around the world. All of the three classes I took here (Spain and the European Union, The History of Spain through documentaries, and Advance Spanish Language) are all on my list of favorite classes. These professors are some of the best in their field and I have never learned so much in a class before.

Madrid and the entire country--the food, the people, the culture,--are incredible. Above all, the opportunity to live with a family (There is no question I had the best family of the entire program) hanging out with my host brother and his friends, and watching my Spanish improve every day... it just could not have been better.

I'm extremely exited to get back to the states though to see my friends, family, and SNOW! (I'm going through skiing withdrawal) And I'm very excited for my classes next semester! I'll be taking my first creative television producing, understanding of film, production 2, and advance french language (yup that's 2 foreign languages for this kid)

Anyway, good luck with all of your exams, papers, etc., happy holidays, and go abroad!!

If you have any questions about the Madrid program, going abroad, etc. please don't hesitate to reach out to me!!!

Sarah: How to be Funny

Last semester, I waved a bittersweet goodbye to my required courses. This semester, I loaded up on Film & TV electives and hit the ground running. It’s been a hectic semester, but in the best way possible. All my classes are practical and very hands-on (and don’t have finals!). In my production class, I made films. In my creative producing class, I put together packages for talk shows and documentaries. I’ve been busy doing the things I love to do and hope to make a career out of, and that’s what college is all about.

I thought I’d dedicate this blog post to perhaps my favorite class this semester – Writing Situational Comedy Scripts. The class teaches the fundamentals of comedy storytelling and how we see it executed in the current television market. Essentially, it’s a class in being funny. The coursework involves writing several drafts of TV spec scripts, or nonprofessional scripts written for existing shows. The class is taught by Michael Loman, one of COM’s stellar faculty members. Professor Loman was a staff writer for The Cosby Show, Happy Days and All in the Family, to name a few, and also acted as Executive Producer of Sesame Street for 10 years. Needless to say, he is qualified to teach the class.

Over the course of the semester, the class completed two major projects. The first was a group spec script for a current sitcom – ours was Modern Family. Since almost all shows have a staff of writers who group write, this part of the class is meant to simulate the writer’s room. We were all responsible for writing and pitching a story outline to the class. Then we picked one story and went to work. We all know how much of a struggle group projects can be, so imagine the plight of 16 writers – 16 loud, opinionated writers – trying to create a quality script. There was a lot of fighting, a lot of laughing and a whole lot of bad jokes. But in the end, we produced something to be proud of.

The second project is a personal spec script, which we completed on our own. This project is your chance to shine. I decided to write for one of my favorite new shows – New Girl. I spent weeks creating an outline, writing drafts and meeting with my professor. Oh, and rewriting. And rewriting, and rewriting and more rewriting. Now I have a polished spec script for a new series that I can use when I start applying to jobs (which is crazy soon!).

So on that fateful day when you must bid adieu to your requirements, find solace in all of the cool COM classes you have yet to take!

Jon: COM Talks

Hey everyone! As a self-proclaimed ad-geek, I love getting as much info about advertising as I can. Luckily for me (and all my peers), COM hosts a number of awesome events and speakers throughout the year, and there’s another one coming up tonight!

At 5 p.m. tonight, Mike Schneider, the SVP and Director of the Digital Incubator at a&g, will be giving a talk titled: The Role of Authentic Content in Modern Branding. While at first glance, that may seem like an awful lot of buzzwords, I can assure you that there is substance to back them up!

You see, I got the chance to hear Mike Schneider (or @SchneiderMike, as the Twitterverse knows him), last year at a panel COM hosted on how companies and agencies going beyond the basics of social media and use it to effectively access and communicate with their target communities. Pretty cool, eh? Like I said: ad-geek.

Anyways, I was blown away by Mike’s breadth of knowledge and comfort with public speaking. He was quick, personable, incredibly sharp, and best of all, witty. Not only did he teach the audience some valuable lessons, but he kept them entertained while doing it (largely as a result of his banter with fellow panelist and COM professor Edward Boches). After hearing him talk, I certainly felt more informed about how I could more strategically implement a social media plan if I were thrust into that role at an agency.

Tomorrow he will speak again on the topic of content branding; a recent trend where advertisers and agencies create real content that expands or shapes a brand’s image, rather than simply trying to sell it to a target market. Agencies and clients are rapidly seeing more value in this kind of content, as it provides content consumers actually want to engage with for its own sake, while simultaneously giving the brand exposure. A great example is this Mini Cooper campaign launched by DDB Paris that featured a game based on Google Maps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uveD0Z3lIWo.

Opportunities like these are just one more of the many reasons I love COM. Make sure you take advantage of them! They are informative and helpful for career development, as well as quite entertaining.

And the best part? They’re almost always free.

Until next time,

Jon

Link to the Event: http://schneidermike.eventbrite.com/

Julianna: The Perfect Study Mix

There is no denying it—the three weeks that follow Thanksgiving are always the busiest and most stressful of the semester. This is the time to meet deadlines for papers and projects before reading week and final exams arrive. For me, this is not only my busiest semester ever, but my busiest post-Thanksgiving/December. I believe the essentials to powering through the rest of the semester are to stake out a few go-to study spots (mine are definitely 26th Floor of StuVi II and SMG Starbucks), squeeze in FitRec time and to find the perfect music for studying and writing papers.

Here is a list of my favorite songs that will serve as my soundtrack to upcoming study sessions:

“The Calm” by Drake

“Angels” by The xx

“Blue in Green” by Miles Davis

“Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones

“Pink Matter” by Frank Ocean and Andre 3000

“Wait” by M83

“Lay, Lady, Lay” by Bob Dylan

“Climbing Up The Walls (Zero 7 Mix)” by Radiohead

“Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For a Sunbeam” by Nirvana (MTV Unplugged in New York)

“Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in The Sky

Alexa: The Registration Process

Registration is one of the most magical and yet one of the most terrifying things a student will go through every semester. Here’s why:

1.There are so many classes to choose from.

Should I take Psychology of Sport or should I take Philosophy of Sport? What level of history should I take? Should I take Nutrition or Astrology? BU is a big school so there are so many different classes to choose from, which of course is a blessing but also a little bit of a curse.

2. You can’t go to sleep because you are terrified that you will miss your registration time.

This is more important than waking up at 7 AM on Christmas morning, or your birthday. There are many situations where you can over sleep, apologize and it will all be fine. This is not one of those times. To prepare for registration I like to strategically set 7 alarms on my phone in 10-minute intervals. I figure one HAS to trigger my brain to wake up.

3. You wake up in a state of panic during the middle of the night because you think you overslept and missed your registration time.

This happens about three times the night before registration. I quickly wake up at 3 AM thinking that the journalism class I have sought after and stared at through my computer screen is going to have zero seats left and I’m going to have to explain to my parents why I am a failure.

4. It is your registration time, and the page won’t refresh.

I wish I could accurately explain to you the minute before your registration time. For example, I registered at 11 this year and at 10:55 I was fine. I was cool, calm and collected but then at 10:59 my heartbeat started to accelerate. This is the moment before the race starts, the moment before you figure out if you won’t have class on Fridays, or if you’re going to have to start mentally preparing yourself for an 8 AM. I would most like to refer to this moment as the Hunger Games moment. The moment before the twelve tributes are allowed to step off of their circle and into the realm where only one will be victorious. Do you understand the picture I am trying to draw? Yes? Good. But then, the page is taking to slow to refresh and you think to yourself…oh my goodness I am being sabotaged! Then finally, the page refreshes and you go to your planner and try clicking on the classes you want so fast that your hand is shaking. You click, click, click, click and then press submit. Here it is the moment of truth…

5. You get the classes you wanted.

This is the moment of disbelief. The moment where Taylor Swift stands up on stage staring out at her audience in utter disbelief that they all came to hear her perform. You realize you are registered for 16 credits and that class you thought would fill up before you got a chance had 3 seats left, and you were able to grab one of them. This, my friend, is the state of grace, the perfect moment.

The look on your face when you get the class you want

Disclaimer: While sometimes you aren’t able to get the certain section you wanted, or the certain teacher you wanted, rest assured that you won’t have a problem getting a full schedule. One of the great things about BU is that although they are one of the bigger universities, students aren’t left trying to fill their schedule. Go BU!

Happy thanksgiving!

Taylor: November Has Me All Shook Up!

Boston is a melting pot filled with thoughts and experiences of a lifetime, and it has me constantly in BURNING LOVE. I could not have imagined myself in any other place than this Commonwealth during the 2012 elections. The amount of canvassing and advertising, the sheer thrill of being near the headquarters of a presidential hopeful, and the diverse ranges of opinions are elements that will forever resonate in my thoughts.

At the Boston Public Library interviewing voters about their candidate choice for a journalism assignment.

This month I’ve had the great opportunity of making my BU on Broadway debut in an Elvis Presley inspired musical “All Shook Up” directed by COM Ambassador Tom Schrank. The experience of working with such an awesome directorial team and cast is indescribable. Not since I landed in Boston have I felt more enthused and excited about the future. Stepping on stage again after staying inactive freshmen year reignited my passion of performance and storytelling.

Whether you enjoy solely conversing about politics or singing a few measures within a song, it is never too late to get involved in a campus activity. The experience is so worthy!

It’s Now or Never,

Taylor W.

Sarah: Production 1

Now a first semester junior, I have been putting off Production I for some time. I’ve had quite a bit of experience with production in the past, but always as a production assistant. I observed first-hand how much work goes into directing your own film. I’m currently enrolled in Production I and shot my final film this past weekend. It was even more difficult than I thought it would be, but in the end, it was a totally gratifying experience.

Originally, I thought the class was about learning all the technical aspects of making a film. But really, it is about learning to make a film, start to finish. While the technical side of the class is important, the biggest take-away for me will be learning how to coordinate a production. There is an incredible amount of planning that goes into it. Unlike most films you will ever make, Prod I requires you to make them on your own. Well, not entirely on your own. If you’re lucky like me, you’ll have a few stellar friends and classmates willing to help you out. But, you will call all of the shots. Literally.

A note for anyone taking a production class next semester – pre-production is key! I dealt with a million and one problems before I started shooting –actors dropping out, locations falling through and unavailable equipment, just to name a few. I found out 5 days before I my shoot that one of my actresses was a union member. Using her in my film would require paperwork, signatures and a $50 deposit – all due one week before filming. Oops! Luckily, I settled things with a very understanding woman at the SAG office. Because I was able to deal with these problems beforehand, the actual shoot went smoothly.

That’s not to say production won’t yield its own complications. Murphy’s Law is in full effect on most film sets. A pair of socks I bought as the focus of my film ended up being too dark to be seen on camera. My crew spent an hour in one scene trying to light them. My advice is to schedule yourself plenty of time to shoot. As my professor always says, shooting will take you three times longer than expected. I scheduled using this rule, plus added an hour in between location changes. I expected to be ahead of schedule all day, but I barely maintained it.

So even though I don’t plan on continuing with production, this class was an invaluable lesson in planning and budgeting (time, not money). I hope you all get the chance to get out there and make some movies!