Category: Emily W.

By Emily Wyrwa

I’m sitting in my Comm. Ave apartment, wondering where all the time went! This is my final semester at BU (and my final COM Ambassador blog post). Here are a couple of things I wish I had known when I first started at BU — and a couple of ways I’ve grown as a person and communicator throughout my time in COM. 

1. Follow your interests

As a first-semester freshman, I remember many things that sparked my interest in COM 101. I loved the strategic aspects of advertising, I loved learning about film and entertainment, and I loved writing up a podcast pitch. I spent the next two years determined to love what I thought I would, only to end up producing podcasts, taking courses in advertising strategy, and aiming to work in entertainment! I wish I had realized a little sooner that those interests would guide me more than any path I had set out for myself in high school.

2. You have time 

I was so panicked about getting my math class done, and yet I’m electing to take a class that gives me a math HUB requirement in my final semester of school. It’s not a race to finish the hub, the degree, or the internship application. Four years is plenty of time; you have plenty of room to have fun and explore! 

3. Campus isn’t so huge 

It’s funny how massive Comm. Ave. felt when I first arrived. You’ll get the lay of the land quickly, but that first class schedule walk-through with a friend will serve you well. I’ve come to love my neighborhood in Boston and have found all the great coffee shops and study spots (and even pizza places, coming from a Jersey girl!). 

4. Learn to meal prep a little sooner — and take care of you! 

It sounds silly, but learning how to cook (at least a few recipes) and eating well each day has made the biggest difference in my life since I got here. I wish I had known that using the dorm kitchens isn’t so awkward, and making time to eat well, exercise, and take care of myself would not only help me sleep but would make me far more productive. Seriously, block out meals and workouts in your calendar if you have to! 

5. It really is about the friends you make along the way

Saying hi to a girl who looked familiar in my freshman-year writing seminar gave me my roommate and my family for life. Joining BU on Broadway introduced me to two of the smartest people I know, who I can’t wait to take on the entertainment industry with when we graduate. Getting lunch with my editor at the Daily Free Press turned into dinner every single time we are both in New York (which, hopefully, will be all the time, very soon!). The people I’ve met through COM are some of the most ambitious and inspiring in the world, and they push me to be better every day.

By: Emily Wyrwa

Boston is the college town to end all college towns — and local businesses know that! It’s always hard to manage a student budget, but there are lots of ways to get out and explore without breaking the bank. Here are five amazing student deals to take advantage of with your Terrier card. 

1. Student 9s

Fenway Park offers $9 tickets to select Red Sox home games to students! You can enroll in their text program, and they’ll release tickets the morning before the game. Grab your seats for just $9 and you’re good to go! 

2. Free museum admission 

The BU Office for the Arts gives students free access to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and the Harvard Art Museum (which is free for all visitors). All of these have amazing selections and exhibits — a great way to spend a weekend afternoon or a rainy day in Boston.

3. Zipcar & Bluebikes

If you find yourself wanting to get out of the city or having a project that requires you to get somewhere by car, Zipcar offers discounted memberships to students. Bluebikes also offer discounted memberships to BU students! If you’re looking to get around by something besides T or the BU BUS, these are great options to keep in mind. 

4. Free fry deal 

Saloniki Greek runs a promotion (at least at their Newbury Street location) where you can get a free order of fries by presenting your student ID if you order at the counter. I take advantage of this deal myself at least every few weeks; they’re delicious! 

5. Theatre and arts 

Students are eligible for free concert tickets at the Boston Symphony Orchestra by purchasing a one-time $30 College Card. The Boston Ballet also offers $20 rush tickets for students, or $30 tickets if you sign up for a student subscription. Students can also get $25 tickets at The Huntington Theatre at most performances. 

The journalism profession is constantly changing these days. How do you harness the power of AI while maintaining journalistic integrity? How do you best showcase your work to potential editors or employers? How do you come up with ideas? 

1. Otter.ai

This is every journalist’s dream application. If you aren’t already familiar, Otter.ai will transcribe any and all of your interviews, allowing you to draw information, find the best quotes, and highlight relevant parts of your transcript. The software has built-in AI that you can ask questions regarding the interview, if that’s your speed. Otter’s base plan is free, and allows you to record 30-minute conversations. You get 300 minutes of transcription for free per month.  

2. Journoportfolio

Early in the journalism major, your professors will encourage you to create a digital portfolio that will showcase your work. For journalists, I’ve found the web platform Journoportfolio to be the easiest way to create a website. On the platform, you can input any of your clips, which will show up as clickable widgets on your page. There are plenty of easy ways to embed photography, video, and social media clips, as well. The basic plan is free, but for many, the affordable paid version will allow you to input as many clips as you need.    

3. Social media 

For a long time, journalists turned to Twitter to gain readership. Of course, the social media landscape is changing, but it may be worthwhile to have a professional page where you can reach out to sources and promote your work. Plus, you can often find story ideas from social media — whether checking Reddit pages to see what young people in various communities are talking about, Facebook groups to get to know a new community you’re covering, or the latest TikTok trend. 

4. Turn to your community

Sometimes, the best way to come up with story ideas is to sit down with peers and talk through various topics. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out this digital card deck that my best friend created last semester through a directed study project). Talking with other journalists about what they’re covering or anything they’re noticing can be a great way to consider your own beat. 

Welcome back Terriers! If getting back into the swing of things has you feeling a bit out of whack, you’re far from alone. Here are a few quick tips for achieving more balance between work life, class life, and life life.

1. Working/studying at clear hours
This one is way easier said than done as a college student, but it makes a world of a difference. This semester, I’ve been on co-op, and working a clear 9-5 has improved my life tenfold. While it may be a little more difficult as a student, you can work in time between classes to study, tell yourself you’ll close your studies at a certain hour each night, and outside of those hours, commit to doing things for yourself.

2. Have at least one club that has nothing to do with your major/career
Yes, it’s super important to take advantage of the opportunities COM gives you to get experience in your degree. However, having a commitment to something outside it will force you to get out of that “work mindset” each week. My first semester of school, I was so inthralled in the journalism space, that it felt like my studies were my whole life. After that, I made time to join one of the campus theatre groups, which not only helped me meet people I wouldn’t have otherwise, but it put hours in my schedule that were just for me and something that I loved.

3. Put time into the work that most excites you (but don’t forget the rest!)
I think as COM students, many of us are lucky to be studying the thing we’re most passionate about. When you actively choose to work on things that matter to you — whether that’s the topics you write about, the kinds of clients you advertise for, or the subjects of the films you make — it makes work all the easier. Of course, there are going to be times when you have assignments that don’t especially tickle your fancy, but where you have the opportunity to do what you love, take it! Join the organizations that feel most right to you — even if they aren’t the ones you thought you’d most enjoy when you came into school or you feel look the
strongest on the resume. Ultimately, when you love what you do, you’ll do your best work!

Growing up right outside New York City, I became obsessed with theatre. I’m not sure when I got bit by the bug: whether it was when my parents took me to see my first Broadway show, when I became obsessed with “Wicked,” or when I auditioned for my first musical in freshman year of high school. 

Regardless, at some point I started buying into the old saying that when you’re inside a theatre, everyone’s heart beats in rhythm. A huge part of the reason I chose BU over other schools was because of the strong presence of the arts on campus — and in the city. I wanted to be somewhere where I could keep the arts as a part of my life. 

My second semester, I got involved with BU on Broadway as part of the lighting team on “Heathers: The Musical.” I met two of my dearest friends in the process — they keep me grounded and remind me what’s really important. 

From that point on, I made an effort to get more involved with the Boston theatre scene. BU has four main theatre groups: BU on Broadway, which focuses mainly on musicals, Stage Troupe, which puts up straight plays and musicals, Wandering Minds, which produces indie straight play works, and Shakespeare Society, which I hope is self explanatory. 

Right on West Campus is the Boston Playwrights’ theatre. The theatre produces lots of new indie works each season, and student tickets run as low as $10. The school of theatre’s productions, which often run at The Booth, are consistently impressive as well. 

There are also loads of national tours that come through Boston, and professional theatres like Moonbox Productions in Cambridge. Lots of my friends caught “Six” at the Emerson Colonial downtown; I saw “Into the Woods” on press night for The Daily Free Press. 

My point being: if you want to get involved in the theater scene in Boston, it will welcome you with open arms, and even if you didn’t grow up a Broadway baby, it’s a great way to get out into the city and involved on campus in a really strong community.