Kate – Page 2 – COM Ambassador Blog

Kate: Three Tips to Picking Classes Abroad

I cannot believe I am finally in London! After a six month long countdown, I finally made it over The Pond and have been living the abroad life for the past 10 days. So far it has been everything I had hoped for and more and I am so excited to everything to come. In fact, I just booked my fall break to, wait for it… ITALY! Five days of eating pizza, drinking wine and sight seeing until I can’t walk anymore is just a mere four weeks away (I’ll be sure to catch all of you up on that in my next post)!

However, study abroad is not all about traveling the world, there are courses involved too. So here are my tips to getting the most out of your classroom experience:

Find the Program you will get the most out of. You don’t necessarily have to do the same program as your major. Do something that interests you or that you have always wanted to try because that is what your core class will be in and the field in which you will do your internship. For me, I live and breath PR so that decision was a no-brainer. However, I know a fellow COM student who is majoring in Journalism, however he chose to do the Pre-Law program because he has aspirations of attending law school when he graduates. The Study Abroad office offers hundreds of options (there are at least 15 just in London!) so you will definitely something that works for you.

2. Take one class that takes care of a requirement. Whether it be a liberal arts requirement or a class towards your minor, find something will check another class off your list. All your major specific classes must be taken at BU so don’t spend all your time taking electives here and then stress about getting all your requirements done in Boston. There are a lot of options for CAS courses and you will easily be able to fulfill at least one required course.

3. Take something fun! Again, as someone who dreams about PR in her sleep, I took a COM-related course for this one. Its called International Brand Management and I am literally jumping out of my pants excited. BUT, my best friend is taking a British Pop Culture class. Hello, Beatles! Also, every class in the London program has at least one field trip (and I am sure this applies to other locations too) so a fun class equals an interesting field trip!

The first word in Study Abroad is study so make sure to work hard in your classes and get good grades. But, have fun and learn a lot because most people will never have this experience again. I have already learned so much about British culture and daily life from my professors (who also happen to have fantastic accents). And if I have any other advice it is to STUDY ABROAD. Go. Do it. I’ve been here a week and I already never want to leave.

I’ll be sure to update y’all later in the semester (be sure to follow me on The Twitter @KateScott10) and I hope you are loving BU so far!

Cheers!

Kate: 5 Boston Hot Spots to Hit in Your First Week

I know your first week at school is going to be insane so maybe tackle these in your first month but here are some of my favorite Boston places:

1. Shop on Newbury. One of the best shopping strips in the country, Newbury Street is just a 15 minute walk from campus. With everything from Forever 21 to Burberry, more fro-yo places than I can count and some of Boston’s best restaurants, it’s a great place for a little retail therapy and some delicious food.

2. Hang out in Boston Common. You may have heard that Boston gets a little chilly in the winter so the Common should be one of your first stops. I’m the kind of person who could spend a whole day on a bench people watching but if you’re not into that, you can also take a Swan Boat tour, wander the Public Garden or walk the Freedom Trail, which begins in the Common (however, that’s a favorite of Mom and Dad so maybe wait until Parent’s Weekend to take that 3 mile trek).

3. Explore Faneuil Hall. A historic marketplace near the waterfront, Faneuil Hall is an outdoor marketplace with tourist-y stores and lots of restaurants. More shopping and eating, seeing a trend here? They do have one of my favorite stores in the city though- Christmas in Boston where you can buy cheesy holiday decorations all year round.

4. Hit the Beach at Revere. Who knew there was a beach only a short T ride away? Not this girl until it was too late so I am letting you know now. Take the Blue Line to the end and its less than a five minute walk to a day of fun in the sun.

5. Dinner in the North End. New York has Little Italy. Where I’m from in St. Louis, we have The Hill. In Boston, we have the North End. It even smells like Italian when you walk onto Hanover Street. One of my favorites is The Daily Catch where they serve your pasta in the pan it was cooked in and you drink your water out of paper Dixie cup. And of course, a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry is to. die. for.

Since I won’t be in Boston to welcome you all to college, I hope you have a FANTASTIC first semester and I will see y’all in the spring!

Kate: The Countdown Begins…

As the countdown to summer was highly anticipated by many, my countdown is just beginning. The countdown for September 1^st, the day that I will board a 747 with 200 other BU students to London for the next three and a half months. And something tells me that with classes over and that diploma in hand, a few of you have a very similar countdown as you look forward to beginning your freshmen year at BU.

This summer, I’m laying low in preparation of a fantastic three months abroad. No internship, just working, seeing friends and enjoying Boston. And I pass that same advice along to you as you prepare for the next step in your life. Many you are probably feeling the pressure to brush up on high school skills or get an internship related to your intended major. My advice to you: just relax. You will have plenty of time for that once you’ve arrived, trust me. Take this time now to enjoy your home life, your high school friends, your summer freedom and lots of yummy graduation cakes because once all the thrill begins in September, it won’t stop and you won’t want it to.

My countdown says 72 days. What does yours say?

“TomKat”: We’re Back!

We're back for summer blogging! Although our COM Ambassadors are off for the summer pursuing internships, summer jobs, and vacations - we will continue blogging and getting you excited to come to COM in the fall.

Our COM Ambassadors will be blogging every Wednesday and Friday telling you what they're up to when school isn't in session and giving you tips, tricks, and pointers for moving to BU in the fall. Consider us an inside guide to surviving the summer before your first semester.

Hope you all are having an excellent end of your school year. We'll both see you at Orientation this summer and stay tuned for more updates from our COM Ambassadors!

“TomKat”: Get Ready for Summer

Congratulations to the recently admitted, and now official, BU COM Class of 2016! We know that picking a college can be one of the most stressful moments in your life, but we are so happy to see you guys here in the fall! “COM’s the Bomb” as you’ll soon come to know and love.

Our COM Ambassadors are settling their things at the end of another great semester. We have CA’s ready to graduate, coming back from abroad, finishing up their finals, and just arranging to start their summer plans. We’re sure you guys are having back to back graduations, grad parties, and beach trips to get to this summer – but we wanted to give you some tips of getting prepared for BU this summer.

1. RSVP for Orientation – Orientation will be one of the highlights of your summer and your first stepping stone for your start at BU. You will make your schedule, get your terrier card, hear about everything going on in the fall semester, and most importantly: meet other 2016-ers! You can RSVP and read FAQ’s about Orientation at www.bu.edu/orientation.

2. Check out the COM Ambassadors – If you have been following this blog, chances are you know a bit about each of our COM Ambassadors. You will be notified soon about the opportunity to choose your own COM Ambassador. The COM Ambassadors will be your upperclassmen mentor when you come in the fall, so choose wisely. You can check out their blogs on this site or check out our main homepage.

3.Think about FYSOP – If you are interested in moving in early and doing community service with fellow incoming freshmen, you should think about FYSOP – The First-Year Student Outreach Program. You can see all FYSOP has to offer on the Community Service Center (CSC) website or hear about Sarah’s experience.

4. Sit back and Relax – The most underrated tip of the summer. Chances are you are a mix of excitement and anxiety right now. Some days you can’t wait for BU and other days you are worried about making the big transition. Not to worry – you will find that adapting to college will be easier than you think. Sit back, relax and enjoy your final summer before starting college.

Our CA’s will be blogging about their summer adventures at the beginning of June so stay tuned until then. Remember – feel free to reach out with any questions you may have to either of us: tschrank@bu.edu or katescott10@yahoo.com. We’re happy to help! Congrats again! We can’t wait to see you in the fall!

Kate: Recap- Accepted Students Open House

With admissions decisions out and May 1^st fast approaching, I am getting more and more excited to welcome the new class of 2016 to COM. I remember getting my acceptance letters and feeling the pressure to make that final decision. These past two weekends, the COM Ambassadors welcomed over 250 admitted high school seniors and their families to take a look at the school. They were able to hear from faculty, have lunch with current students, meet our amazing Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, and take a tour of the COM building. For all of you who did attend, my hope is that you felt all of the energy we exude and it made you your upcoming decision a little easier. I was unfortunately not able to attend any Open Houses when making my decision and for those of you who are in my boat, I want to share with you three big take-aways that I think became a running theme of the past two Saturdays.

1. COM is here to help. But not to just hand you things. Between the Career Services office, the COM writing center, Student Services, and the COM Ambassadors, there are bunches of people who want to help you succeed. However, I think everyone can agree that you need to be a go-getter and take advantage of all of these people who are here for you. Ask questions, get advice, and use their expertise to make your many opportunities into realities.

2. Boston is a great city. There is no other way to put it. Whether you’re a local or coming to college in the fall will be your first time, Boston has something to offer you. It is an amazing place and with over a quarter of a million college kids, there is always something happening. Walk around, take the T, explore the this college city.

3. Get ready to be busy. I had a lot of parents ask me if the students they met at Open House were just the 1%, those who are really exceling and doing great things. And I was proud to say they aren’t. I used my roommate as an example—she is a full time student, an intern, a club water polo player, and a member of Greek Life and she wasn’t present at Open House. People who come to COM are passionate and want to get involved in everything. When you get on campus in the fall, get ready for a crazy four years.

I, and my fellow COM Ambassadors, had a fantastic time meeting with students these past two weeks and we hope that Open House helped you make your decision, whether it be BU or one of the other amazing school we know you were admitted to. As you make your final decision, please feel free to email me (katescott10@yahoo.com) with any last minute questions, concerns, or problems.

Kate: Tips for Tackling the Study Abroad Application

Kate Image

This semester, I began the grueling process of applying to a study abroad program. When I was on the college hunt, I realized that studying abroad opportunities was a must where ever I ended up. And I definitely picked the right place for that. BU has programs all over the world doing any types of program you could think of. A girl in my sorority just got back from a Creative Writing Trip to Greece. My other friend spent a semester at sea. My plan: London Internship Program for Fall 2012.

The following are a few tips I have for those beginning the application process and how to make sure you get accepted to the program of your choice!

Plan ahead. There a certain requirements to go on a study abroad program, especially ones that have an internship component (check out those requirements here). Decide early what semester or summer you want to go abroad and plan your schedule accordingly. There are no exceptions for the class or GPA requirements so make sure you’re all set when it comes time to apply.
Get your recommendation letters. Most applications require 1-2 professor recommendations. Contact your recommenders early. It is not okay to expect them to finish it in a day so consider reaching out to them at least a month before the application is due. Don’t be afraid to send them a reminder email if the deadline is closing in but don’t badger them.
Apply early! This may be the most important piece of advice I have to offer you. Applications and decisions are made on a rolling basis a.k.a. the sooner you get it in, the sooner you find out your decision. I had one friend who turned the application in almost two months before it was due and heard back in 12 days (the usually time is about four weeks). Also, many of the popular programs will fill up before the application deadline. Procrastinating your application may lead to a rejection from your program of choice.

Once you’ve been accepted (congrats!), get all your forms and deposit payment in fast! Once you do that, you can select your housing and classes for your upcoming time abroad. It is a very exciting time--remember these tips to make sure you have a semester you will never forget!

Check out the study abroad website for more information on abroad programs and to being your application!

“TomKat”: Spring at COM

Hey guys! A big shout out to all of our followers! Whether you are a prospective student, an incoming freshman for the fall, or just enjoy reading about life in COM, we hope you have been enjoying the blogs this semester. We will continue blogging as the university is open so we still have plenty of new things coming at your guys in the next two months.

Here's just an overview of some of our other social media outlets if you guys want to take a look:

Twitter: Follow @comugrad (College of Communication), @DeanSaboSays (Asst. Dean Sabovik), and @COM_Ambassadors for daily tweets about what's going down at COM.

Facebook: Were you recently accepted to the College of Communication? Make sure to "like" BU COM Class of 2016.

Website: Check out our COM Ambassadors Website! Soon to be updated with all of our newest ambassadors.

Youtube: Be sure to see our youtube channel. And follow fellow COM Ambassadors, Kate, Jason, and Alexa on COMlife.

We look forward to blogging for you guys for another fun two months! Hope you stay tuned in.

Signing Off,

TomKat

Kate: PR Advanced: Unleash Our Generation Recap

This past weekend, I partook in PR Advanced, an annual conference hosted by the BU Public Relations Student Society of America as a participant and a member of the planning committee. Each year we bring together 200 students from across the United States (people came all the way from Ohio and Louisiana!) for a keynote speech, breakout sessions, a career panel, and a career fair. Our keynote speaker this year was unfortunately snowed in and unable to make it to the conference. But there to save the day were Kenneth Elmore, BU Dean of Students, and Professor Steve Quigley, PRSSA 2011 Educator of the Year, to fill in, offering students advice on where to take their careers. In this day and age, students have many options after graduation:

Agency vs. Corporate
Corporate vs. Government vs. Non-profit
B2B (business to business) vs. B2C (business to consumer)
Start-up vs. Established Company

And with so many options, PR students must understand the importance of culture and finding a niche where they feel comfortable. These motifs continued throughout the day. In the start-ups breakout session, BU alum Kris Ruby shared her story. Knowing her strengths and the market, she decided to take advantage of the changing field and started her own social media and PR firm. Tom O’Keefe a.k.a. Boston Tweet and Joseline Mane, co-founder of Boston TweetUp, shared how they are using social media to further their careers.

After lunch, student attended a career panel with representatives from across the field of communication. Brandi Boatner, an external relations professional at IBM, showed that B2B communication can be just as exciting as traditional B2C. And Mike DiSalvo (probably my favorite speaker of the day) from Ogilvy reminded students to have fun in an interview because that’s when you know the culture is a right fit for you.

Ending the day was the career fair. With a company as small as Ruby Media Group (four employees) to Burson-Marstellar, one of the largest international PR firms in the world, students had the opportunity to find out where they fit into the market.

As the career fair coordinator for the last two years, I have come to understand the importance of attending conferences and networking events like PR Advanced. Public relations is an ever changing field and the best advice you can get doesn’t come from a text book, it comes from the professionals who are in the thick of it all. And the business cards and potential future opportunities don’t hurt either. I highly suggest all students taking advantage PR Advanced in the future.

“TomKat”: Meet Our Newest COM Ambassadors!

Hey all! As you can see, our COM Ambassadors have been busy blogging away for the past few weeks telling you everything from their first week of classes to their adventures studying abroad!

Each year, we have a new roster of COM Ambassadors ready to meet and assist prospective and incoming students at Boston University's College of Communication (BU COM). With that being said, it's time to introduce some of our newest COM Ambassadors for this upcoming year.

Julianna Flamio:

Year: Sophomore

Major: Magazine Journalism

Hometown: Eastchester, New York

Jon Mayer:

Year: Freshman

Major: Undeclared (Advertising Track)

Hometown: Carlisle, Massachusetts

Kaitlin Daddona:

Year: Sophomore

Major: Public Relations

Hometown: Southold, New York

Taylor Walker:

Year: Freshman

Major: Undeclared (Broadcast Journalism Track)

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Lauren Haslett:

Year: Sophomore

Major: Advertising

Hometown: Mount Laurel, New Jersey

Stephanie Semet:

Year: Freshman

Major: Undeclared

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Daniela Vasquez:

Year: Sophomore (Transfer Student!)

Major: Public Relations

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Alexa Galloway:

Year: Freshman

Major: Undeclared (Broadcast Journalism Track)

Hometown: Santa Maria, California

You may recognize Alexa from COMlife.

Our newest CA's come from a wide variety of majors and backgrounds and are excited to begin blogging for you guys! They are also working on a COM Ambassador Video and Profile to place up on our website! Look out for their profiles coming in the near future!

Signing off,

TomKat