Category: Kerri

Kerri: 5 Tips for Making the Most of Summer

In the last week, Boston has seen a big change (better late than never) as the weather has finally changed from the winter cold to a sunny spring. With this nice weather on the horizon it can only mean one thing for BU students. Summer is just around the corner. Here’s a few ways for everyone to occupy their summer before classes are back next fall.

1.    Read a good book

Whether you are on the beach or in bed, a good book is always a great way to escape for a few hours. Here is a list of some of my favorite books (I included a wide variety of genres!):

 

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

2.    Catch up with old friends

Summer is the perfect time to catch up with your friends from high school. My group of friends and I try to make the most of summer with weekly dinners, trips to the beach, and just spending quality time together!

 

3.    Internships or summer classes

Gaining experience in a career field or industry is the best way to find out whether you enjoy a certain career and a crucial step in standing out during the job application process.

Summer classes are another great way to utilize the summer months. Completing a class over the summer not only allows you to put your full concentration on one subject but it also lessens the amount of stress during the fall and spring semesters!

 

4.    Explore the closest city to you

One of my goals for this summer is to venture out to New York City more. I live about an hour outside of the city but I rarely make the trip in. This summer I want to check out some of the city’s delicious restaurants, visit the museums, and enjoy the lively atmosphere of the big apple!

 

 5.    And most importantly… RELAX and enjoy the WARM weather!

 

Whatever your summer plans may include, make sure you enjoy every second of it because before you know it you’ll be back in Boston for fall semester!

Kerri: Spring Break Travel Playlist

 

Spring break is only a few days away and for some of us that means long hours on a train, bus, or plane. I will be heading back home to New Jersey, which entails a six-hour bus ride. I am not a great traveler. I can’t read, do work, or even cross word puzzles without feeling sick. Therefore, I have limited choices for keeping myself busy for the six hours on a bus.  I can’t think of many people who enjoy these long hours of traveling, but if I have my favorite playlist to listen to it helps make the traveling bearable. Listening to music does not require any work, except listening… perfect! One of my favorite playlists for traveling is my “Travel Tunes” playlist (how cliché, right?). This playlist includes some of my favorite songs and ranges from old school artists (Led Zeppelin) to fresh new faces (Disclosure). I hope you find these tracks helpful for getting through long hours of traveling this spring break!

Enjoy!

  1. Islands- The xx
  2. Retrograde- James Blake
  3. So This Is Goodbye (Pink Ganter Remix)- William Fitzsimmons
  4. Jump Into The Fog- The Wombats
  5. That’s The Way- Led Zeppelin
  6. The Girl- City and Colour
  7. Help Me Lose My Mind (feat. London Grammar)- Disclosure
  8. Climbing Walls- Strange Talk
  9. Waiting Game- Banks
  10. You’re The Good Things- Modest Mouse
  11. Silhouette (feat. Ellie Goulding)- Active Child
  12. Your Hand In Mine- Explosions In The Sky
  13. Tessellate- alt-J
  14. Going to California- Led Zeppelin
  15. Hanging On- Active Child

Kerri: How to Start Your Spring Semester on the Right Foot!

After not having class for a few weeks, it can be easy to fall into a routine of sleeping in, lounging around, and my favorite, being glued to Netflix for hours on end. But with the first week of classes over, so must the relaxed winter break routine. Here are 6 tips to help you get back into the swing of things:

  1. Invest in a planner and/or desk calendar! I am a huge fan of the homework planner and desk calendar. If you don’t own one of these already, this is one purchase I highly recommend! They not only help you to keep organized, but they also make you time conscious and keep you aware of upcoming tests, projects and papers.
  2. Find a new study spot. Finding a new space to study will feel like a fresh start; which is essentially what a new semester is for! If you’re accustomed to spending nights on the 2nd floor of Mugar, try out another floor, or even a totally different building (like the COM Lounge!).
  3. Set aside a certain amount of time for studying, doing homework, and writing papers. I will be the first to say that I am an occasional procrastinator. Reserving a set number of hours per day/week toward your class work will prevent those all-nighters in Mugar filled with coffee and Red Bull. Once you become used to doing work at these times, it will start to become routine!
  4. Get on Twitter! If you aren’t already a big tweeter, it’s time to start! Many professors utilize this media platform to update students on upcoming events, relevant news to their courses, and interesting facts. It is another great way to stay connected to the University and the city of Boston. Even Dean Elmore tweets!
  5. Familiarize yourself with your professors’ office hours. This will only be beneficial to you. I have found, from my own experiences, that when a professor can match your name to your face, you are in a better place than the rest. Displaying interest in your studies and taking the initiative to meet for extra help is always a smart move.
  6. Get involved in something that interests you. Many clubs and organizations are beginning to hold interest meetings for the spring semester for prospective members. Getting involved in an extracurricular activity will also help teach you how to balance your free time with schoolwork.