Category: Places On Campus

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.

Abby: Trans-Campus Moving

This weekend I moved into a new dorm.  It was a whirlwind week of packing, and unpacking, going from the one Residence Assistant Office to another and calling the BU Housing Office.  But all said and done I’m absolutely in love with my new room.  I’m now living in a brownstone on Baystate Road.  My room is on the backside of the house and my window looks onto the Charles River and the Esplanade.  Because of my class and work schedule, living on the east side of campus is much more convenient than living in West Campus.  Each student is different- the girl that moved out of this room swapped with me so she could live in West Campus to be closer to the gym and her friends that lived over there.

The process I went through to move part way through a semester is called a Pull-In and works like this- If there is a vacancy in a room anywhere on campus then whoever is currently living in that room can “pull-in” someone to fill the vacancy.  In my case my friend was the one moving and introduced me to her former roommate.  We got along really well and she agreed to pull me into the room.  (You can find more information about this and other room change processes at http://www.bu.edu/housing/.)

I had a ton of help from my new housemates to move my things from one end of campus to the other.  Of course I picked the coldest day of the semester so far to move, but they were troopers and I’m so grateful for them.  To move everything I rented a big yellow moving bin from the Residence Assistant office at my new dorm. They are available all year for moving and especially at the beginning and end of the year for move-ins and move-outs.  Then we took it to west campus to load it up and pushed it all the way back up Commonwealth Ave to Baystate.  I’m sure we looked like a traveling circus act.  After that all I had to do was unpack and decorate my new room.  I can’t wait to finish out the semester on Baystate.  It already feels like home.

Hanna: Spring Semester Resolution

As I sit on my bed here at home, I am ashamed at how lazy I have been during this Winter Break. The trek to the gym feels like the worst possible idea, and Netflix is roping me in for yet another episode of 30 Rock. I, along with countless other hopeful optimists, have set the New Years’ Resolution to get more in shape this year. We have promised ourselves to never miss a day at the gym, no matter how much our minds fight us against it. Yet somehow this self-promise does not seem to be going too well thus far over break.

Knowing that I will be back in Boston before I know it does provide one last shimmer of hope for my goal to get active. At a place like Boston University, it becomes a lot less difficult to get out and get going. To start, the Fitness and Recreation Center (referred to around BU as “FitRec”) is a hot spot on campus. With four stories of machines, basketball and racquetball courts, dance and fitness studios, an Olympic size pool, a rock wall, and an indoor track, the building has anything the athletes inside all of us could want. FitRec also offers a selection of free classes for students, who are automatically members. My favorites are the Happy Hour Workouts on Friday afternoons. Every week the class is something totally new, and I’ve found myself doing everything from Zumba to Yoga to Tabata Training. Also, any student can add a fitness class onto their academic schedule for actual college credit. When it comes to FitRec, BU students cannot go wrong.

Can’t make it there? No problem! I almost never pass up a chance to run along the Charles River on the esplanade. The path is always buzzing with cyclists, runners, children playing on its many parks, and anyone just searching for a place to enjoy the outdoors. However, there is one problem with running here: sometimes, I use the stunningly jaw-dropping scenery to stop my work out and take a picture or two. So what if my run is a little less intense! I can’t let me Instagram followers miss this, right? Seeing the sunshine over the river, even in the colder winter months, will make any tiring run worth it.

I may just have to change my “New Years’ Resolution” to a “Spring Semester Resolution” because home does not seem to provide enough motivation to get started. Luckily my second home is the perfect place to reboot my fitness, and I cannot wait to get back there and get going.

Morgan: So You Failed Your First Exam…

It happens to the best of us. You had no idea what to expect from your professor for your first COM101/AR100/PS101/anyotherlargelecture exam. They might have given some very vague details about what would be on it and how it would be set up, but still, you struggled to find the right way to study for your first big college exam. So now what?

Unfortunately, crying in your professor’s office rarely works. So the best thing to do is STAY CALM, and follow these steps to success.

1)   Head over to your professor’s office hours to go over the exam. Were there concepts that you just didn’t understand? Did the set up or the wording of questions confuse you? Figure out what went wrong so you can be prepared next time.

2)   While you’re there, ask about extra credit opportunities. There may not be any available, but it never hurts to ask.

3)   Start PAYING ATTENTION in lecture. I know, shocker. Get yourself this nifty little self control app so you can block all those tempting websites you want to surf during lecture. Or if possible, take notes the old fashioned way – pen & paper.

4)   Make sure not to lose any more points. If there are homework assignments, papers, etc. that are part of your grade – make sure you do the absolute best on these you can. Use the COM writing center and your TF’s as resources – their job is to help you! So take advantage of it!

5)   Next time, study like crazy. Some of my study methods include…

-       Studyblue.com

-       Making outlines of each chapter.

-       Spending 5 hours in the library until I memorize absolutely everything.

-       Trying to put all of the information for each chapter on a single piece of paper – color-coded.

-       Studying with friends! Sometimes trying to explain a concept to someone else helps you understand it better.

-       Not leaving it until the last minute. Start studying 4-5 days in advance so it really sticks in your brain!

You can do it!!

 

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.

 

Morgan: How to Enjoy Fall in Boston!

Hey COMmies! So it’s officially October, which is my absolute favorite season. It’s crisp and cool but still super sunny and beautiful (as opposed to Spring where it rains constantly!). Boston is absolutely beautiful in the fall. All of the colors are changing, there is pumpkin everything, and everybody is in great moods. There are tons of ways to enjoy the fall weather, so here are a few of my favorites!

1)   Head over to the Boston Common and jump in a pile of leaves. Yes, you’re allowed to act like you’re 5. It’s like a right of passage.

2)   Go apple picking! Rent a ZipCar and get out of the city for the day!

3)   Go kayaking on the Charles! It’s a great way to see the fall colors.

4)   Discover a new coffee shop! There’s a few Beacon Hill that are divine!

5)   If you’re 21+, head to Oktoberfest! Pumpkin beer, anyone?

6)   Take a run on the Esplanade.

7)   Bake some apple pie. Yummmmm.

8)   Apple cider, pumpkin coffee, toasted pumpkin seeds, apple turnover, cinnamon and nutmeg in everything.

Hope you enjoy this fall as much as I do!!

 

Julianna: Finding my Zen in Yoga

Well, it is real: I am a SENIOR. This year has been quite an adventure so far (a semester in London, summer internship at Time Out New York), and now it just feels so great to be back in Boston. It’s the little things about Boston that make my heart skip, such as spending a leisurely Saturday on Newbury or taking in panoramic views of Cambridge and Boston as I lug grocery bags over the BU Bridge. These moments remind of why I came here and they help in staying sane as I journey through a busy fall semester. Aside from small ventures around town, I have found my “zen” in yoga. This semester I am in a beginner level Hatha Yoga class at FitRec. My favorite practices are the breathing exercises and long deep relaxation sessions. Even though I have taken  more rigorous yoga classes in the past, this class goes at a comfortable pace so I can correct my forms and gain balance and strength. I also stumbled upon Karma Revolution (971 Comm. Ave), a donation-based yoga studio located right next to the Paradise Lounge. I went to a Vinyasa class on a recent Friday from 4–5pm and absolutely loved it. I left the studio feeling as though I just completed a full workout at the gym. On my birthday I decided to treat myself, so I went to Sweat and Soul Yoga’s (1032 Comm. Ave) Vinyasa Basics Saturday Community Class, which only costs $5 for 90 minutes. Oh, and the class is taught by a fellow COM Ambassador, Kaitlin Daddona! If you’re looking to sweat out all your stresses this semester then check out Kaitlin’s class. She plays soothing music the whole time and encourages the class to focus on the breath, which proves essential for such an intense practice.

 

Taylor: When the Tests Come Marching In…

The seasonal change from summer to fall sets off a one-word alarm for me…MIDTERMS.  No need for panic, there are tons of things to do on campus that will help you release tension and anxiety. The first test of the semester is nerve wrecking for all. BUT …there are the things that you can do in advance to prepare:

-       Go to Office Hours- It’s mandatory for professors and faculty to section hours of office time just to answer course inquires. Use this time to your advantage!

-       Begin to review early material- It never hurts to start reviewing early. No worries, all the cool kiddies use flashcards.

-       Breathe- Don’t let fear become overwhelming. Pace yourself.

-       Find a Study Buddy- There is no better way to review class material than with someone else.

-       Remember your resources- The ERC has a ton of mock exam sessions. Bu.edu/today has a great list of events to aid to test prep!

Get a good nights rest before your exams!  In the words of Kid President, ‘Keep being Awesome.’

Best,

Taylor