Stephanie – COM Ambassador Blog

Steph: My Senior Send-Off

Well guys, sadly my time at COM is coming to an end. I know, I can’t believe it either. Actually, I’m kind of freaking out about it. I’m a week away from finishing my college classes, and a little less than a month away from officially graduating. Here are 4 things I’ll miss about this beautiful school.

The Professors

I’ve always said that one of the best parts of COM is the faculty. I’m going to miss seeing some of the most successful and accomplished people in the field of communication every day. As a senior, most of my professors have acted as Executive Producers and Senior Art Directors rather than merely lecturers, and I’m so thankful for the relationships that I’ve formed with them.

The Building

Now I know COM is not generally known as the most beautiful building on campus. But I happen to see it’s retro exterior and high school lockers as home. I’m going to miss passing time between class with basking in the sun on the COM Lawn, or chatting with my friends in the hallways.

The Advising Staff

I’ve worked in the Student Services office since my first semester of my freshman year. COM’s 5 academic advisors have become like family to me, and have helped guide me through my college experience with expert advice and lots of love.

My Classmates

I’m constantly inspired and invigorated by the passionate, talented, and driven people around me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be surrounded by such an incredible group of kids ever again. I’m so glad I was able to study in such a cooperative environment where I can learn from my peers.

COM, it’s been an amazing 4 years. I’ll miss ya.

Steph: Markets Galore

Since being abroad in London, I’ve come to find a bunch of differences between the US and the UK. For example, you should never tell someone that you like his or her pants if you want to avoid extreme embarrassment. Pants in the UK = underwear. Trousers = pants. Not saying that this comes from personal experience or anything...

One of the more fun, less embarrassing differences is that London is totally on their game when it comes to markets, and America should take note. Any given day of the week, especially Sunday, there are so many different markets in cool areas to explore. Here are a few you must check out if you ever make it across the pond!

Borough Market

Borough is probably one of my favorite places in all of London. Being as obsessed with food (and free samples) as I am, this place is heaven on earth. They have everything from the freshest produce, to fish, to cupcakes, to bread, to food stands, to mulled wine….My personal favorite is the Pie Minster food stand, where you can get any kind of traditional pie with mashed potatoes, mushy mint peas, and gravy on top that looks like this:

Need I say more?

Portobello Road

Portobello Road is an antiques market in the super cool area of Notting Hill. All the houses are colorful and you can get some really great leather goods if you don’t mind sifting through millions of piles. It’s always packed, but for good reason. There is always something fun to find.

Brick Lane

While Brick Lane is mostly known for it’s multitude of delicious curry restaurants, the long street is also home to a flea market on Sundays! If you’re into vintage clothing, this is the market for you. There are tons of stands and shops to browse for authentic clothes from the 1950s, or just some old sweater from a Philadelphia Relay for Life for your hipster self (true story). A must is a stop at Brick Lane Beigel Bake (yes, its Bagels, but they spell it weird. Silly Brits!). I had one this morning with loads of cream cheese and it made me feel right at home

Cant believe I’ll be back in the States in exactly 20 days!! While I never ever want to leave England, I have to say that I am really looking forward to being back on Comm Ave. Until then, cheers!

Steph: Travel the World with COM

I recently found out that I will be spending my Spring semester abroad across the pond in London! I absolutely cannot wait to begin my adventure. The best part about it is, through COM, I will not only be living and studying in a totally different country, but I'll also be working there!

When you study abroad through COM's programs, you get to fulfill an internship while you're there too. How cool is that?! And, you're guaranteed to find an internship, with a little help from a placement agency that the Study Abroad office works with.

COM has study abroad programs in London, Spain, Dublin, Paris, Sydney, and "abroad" in D.C. and L.A. Want to write for a music magazine down under? Wanna make documentary films in Spain? Or maybe you want to work PR in London? All those options are open to you through BU COM Study Abroad.

Stay tuned for my blogs from across the pond! Cheerio!

Steph: Freshman Dorm Décor

Hey there future freshman! As the summer starts to wind down, it's time to think about how you're going to make your freshman dorm feel like a home away from home. A lot of it comes down to simple things that will make your smalls space feel your own.

1. Photos and Posters

Pictures and posters are an easy way to make those bare white cinderblock walls feel more homey. Whenever you're feeling a bit homesick, its nice to have some family pictures up on the wall. A fun way to display them is to hang a thin rope from the walls and attach photos with clothing pins to the rope!

2. Pillows and Blankets

Trust me, there is nothing like coming back to your room after a long day of classes and just collapsing on your bed amongst comfy pillows and soft blankets. You can also have a lot of fun with them, by having a plain white comforter and accessorizing with pops of patterns and color in your pillows and blankets!

3. Lighting

While every dorm room comes with wall lights, its always nice to add a tall lamp to add some illumination on late night study sessions. Picking a lamp with colored shades will cast warm glows in the room and make it feel a tad less like a prison cell...those florescent bulbs can be pretty harsh sometimes.

The most important thing is that you feel at home at BU, and that starts with your dorm room! So don't be afraid to go all out and bring all the comforts of home with you.
See all of you SO SOON! (Counting down the days already!!) 🙂

Steph: Never Lose Contact

Hey everyone! I hope all of you are having an amazing summer so far. It's SO weird to think that two years ago, I had already gone to Orientation and was anxiously awaiting Freshman Move-In.

Two years later, here I am, back in Miami. Only this time, I have a really awesome internship instead of just hanging out by the pool all day. Well...okay, I'm still hanging out by the pool a lot.

This summer, I'm working as a Production Intern at Zimmerman Advertising in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. As a production intern, I spend my days in the studio, which at Zimmerman is known as StudioZ. This internship has been a really ideal situation for me, since I'm majoring in Film/TV and minoring in Advertising. This way, I get to combine both my interests! I've been putting a lot of my Final Cut Pro skills to use, creating video bases for TV spots. I've also been learning a ton of After Effects, which is the program that creates awesome animations and graphics...essentially Photoshop, but for video. It's super intense and overwhelming, but hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be a pro!

I wouldn't have this awesome internship if it weren't for the connections I've made at COM over the last two years. During my internship search in the spring, I decided to meet with Professor Cakebread, whom I had for Introduction to Advertising the semester before. Since I met with him extensively during the class, I figured he would be a good person to talk to because he knows the advertising world, as well as what kind of experience I was looking for. He got me in contact with a BU alum who was working at Zimmerman, and the rest is history!

The moral of the story is, never lose contact with those that help you along the way. Professor Cakebread was a great teacher and really helped me out in that class, and helped me out now with landing an internship! Don't be afraid to reach out to these people--they are there to help, and, they really do love to see their students succeed. Keep all of this in mind as you start to prepare for your first year at BU!

Steph: Jamba Juice Selections for Spring!

With the temperature hitting 61 degrees today, I'm feeling inspired to blog about one of the best Spring treats out there: smoothies! In case you haven't noticed, Jamba Juice finally opened its doors under Warren last week. Here are my favorite flavors that I recommend trying for Spring!

Banana Berry: Made with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberry sherbet, all those berries will make you feel like you're frolicking through a field in the sunshine.

Caribbean Passion: This tropical blend of strawberries, peaches, passionfruit-mango juice and orange sherbet will get you in the mood for summer, which is right around the corner!

Apple 'n Greens: This is not your typical smoothie. Made with apple-strawberry and green veggies, it get you going and give you your daily dose of fruits and veggies in delicious smoothie form!

Pomegranate Paradise: This smoothie, my personal favorite, is the perfect blend of strawberries, peaches, and mangos mixed in pomegranate juice. Absolutely wonderful for sipping in class.

Now that it's finally warm outside, grab one of these delicious smoothies and hit the COM Lawn! See you there!

Steph: How COM Gets You Internship-ready

For those of you who don't know, February and March are the prime times to be finding and applying for summer internships. So, naturally, for the past four weeks my brain has been filled with cover letters, resumes, and internship postings. As this is my first real internship search, I turned to COM to help me get internship-ready.

COM Career Services

In my frantic internship search, I have become a regular at COM Career Services. These people are here to help you every step of the way: from actually finding an internship (in Boston, or anywhere else!), to helping you edit your resume and finally perfecting your cover letter. They have been so incredibly helpful that I've become that girl that won't hit send until everything has been looked over by someone in the office. They have appointments available and also have resume and cover letter walk-in hours every week, which has been great for multiple "quick check ins" when I have an hour in between classes.

COM Faculty

While I know how intimidating in can be to reach out to your professors, trust me when I say that they really want and love to help their students. I reached out to two COM professors and they both were totally willing to meet with me and discuss options for internships. Meeting with one of the amazing faculty members can be really helpful in getting a first idea of whats out there, and they can even help you out with their connections!

COM Student Servcies

As a student worker in COM Student Services, you can trust me when I say that Student Services is the one-stop spot for any and all questions regarding internships. If you have any little questions, like how to get credit for an internship, who your internship coordinator is, or how to get an internship form signed, Student Services is the place to go.

Good luck to all of you that are on the hunt for an internship this summer! When you get stressed out about it, just remember that COM is here to help.

Steph: Thanksgiving Break On My Mind

Hey everyone! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the only thing on my mind is my flight home to beautiful Miami. I can't wait to break out my shorts and tank tops for the holiday season!

For most of you, this will be the first time you go home since you've come to BU. Since you only have a few short days that will fly by, heres a list of things you should make sure to do while you're at home!

1. Catch up on sleep. For me, the second I lay in my own bed is a moment of utter happiness and peace. There is nothing better than a good night's sleep at home. After a 3/4 of a semester staying up late to do work, take advantage of this week to get back on a normal sleep routine. Your body will thank you.

2. Spend good time with friends and family. Because that's what Thanksgiving is all about, am I right? I remember last year, Thanksgiving break was so amazing because it was the first time my best friends and I reunited after each going off on the new adventure called college (cheesy, but so true.) I'm pretty sure my 4 best friends and I stayed up until 4am just talking non-stop about the last 3 months. That kind of goes against my #1 on my list, but for your friends and family, giving up sleep is worth it. 😉

3. Eat like it's your only purpose in life. Now, I happen to think that I do this even when it isn't Thanksgiving, but the holiday is a great excuse to gorge yourself on some of the best home-cooked meals you'll have in a while. Even though the Thanksgiving dinner they served in Warren Towers last week was pretty incredible, nothing compares with eating amazing food in the comfort of your own home.

4. Do some schoolwork. I know, I know. Schoolwork is going to be the last thing you want to think about while you're at home enjoying your free time. But, time after Thanksgiving break seems to move at hyperspeed. You get back, blink, and oh guess what, you have a final in 2 days! I personally have two 10-12 page research papers, an ad campaign, and a project due in early December (gross.) So, as much as I hate it, I'm going to try my best to carve out some time to get a bit of work done. Being a bit productive will make you feel better once you get back to school and see how much work you have due.

By the time this blog is posted, I'll be soaking in the SoFlo sunshine. Wishing all of you a great Thanksgiving!! 🙂

Steph: The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Healthy Dorm Living

As a response to Jon’s blog last week about exercise, I’m here today to provide some tips for those of us who are too lazy to go to the gym. I know I can’t be the only one who has problems with motivation when it comes to working out and eating healthy. Lets put it this way: I live in Warren, and don’t go to the Fit Rec because I’m too lazy to walk there. Oh, the irony. Now I know this is terrible, and everyone should make an effort to actually go to the gym. But, here are a few very small things you can do to avoid gaining the dreaded Freshman 15 without actually going to the gym.

1. Take the Stairs. As a resident of the 7^th floor of Warren, I’m the girl that gets the dirty looks when I take the elevator from the 4^th floor lobby. And to be honest, those looks are totally warranted, even though they are mean. There is no excuse for me not to take the stairs every day, and it helps give me a little bit of physical activity after a long day of sitting in classes. For those of you that live on higher floors, take the stairs halfway up! By the time you get there, you could be motivated to just push on through and take them allll the way…

2. Take Advantage of Sargent Choice Options. When you think about it, BU makes it really easy to eat well. Almost every night there’s a delicious alternative to greasy (albeit also delicious) pizza, that’s also good for you! If you aren’t familiar, these are the options with the shortest lines in the dining hall known as Sargent Choice Options. Looks can be deceiving—I tried sesame tofu with sticky brown rice the other night. It looked a tad concerning. But it was actually very, very delicious. I then rewarded my good eating choices with 3 chocolate chip cookies! Oops….

3. Do a Mini-Workout in your room before Bed! Not only will it make you feel better, but it will also provide entertainment for your roommate! Do a simple workout in the comfort of your own room: 10 push-ups, 10 crunches, 10 jumping jacks, two reps of each. A little goes a long way, and just think of how nice and extra comfy your bed will feel when you lie down after your “strenuous” workout!

So to all my lazy comrades out there, try these simple tips out. Every small thing counts, and it will help with the guilt you feel when you see someone walking out of the dinning hall in their workout clothes holding an apple as you pass them with a plateful of cookies…

Steph: Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

With crazy college life, it can get really hard to keep in touch with friends from home. With all the new people, new places, and of course loads of homework, finding time for an hour-long phone call to catch up can get complicated. Here are a few tips to help you guys stay in touch without the stress.

Make a Facebook Group

When we all went away to college last fall, my friends and I made a Facebook group so that we could all keep in touch. We post stories, updates, videos, and pictures to help keep each other informed on our lives. It’s a really easy way to stay updated on your friends, and its something to look forward to when you see that someone has posted in the group.

Snapchat

For all of you with an iPhone, Snapchat is a really fun, free app that you can share with your friends. The basic premise is to send selfies of yourself to your friends, who can only view it for a certain amount of seconds. Now, I know it sounds stupid. I thought it was at first too. But it’s actually really fun and silly, and it’s a nice way to show someone you’re thinking about them if you only have a few seconds to spare. You can also draw on yourself and add text!

Set Up Skype Dates

I’m a fan of planning things in advance. Most of the time, my friends and I end up playing phone tag because one of us is always busy. So, it can be helpful to set up Skype dates for later in the week to make sure that you and your friends can set aside time to catch up.

With busy college life, staying in touch can sometimes seem like a chore. But with a little bit of effort and these easy ways, you can make sure that you don’t lose touch with your good friends from home. I always feel better about everything after a nice Skype date, silly Snapchat, or Facebook post from my friends. I hope they help you, too!