Taylor – Page 2 – COM Ambassador Blog

Taylor: Try Something Different

TRUE OR FALSE: Figuring out a daily routine and sticking to it should become priority for college students. Prior the start of my sophomore year, I would have totally agreed with the previous statement. However, during these past four weeks on campus I have come to understand the depth of spontaneity.

Now I am not discouraging terrier-ific COMers to invest in planners. I passionately urge students to create a general schedule with course deadlines along with personal projects. However, I am beginning to understand how much of an enjoyable experience college can be with the inclusion of activities outside of your major field.

For instance, I have recently been cast in BU On Broadway’s fall musical, All Shook Up. Participating in this production is a major change from my campus involvement last year. I am actively involved in both BUTV10 and WTBU, so my personal calendar has endured a scheduling tornado. However, I am enjoying every moment of my involvement. I took the initiative to try something different from my intended major and I have come to fall in love with new family I have joined.

So take advantage of the COMmotion, study hard, and enjoy life!

Taylor

Taylor: Convenience Pointers

Before your departure to the wonderful Terrier Nation here are a few convenience pointers for your consideration:

1. Touch Up Your Laundry Skills:

I admit, my parents pampered me when it came to laundry. Understanding separating delicates and darks never struck my mind. I like to blame the Rugrats for this mindset. With complete honesty, it wasn’t until my week of departure that I coughed up courage and spent hours learning the ropes of the washer and dryer from my mom. I am forever grateful for that sacrifice of time. The most embarrassing thing to watch in a packed laundry room is a soap overflow, or a guy who mixes all of his white shirts with his girlfriends red socks. Learn the ropes with professionals while you are still under their wings.

2. Figure out your Banking Arrangements ahead of time:

Banks within one region of the country may lack availability in another. Unfortunately, I discovered this the hard way. But no fear! There are tons of banks within the BU parameters and they are very accessible. The following link will direct you to a list of local banking options available near/on campus http://www.bu.edu/students/finances/accounts-banking/. I would suggest selecting a banking service that is the same as a close relative - this makes transferring funds easier and less expensive.

3. Double check with your roommate on rooming necessities:

Some items such as fans, refrigerators, microwaves, televisions, etc. should not be duplicated within a small room. Share the love and save some pennies!

4. Buy an academic calendar:

From the moment your step on campus and receive your first syllabus deadlines immediately become a part of your life. Take a moment while you can to find an organizer that suits you.

5. Don’t be afraid to contact your COM Ambassador prior to school starting:

This is not a promo for the amazing Ambassador program but we are here to help. I couldn't have made it through my freshman year without the help and humor of my COM Ambassador (shameless plug).

Looking forward to seeing you guys in a few weeks. Follow me on twitter @twalksbu.

Taylor

Taylor: Let the Packing Begin

Within nearly every aspect of our lives, a box innately deems presence. For instance, there are granola boxes, jewelry boxes, cereal boxes, cable boxes, boxes of chocolate, and Disney channel once aired a hit toddler show entitled “Out of the Box”. It’s hard to fathom that an object of its simplicity could have so much dominance and importance. Don’t freight, you’ll soon embrace the smell of cardboard and the taunting puzzle of box folding as packing season has begun.

Figuring out what was worthy of packing, shipping, and ordering for school fall semester was a summer long quest. After what seemed like hours of convincing my mom that Mr. Bear could not join my collegiate embarking I realized that other materialistic sacrifices needed to be made as well. Coming to this conclusion unfortunately resonated the day before departure, once I weighed my luggage. I must admit that within the process of packing it is often forgotten that return is likely. Although it’s great to be prepared and take those shoes that you may wear once every blue moon being realistic saves time and money.

I would suggest checking out Bed Bath and Beyond’s College Checklist. For those unfamiliar with stores around BU, the nearest Bed Bath location in proximity to the Warren Towers and the Student Union is less than ten minutes away in Fenway Park. BU does an awesome job with assisting students in the moving process. In fact, hundreds of large yellow wheeled bins are distributed to students free of charge for picking up in-store packages.

Amongst the many things that I have written on my bucket list, I’ve always wanted to use a registry clicker (a device often shown on wedding movies and TV shows).To my surprise Bed Bath and Beyond allowed me to scan all of the items that wanted in my dorm room and with one employees magic a checked selection awaited my Boston landing. I was then able to choose what I still wanted from my prior scanning and pay at the Boston Fenway location.

Packing has always been a nightmare for me. A bit of advice: Get it done early! In addition, don’t try to pack your house. I quickly realized when packing to come home for the summer that I had collected tons of clothing and merchandise from various sales within a year’s span. The box dilemma emerged again along with hours of deciding what to sacrifice for good.

Pack Up and Gear Up for an Amazing First Year!

Taylor W.

Taylor: Professors, COM’s Greatest Resource

When forming my perception of a college professor before entry I pictured an archaic individual who found comfort in solely beckoning his or her hand towards a chalkboard. My childhood vision was, fogged and….WRONG. From the moment that I set foot into my first lecture on campus, which happened to be COM 101- taught by associate Dean Tammy Vigil- I immediately noticed how down to earth and personable the professors and faculty members at BU are.

Prior to entry, I would have never thought that an early morning lecture would be enjoyable but again college changes your perception. From watching and discussing short clips of animated films like Pixar’s “Up” to analyzing the marketing strategies embedded within pop culture shows like Modern Family the college classroom is the definition of engagement. These exampled encounters extend to the entirety of the BU community. For instance the history department sponsored a bus trip to view the Gilded Age mansions in Newport Rhode Island. I have tagged along with my friends assigned scavenger hunts within the Museum of Fine Arts and at historical sites. COm101

One bit of advice, GO TO OFFICE HOURS. At the beginning of every semester a syllabus is personally distributed, emailed, and posted online. On the top corner of those detailed course bibles are posted hours of teacher availability. VISIT. Trips to professor office hours create an increased opportunity for students to mold a better relationship with faculty as well as clear up questions of confusion. Teacher LOVE to see the presence of a student, it shows that you’ve taken the time to discuss the material even more depth. Every professor has office hours along with teaching assistants; BU is swarming with an abundance of resources and conversations.

Just the other day I attended a panel discussion about pop culture. This discussion was put together by all of the RA’s on the COM floors (see previous blog post for more info). The panel consisting of professors within COM offered a great conversation about the impact of pop culture to society, social media, and the media at large. The event was held later in the night, yet professors sacrificed their time and energy to be with students to share their passion for communication. The amount of commitment that I’ve noticed professors and faculty members uphold motivates as a student. I realize more and more, by the day, how this is truly one united Terrier Nation.

Taylor W.

Taylor: BUTV10

If someone were to tell me that beginning freshmen year of college I would have the option of working the camera, switchboard, and interviewing worldly acclaimed journalists and icons I would have said they were crazy…. BUT THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED. Boston University’s television channel, BUTV10, has various student-run shows- ranging from sports to soaps -that welcomes Terrier involvement beginning freshmen year. BUTV10 allows for students to gain hands-on-experience and fosters a community of varied thoughts and opinions.

At the beginning of the school year I attended an information session, which supplied me with tons of information about the various shows produced by BUTV10. I knew immediately knew from the show descriptions, that “The Wire” and “On that Point” compelled more to my aspirations of being a broadcast journalist. I signed up for the shows thinking that as a freshman I would be given mediocre jobs and have to competitively climb my way up the ladder. I could not have thought more wrong.

Within my first day of shooting for The Wire – BUTV10s morning news show- I expected to straggle my way into Studio West, sit, and merely watch the crewmembers as they record. WRONG. Upon entering the studio I was delegated as cameraman, shown the proper way of positioning the camera, taught camera vocabulary, and shot for both the national and campus segments. I was terrified of the camera after the first shoot. However, after practice and healthy criticism from other crewmembers I began to become attuned with the equipment, or “a natural” so to speak. After a few weeks of becoming acclimated to working the teleprompter, sound, camera, and even directing here and there I began to be assigned national and campus stories to report.

BUTV10 welcomes students without a second of hesitation. Professor Cavalieri, the BUTV10 faculty advisor, encourages students to become involved in shows regardless of major or enrollment in COM. Many crewmembers within On that Point- BUTV10s political talk show- are enrolled in other colleges at BU.

Due to my involvement with BUTV10 many cool and exclusive opportunities have arisen. For instance, early this semester, Mad Men director Jennifer Getzinger stopped by Studio West and agreed to a short interview which I stage-managed. During Super Tuesday I joined a crew, mostly consisting of freshmen, and assisted the Graduate Program’s Newsroom Class as they conducted live coverage of the days results.

BUTV10 is offering me a jump-start on understanding and handling broadcast technology, forming scripts, and tweaking on camera bumps before I begin my major focused classes. I have formed great friendships with crewmembers within my shows of involvement. In fact after pitch meetings and episode shoots the crew of On that Point often eats dinner at Warren Towers.

To read more information about all of the BUTV10 shows along with watching recent segments visit www.butv10.com .

CONGRATS ON ADMITTANCE! 🙂

Taylor W.

Taylor: How I Met My Roommate

In conversing with others I have noticed that the most popular collegiate related question that family members, neighbors and peers will homogenously parrot other than “How is school going” is, “Do you like your roommate?” Although responses to the question vary, I am certain that a respectable, trusting, and fun living space will produce a healthy roomie relationship.

The First Date. After tension from awaiting news of acceptance has eased down the next perplexing moment that all students endure is waiting for BU’s housing release email. A notice that announces that freshmen can now check student link to unleash the veil that not only states where you will be housed over the next year but more importantly WITH WHOM. The student link section typically discloses the persons name and BU email address. Ideally, once names have been released Facebook friend requests are mutually sent. Yet, what happens next? What if you can’t find your roomie on any social networking site?

If at first you don’t succeed TRY AGAIN. Facebook as well as other social networking sites are largely populated. Don’t undermine your search abilities if you can’t immediately find your assigned roommate. Remember, the university also graciously posts email addresses. Don’t be afraid shooting a welcoming email including a bit about who you are, your major, and fun personality traits. Check out BU’s COM 2016 page https://www.facebook.com/BUCOMClassof2016 as well as other university class pages.

Consult. Regardless of whether or not you have siblings, or if your roommate happens to be your best friend, living in the same quarters is a huge adjustment. Best bit of advice- discuss your ticks. Mind readers are often hard to find, and there’s really no other way for someone else to know what annoys you than voicing it aloud.

Roomance. In an effort to offset cost, most find it helpful to divide up common room appliances prior to moving in. Creating an open atmosphere where there is a mutual dependence on one another aids in ways unimaginable. During the school year you may become ill, may need to vent about a pressing issue, or just yearn for a good laugh. Even when you feel as though no one is by your side, your roommate has no choice.

Taylor: Living on a COM Floor

The Stalker Phase. After most freshmen receive their acceptance letters, the nerve-breaking energy drifts from waiting near the mailbox everyday to scavenging as much information about BU as humanly possible. Students find scouring the university website and Facebook pages a good prep for answering typical questions that family members, teachers, and random individuals commonly expect them to answer. However, there’s one question that invariably enters young freshies’ minds, “Where should I live?” Unfortunately, a majority of U.S. universities are not designed like Hogwarts; there’s no sorting hat involved in dorm selection. Instead, there are great options for resident placement including specialty floors; the best in my possibly biased opinion would be the COM floors.

COMmonalities and Interest. College is truly an adjustment, however it’s easier to adapt to a new environment when people with common interest surround you. Living on a COM floor aids in course discussion with other students. When taking COM101, a required course for incoming freshmen, living on a COM floor gave me ample opportunities to continue class discussion and verify concepts.

COM Together. Anticipate social gatherings in cozy dorm rooms to watch the Oscars, Emmy’s, New Girl, Betty White specials, SNL, NBC Thursdays, and football games. There are a plethora of personalities housed on COM floors. Being a current resident of 11C, the only coed COM floor, I take pride in considering my floor mates as family. Discussions from room to room are very different. Some involve criticizing political oratories, others may be screaming matches analyzing the recent play by plays of a sports tournament, or group editing of a BUTV10 or WTBU radio story.

If you are curious about the format of dorms at BU or have questions about residence life check out http://www.bu.edu/housing. I’m so “Rhetty” for you guys to be housed within this TerrierNation!

11Cer,

Taylor W.