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As evidenced by the most recent blog posts, finals are the one thing on everyone’s mind right now. Before I leave BU for winter break on Saturday, I have two final papers to turn in. Because of my classes this semester, I have had to write many many papers and only taken two tests. So my mind is totally focused on writing. Here are some tips for perfecting the art of paper writing.

Start Early.

I know, easier said than done. Personally, it takes me forever to write a paper, especially when I first start. No one likes pulling all nighters and finishing the paper at 7am the day it’s due. Plus, the longer you have to write the paper, the more time you’ll have to edit and make sure you get the best grade possible.

Meet with your Professor or TA.

I’m a big believer in this. Sometimes it’s helpful to meet with your professor if you’re not sure what to write about, or just to make sure that your topic isn’t too ambitious. Most will be happy to look over a thesis statement or even an outline. Which brings me to…

Start off with a really comprehensive outline.

I cannot tell you how helpful this is. I started doing this last semester, and once you have a really good outline put together, writing the actual paper takes half as long and is a lot less stressful. Already knowing what you’re going to say helps keep you on track so that you don’t end up going on tangents.

I hope these tips help you all out with all of your final papers! Here’s to the last week of classes. Have a wonderful winter break! 🙂

I’m writing this snuggled under the covers with a thermometer in my mouth.  I’ve come down with a sniffly, sneezing, coughing cold.  This is the first time I’ve been sick away from home and it is scary and daunting.  But I’ve been able to get through it.  I wanted to share what helped me the most this cold season.  *I’m in no way what-so-ever a doctor.

Tell a friend.  It’s good to let a friends who is here in Boston know you are feeling under the weather for a couple of reasons.  They will know why you’ve been MIA the past few hours and friends are good for checking up on you too.  They might offer to help you.  And by help I mean bring you soup and tissues from the store.

And tell your mom/dad/older/wiser.  They will have solid advice that you may not have thought of like “Lay down if you’re dizzy, open the window if you’re feverish and take some cold medicine already, Abby!” Parents are also great at calming you down.  I only have a simple cold, but in my mind I was sure I had a parasite and at least one broken bone.  And I hadn’t even looked at WebMD yet.  My parents helped me rationalize and realize that I just have a stuffy nose and I will get better so CALM DOWN.

Netflix.  Part of why I was freaking out was because I was sitting in my room doing nothing but thinking about how I didn’t feel well.  Netflix is a great distraction and will keep your mind from making your symptoms worse.  You could also watch a ton of cute puppy videos on youtube.  Or read for one your classes if you are feeling really ambitious.  But don’t push yourself.

Tea.  Hot tea not only feels good on a sore throat, but drinking fluids will help your immune system fight off what ever is making you sick.  And, am I the only one that thinks making tea is fun and relaxing?  Yes? Well, whether you are microwaving a mug of water in a MicroFridge or using a water boiler and loose tea, you are taking quiet time from studying or watching a movie to relax.  The warmth from the hot tea is also very comforting regardless of if you are sick or not.

Rhetty to go meals.  BU Dining has a great program called Rhetty-To-Go Meals.  You can order them the day before online for breakfast lunch or dinner if you know you won’t have time to sit down and eat or you will be off campus during a meal.  Then you pick them up the next day.  BU Dining also has a Flu meal option.  The website also encourages you to have a Flu Buddy to pick up your meal and numbers for the Residence life office if you need help finding a Flu Buddy.  They also have menus picked out by Student Health Services specifically for certain symptoms.

http://www.bu.edu/dining/where-to-eat/things-to-know/rhetty-to-go/rhetty-to-go-flu-meals/

SHS numbers.  Of course Student Health Services is always there for you too. If they aren’t open then you can talk to a nurse 24 hours a day and if you need to see someone they can direct you to another doctor.  http://www.bu.edu/shs/

Want to know one of my favorite spot on campus? The StuViII mailroom. Random, I know. Well placed outside the StuViII mailroom (and at mailrooms across campus) is a plastic box stacked with unclaimed magazines. As an aspiring magazine journalist I lose my mind when I get my fingers on glossy pages. And so, I’ve made it a habit to stop by the mailroom on a weekly basis to partake in some magazine freeganism. At the moment the coffee table in my apartment looks as if it belongs in a doctor’s office––Scientific American, Entertainment Weekly and Teen Vogue  are just a few of the dog-earred magazines sprawled out in my living room.

Here’s a few of my favorite recent magazine stories:

"Justin Timberlake: #Hashtag of the Year”

GQ

In mid-November I went on a New York City networking trip with BU’s chapter of Ed2010 to the offices of GQ and NYLON magazines. I really enjoyed GQ’s “Men of the Year” December 2013 issue especially since JT (swoon!) was one of the cover stars. Amy Wallace’s story is an honest and hilarious portrayal of Mr. Timberlake.

"Succumb to Your Senses" 

The Improper Bostonian

The staff at the Improper (an awesome and free lifestyle magazine) compiled listings of Boston-area indulgences to satisfy our sense of smell, sight, taste, hearing and touch. They offer decadent recipes from a local chef and suggest luxuries like a chakras aligning session at The Inner Gym on Boylston Street.

"Find the Bad Guy"

The New Yorker

If you’re a fan of novelist Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides is outstanding and Middlesex is  on my winter break reading list) then take a look at this piece of fiction that appeared in the November 18th issue of The New Yorker. Sometimes a short fictional story is a nice departure from news and nonfiction.

Over the past three years, I’ve spent four semester and two summers interning at five different places and yesterday marked the last day of my life as an intern.  Don’t get me wrong, I have loved the learning experiences and people I’ve met during that time but at a certain point, you’re just ready for the next step.  And I am definitely there.

As I spend the next few months looking, applying, and interviewing (hopefully!) for jobs, I know my internships will provide me with many of the skills and knowledge I need.  For all of you who are the beginning of this process, here are my top tips, tricks, & smarts about intern life.

Do as many internships in as many specialties as you can. A degree in COM can lead you do many, many paths.  Don’t think that because you major in magazine journalism that you can only intern for magazines or because you’re a PR major, you can only intern for PR firms.  There are so many different types of communication and interning in a variety of areas can really help you learn what you like.  I’ve worked for big and small companies, in digital, fashion, hospitality, and the publishing industry.  All have given me invaluable skills and really helped me narrow down my interests.

Learn what you don’t like. Yes, internships help you figure out what you like to do but they also are amazing at helping you decide what you don’t like to do.  Sometimes everything you thought you would love turns out to not be right.  For me that was agency PR.  I thought that was the perfect job for me until I did it and realized it was not right at all.  I had four internships before I found one I really loved so I whole heartedly encourage you to try everything until you figure it out for yourself.

Go the extra mile. I cannot say this enough.  During six internships, I’ve worked with many other interns and let me tell you, there are a lot of really sucky ones out there.  And you really don’t want to be one of them.  Don’t be late.  Don’t say you’ll do something and then don’t.  Stay late to finish something. Sit in on that meeting.  People notice and they remember.  Doing those little things make you stand out among the crowd and that is always a good thing.

Take every opportunity. A lot of things will come up throughout a semester that aren’t planned or part of a job description.  Having the opportunity to work events, sit in on meetings, even just having lunch with your coworkers and supervisors are extra times to shine.  You’ll learn a lot and it shows that you really want to be there.  And that is also always a good thing.

Internships are vital to your success in the communication industry.  Yes, it’s great to learn more about your field at an internship but they are also so helpful in learning how to be an employee, work in an office, and work with others.  I’m so proud of my experiences and everything I’ve learned and I know that those skills will make me a very viable candidate in the job search.  Wish me luck in the next era!

This is a week of finals for me – my final week of college, my final week of interning, my final finals and my final blog post. After three and a half short years, my time as a college student – as a proud Boston University student – is coming to an end. Because it feels too soon to say goodbye, and because it is difficult for me to wrap everything up with words, I will keep this somewhat short and sweet.

A few words of wisdom to my freshman year self:

Invest in a good umbrella, preferably one with a lifetime guarantee. This may be the most important investment you make throughout your college career. Carry it always, but don’t leave it on the bus. Then you’ll be out $30 and be stuck with a CityCo umbrella. Nobody wants that.

Work hard, but not too hard. Pull an all-nighter without studying. Speak up. No one can hear you mumbling in the back of the room. Meet more people. Meet with more professors. Stop trying so hard to fit in. Call your parents everyday. Read or don’t, but stop skimming and pretending to. Spend more time outside. Drink more water. Drink less Starbucks. Don’t save all of your dining points until the end of the semester – you’ll never use all of them.

Learn to accept a B+. Spend more time actually listening in classes instead of mindlessly taking notes. Get that hideous pair of snow boots your mom told you to get for the winter. They will save you two embarrassingly public spills on Comm Ave. Go to more hockey games. Have more confidence. Stop studying in your bed. You know you’re just going to fall asleep. Eat healthier and get more exercise. It will never be as easy to do as it is right now. Always dress warmer than you think you have to. Stop going to parties in basements.

If you try hard enough, you can find interest in anything, and you’ll be a more interesting person because of it. Don’t let knowledge fade. Hold on to everything you learn with an iron grip. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Be tolerant of everyone, especially those who are not tolerant themselves. Stop complaining about homework. Enjoy the time you spend walking. Stop worrying about which group of friends you will fall in with. They will find you and be the very best thing for you. And every once in awhile, take a few minutes to appreciate the wonderful city you live in – you have less time here than you think.

But trust me on the umbrella.

It’s been real, BU. Catch ya later!

So this year is a little strange since Thanksgiving was so late in November. It’s weird to think I’m going to be home again in just two weeks! It’s also weird (and scary and stressful) to think of everything I have to do in those two weeks before I can go home again...

But somehow we made it. Fall semester just about done. Flew by didn’t it? Now we’re in the final stretch. And just cause it’s a short final stretch doesn’t mean you shouldn’t finish strong. It’s easy to clock out of the semester knowing the end is so near and the holidays are upon us. But if you keep your momentum going for just a little while longer, you’ll be all the more grateful on the last day.

Here are my tips to help keep you going until the end:

1. Make a schedule and stick to it.

I know. This is always the first tip I give. But I stand by it. Not only does it keep your mind organized but seeing everything spread out over two weeks and doing a little each day makes it so much easier to get it all done than procrastinating on everything until the last minute.

2. Use your free time wisely.

Sometimes when it’s cold and rainy and snowy outside, all you want to do is toss your books aside and curl up in bed with hot chocolate and a movie. This is when I employ a reward system on myself. If I have free time, I try to get just one thing done no matter how small it is before treating myself to a well-deserved break.

3. Take advantage of the Writing Center.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to go. The COM Writing Center is located in the basement and will alleviate your stress about final papers by 100%. You can go get help for any part in the writing process from a first draft to a last-minute review before you turn it in. Getting your work evaluated by someone who can look at your work both professionally and objectively will guarantee you a top grade with minimal stress.

Hope this helps guys! See you in the spring, and happy holidays!

Hi all!

I am taking a cue from my good friend, Kate Scott, and wanted to give you guys a glimpse of #myCOM, by showing you my “day in the life.” Want to survive being a COM student without sacrificing a second of what you love? That’s certainly been my mission at BU – so I’ve decided to share an average Monday in the life to see how we fit in everything all in one day!

8:30 am – Catch the BU Bus outside “Stuvi 2” – The BU Bus stops outside Stuvi 2 every 10 minutes. Perfect for the coldest days where you don’t want to freeze on your way to class…. Also for all of those days you feel lazy and don’t want to walk.

8:45 am – Grab coffee and breakfast from Pavement Coffeehouse – Pavement Coffeehouse on BU’s campus is a perfect breakfast spot for some of the best coffee and breakfast sandwiches on campus. Even the Long Islander in me is impressed by their breakfast sandwiches. It would be an understatement to say I’m a loyal customer.

9:00 am – Arrive to work at COM Student Services – I have had a work-study job in COM Student Services since my first semester at BU, and it was honestly the best decision I could have made. Small piece of advice – find a job on campus, regardless of where it is. It’ll keep your schedule on track, you’ll learn a new thing or two, and of course, get paid in the process.

12:00 pm – Sociology with Professor Stiman – An important part of your COM curriculum is its emphasis on liberal arts education – I have satisfied this part of the curriculum by taking on a minor in Sociology. This aspect has been one of my favorite parts of my college career because I can take other classes that really interest me, while satisfying my degree in Advertising all at the same time.

1:00 pm – Quick Coffee Break at Starbucks – Coffee. The most important meal of the day.

2:00 pm – AdLab – I start my afternoon by heading to AdLab: BU’s Student Run Advertising Agency. AdLab is an awesome opportunity to gain real world experience (with real client interaction) as well as gain course credit. Next semester, I will proudly be joining the Executive Board as Account Supervisor. AdLab has been awesome addition to my resume, and my growth as a young professional.

5:30 pm – Early Dinner in Warren Towers – I have been on the meal plan all four years in my time at BU and have loved every second of it.

6:30 pm-onward – Rehearsal and Meetings for “On Broadway” – Depending on the day, I always spend my evenings working on a production for On Broadway, the premier musical theater troupe at BU. This semester I got the opportunity to lighting design, produce and act – so I definitely haven’t missed a moment in the theater!

Now – when does Homework happen? Well, during all of those little breaks throughout the day. I am happy to say that I can manage all of the above without getting too stressed – so my piece of advice would be to seize every minute of your time at BU.

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are coming up SO soon! As your first real break from college as freshman, it's important to take advantage of this break.

Spend time with friends and family!

This is the first time that you'll have a chance to really spend some quality time with your family and friends from home since you went away for college! Make sure to balance friend time with family time. Since it's your first year in college, your parents are probably still adjusting to having you out of the house, and will want to spend as much time with you as possible. Just humor them.

Eat. A lot.

While BU is known for having exceptional dining options, you will want to eat as many home-cooked meals as you can. Because let's face it, as good as Warren Towers dining hall is, nothing compares to your mom's cooking. AND, its Thanksgiving, so why wouldn't you eat?!

Catch up on sleep

Trust me, you'll want those precious hours of sleep when you're back at school and pulling all nighters for finals in just a few short days. Sleep in. Enjoy your bed. I know I will.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful break!!

So you just successfully completed your first registration here at BU. Congratulations! Everyone deserves a pat on the back and a piece of chocolate for handling that battle with grace. Chances are, you now have a better understanding of how to tackle your requirements which makes now a better time than any to talk about studying abroad!

As someone who came into BU trying to catch up on requirements from day one (#transferproblems) I can vouch for how challenging it can be to fit in a semester abroad. And after all, there are so many opportunities to take advantage of here, why go anywhere else right? Wrong!

This is one thing the lovely people at COM student services can help you with! They are magicians when it comes to schedule planning and they can surely help you figure out how to fit studying abroad into your time here at BU. Maybe one semester you’ll overload on credits, or maybe you’re already ahead because of all those AP credits you came in with. Sometimes it helps when there is someone else there to lay it all out for you and you find out there really is plenty of time to study abroad. There are also some opportunities, depending on the program you’re interested in, that will help you tackle your requirements. I could not be more excited about studying abroad in London this spring and I will even be able to take a class to fulfill my final social science requirement that includes a trip to Brussels! If that isn’t enticing I don’t know what is.

If you’re still not convinced, why not attend one of the Study Abroad 101 info sessions? They take place every Wednesday at 3pm in the BU Study Abroad office (888 Commonwealth Avenue.) They can help give you a better overview about the programs BU offers and answer any questions you might have.

Making the time to move to a foreign country can be intimidating. You don’t know the culture and you might not even know the language but the experiences you take away from studying abroad will be invaluable. You get to learn a lot about yourself in the process and maybe you’ll even consider moving abroad after graduation.  Who knows what you’ll discover and I know I can’t wait for my own journey across the pond.

Stay tuned for my blog posts from London! Cheers!

 

If you’re anything like me, when you look at your calendar/planner/iCal for the next month – you panic a little inside. The end of the semester is ROUGH – especially around the holidays where balancing family and school work gets especially difficult – as well as making time to enjoy all of your favorite holiday movies you’ve seen at least 6 times each.

You probably have a ton of final projects, papers, and exams coming up – and it can seem a little overwhelming at first. But don’t worry – you’re not alone! Everyone is feeling the pressure.

So how should you handle it?

My #1 tip? Simplify.

- Do you have an internship downtown that you commute to? Ask if you can work from home. Technology is amazing that way.

- Do you have multiple group projects and meetings? See if you can set up a Google chat or group Skype session instead. Or try to schedule all your meetings in one location. Claim your area and don't move!

- Lots of reading to do? Prioritize your readings and then don’t try to multitask. Use those favorite holiday movies as a reward.

- A lot due in one week? Try to work ahead. If you plan right, you certainly don’t have to work over Thanksgiving break. Just make sure you get things done ahead of time.

- Do you have weekly paperwork/responses/blog posts/whatever due? Set reminders! I have multiple alarms on my phone that remind me when to submit my AdLab status reports, enter my work hours, or email meeting reminders.

- And finally – take breaks! You are certainly entitled to those holiday joys like candy canes and ugly sweater parties.

Good luck to all, and to all a goodnight! (I might be watching a Christmas movie. No shame).