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Somehow, it’s already mid-November, which means we’re a month or so away from finals… which is a scary thought. Finals can be a daunting time full of anxiety and non-stop studying, especially for freshmen. As a first-semester senior, I’ve clearly been through my fair share of finals. From projects to tests to essays, it IS possible to survive finals, and to do it all without pulling all-nighters and going crazy. (Fun fact: I’ve never pulled an all-nighter for school-related reasons in college.) Here are some helpful tips to get through a successful finals period!

 

1. Set aside time for yourself each day

The more you study, the more stressed you may get. But it’s really important to set time for yourself each day of study/finals period. Whether that means 30 minutes at the gym or going to see a movie with some friends, you need a break from studying… otherwise you may go insane. Sophomore year my roommates and I tried to coordinate a fun activity for each day during finals period. One night we went out to dinner in Cambridge, another night we went ice skating at the Frog Pond at the Boston Commons, and we did some other fun activities. It helped us take our minds off finals for a bit and definitely de-stressed us.

 

2. Make a schedule of studying

This is definitely helpful if you have more than one final. Lay out what time you’ll wake up, how much you’ll work on each assignment, when you’ll eat, when you’ll take personal time, etc. Obviously this doesn’t need to be a strict schedule but just a general idea of when you’ll work on what assignment. Last semester I had two 10-page papers and a final, and I mapped out when I would write which paper and study, and it really helped me get my work done efficiently and not have to pull all-nighters, which takes me to my next point…

3. Do not pull all-nighters

If you can avoid this throughout college, definitely do so. But of all times to avoid it, I would say finals period is the most important time to avoid it. Pulling all-nighters messes up your sleep schedule, which will make you cranky and irritable and make you want to sleep throughout the day and not want to study. It sounds silly that sleep will mess you up this much, but it’s true. Time management is key during this stressful time, and it will really help you avoid staying up all night to study or work on projects. Like I said, I’ve never pulled an all-nighter for school and I don’t plan on doing so before I graduate – being on a regular sleep schedule allows me to perform scholastically to the best of my ability, and that’s usually how it works for everyone!

4. Keep meeting with your teachers

Just because classes are finished doesn’t mean your teachers no longer exist until you submit your paper or sit down for your test. Your teachers are still accessible throughout study period and teachers or TAs might have review sessions to help you out. In those cases, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of that. Not only will your professor and/or Ta see that you’re taking initiative one last time, but you could get some really great tips for the final, which usually winds up counting for a larger percentage of your grade than anything else you’ve done in the class.

5. Use “SelfControl”

Use your own self control by using “SelfControl,” an app you can download online that blocks off any program or website on your computer for a certain amount of time. This is pretty much the only way I can get my work done when I’m using my computer, otherwise I’ll wind up straying onto BuzzFeed for hours or Facebook messaging my friends. If you’re like me and you get distracted easily, this is really the app for you. You can set it anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours, so the option is yours!

Hopefully these helps will lead you to a sane and somewhat relaxing finals period! Hope you all ace your finals, and enjoy the holidays!

 

This past week I got to go to two really cool pre-screenings of movies, one for Nebraska and then Inside Llewyn Davis, the new Coen brothers’ movie. (Big thanks to the Independent Film Festival of Boston for putting on both events!)

Nebraska was really unique: it was about an elderly man who gets a scam letter in the mail saying he’s a million dollar winner, and after he keeps trying to go claim the prize, his son finally caves in and goes with him to get it. It has Will Forte (of SNL fame) in his first dramatic role, and he came out to do a Q&A afterwards. He was great about answering everyone’s questions about how he got cast, what it was like to be in a drama, etc. and even took the time to pose for a picture with us!

Inside Llewyn Davis was great, and I definitely recommend going to see it when it comes out (Dec. 20^th).  It’s about a folk singer in Greenwich Village in the 60’s, and the soundtrack is amazing. Oscar Isaac, the star, also did a Q&A afterwards and told us that all the singing in the movie was done live, there was no lip-syncing. Anyone who’s into that kind of music or a fan of the Coen brothers will absolutely love it. Oscar Isaac hasn’t had many major roles up till now, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he gets plenty after this movie, his performance was great (and he was a really nice guy during the Q&A too!)

 

I’ll never forget how excited I was to go home during and after my first semester at BU. I was happy to get out of the city for a little while, to hang out with my family, but mostly, I couldn’t wait to see all of my friends.

What I really didn’t realize was how much things were going to change. Of course, I knew that we all made new friends, and would have tons of stories to tell, but I was quite shocked when what used to seem so perfect had gone pretty sour and even awkward.

Not only did each of us change, each of us changed a lot. Some matured a substantial amount, others changed their viewpoints on controversial subjects, a few (including me) completely altered their lifestyles.  It was actually pretty terrifying. For a little bit, I felt like a huge chunk of my childhood and young adulthood was destroyed. People who were once my closest friends would become people I would never hang out with again? I couldn’t handle that. I started to fight reality a bit and try to pretend that everything was “normal” and that none of us changed or grew up at all.  It was a very odd place to be in.

Basically, I’m writing this post to let you know that change will happen, and more often than not, change is really, really good. At BU, you’re in an environment where you’re challenged. You’re meeting students and professors who are so passionate about what they do and what they learn and what they teach. You’re having discussions that are intelligent and worthwhile, learning more about yourself and the world than you can even grasp.

Take pride in that.

Appreciate the fact that your change is progression. You’re becoming a more well-rounded human being, with worldviews and tons and tons of knowledge. Grasp on to all of this, and hold tightly to the new friends, the new memories you’re making right here, right now.

One of my good friends Abbie (also a film major) just informed me she has 1 month left of college. Even though she's graduating at the end of this semester, it got me thinking. I know it may seem early to start thinking about the end already but with a month left of this semester and then only one more to go it's time to start thinking about the future! If anything I'll use this post as a warm up to all the questions I'm going to get from family over the holidays.

Boston vs. NY vs. LA

Ideally I'd like to stay in Boston. In the last few months I've made lots of contacts around the city and been able to produce some pretty cool work in the process. I've worked on two PBS documentaries, produced a graduate thesis film and several promotional spots, and learned so much about communication field-- all right here in Boston. Of course, NY has some pretty incredible opportunities as well. I actually applied for an internship at 60 Minutes for this summer so I do have one option there if it works out. LA is pretty much out of the question. I can find enough of the non-fiction/ promotional work that I've become interested in here on the east coast. Also, I need seasons and snow. LA just doesn't have that.

TV vs. Film vs. ?

Here's where the real question lies. And frankly I'm not sure of the answer yet, nor do I think it's fair to limit myself to one specific are. Right now I'm learning more towards the ? (everything else) only because the promotional work I've been doing is where the majority of my professional work has come from. But documentary film and television work is still definitely in my radar.

What do you guys think?

Hopefully by the time I write my next post I'll have my website up so you can check out some of my work!

 

The other day I was talking with some co-workers in the Student Services office. We all were busier than ever (even though Midterm month was supposedly only in October). We joked that there weren’t enough hours in the day, but I think we were just looking at it the wrong way. There are enough hours in a day, there just aren’t enough hours well spent. It’s easy to overlook how much time we waste.

In COM 101, our introductory communications course, we tracked our media involvement over a single week. It’s safe to say a lot of us were pretty shocked by the results so of course the next three or four days we tried cutting back on the media, but now that it’s been a year I’ve noticed that the media has intercepted my free time once again. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that between phone apps, Internet, and TV, I waste hours of my time each week.

Long story short, the Self Control computer app (not all apps are bad) is in full use for me right now and I’m reassessing how I want to spend my time. Goals aren’t just for January. There’s still so much I want to get involved on campus so I’m figuring out how I can cut back on some of the unnecessary stuff, so I can spend my time wisely getting in things I’m excited about.

Goals are great! Everyone comes in to college with this laundry list of things, but it’s easy to get sidetracked. Giving tours each week constantly reminds me how much COM and Boston University have to offer. I recommend everyone take the time to dust off his or her laundry list of goals and get back on track. We’ve only got four years here and before we know it we’ll be out in the real world.

It’s also important to plan ahead. A lot of clubs and organizations that accept most of their new members in the early fall usually have more openings in January. Now is the time to reach out and see if you can get involved next semester. Plus with registration still a week away you can make extracurriculars fit with your classes.

This isn’t to say that it’s not okay to spend the occasional evening in bed watching rom-coms, ‘cause trust me, I still find a way to work that in to my schedule. It’s a balancing act. A little planning goes along way. Set your goals and hold yourself accountable.

 

Now that Halloweekend is behind us, t'is the season for Christmas commercials galore and Starbucks holiday cups BEFORE November 28th. I'm here to give Thanksgiving all the love that it deserves. Why? Well for obvious reason number one, it's a day of marathon eating and napping, and two, it's smack in the middle of a relaxing five-day break before the semester spirals into a frenzy of final papers and exams.

Last week I was perusing Buzzfeed (you know, the usual) and stumbled upon this article: 17 Rules of Friendsgiving. Through silly memes and photos of decadent T-day foods, Buzzfeed provides a how-to to throwing a dinner party amongst friends to celebrate the holiday. I sent the article to my BU crew, and today we set a date for our very own "Friendsgiving" pot luck. Because we are all seniors our "Friendsgiving" has a lot of meaning to us. Also since most of us have kitchens this year and are honing our cooking skills we're pretty excited to see what gourmet creations each of us will bring to the table. Now if you're really into this "Friendsgiving" idea, but don't have a kitchen at your residence here are some alternative ways to gather your friends for a holiday meal:

1) Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by BU Dining Services

On Thursday, November 21st all of the dining halls on campus will be serving up turkey and all the fixings, plus pumpkin pie for dessert. Themed nights in the dining halls are usually busy, so make sure you and your friends get there early to stake out a table.

2)  Kitchen Kibitz: ThanksGivukkah

What makes this Thanksgiving so awesome is that it lands on Hanukkah. A pop-up restaurant in the North End called Kitchen Kibitz will be hosting a ThanksGivkkah dinner on November 10th. That means Thanksgiving and Hanukkah traditional dishes will collide (think pumpkin seed challah, pecan pie rugelach) in this culinary experience. The dinner is 21+ and a bit pricey ($65 per ticket), but it's worth the splurge for a joint holiday that will occur again 80,000 years from now.

3) On the cheap

When in doubt, take out. Order a roasted turkey and a slew of sides with the "Family Meal" value from Boston Market (the nearest is at 245 Massachusetts Avenue). Spread out your BM dinner on the floor of your dorm room and have a "Friendsgiving" indoor picnic. If you and your friends want to venture away from T-day classics (because let's face it, no one can pull off T-day food like mom) then team up on a fast food run around the area, and enjoy a fun dinner at home snacking on chicken nuggets, burgers, tacos and fries. Or everyone can heat up a microwaveable finger food for an oh so college h'orderves hour.

 

As many of you may have seen, COM has been hosting the #myCOM campaign throughout the year where students can post different aspects of their personal COM experience.  Last Friday, we celebrated COM in a Day with small contests and raffles throughout the day for those who participated.  While I sent a couple tweets here and there, I thought I would share what a day in my COM life is all about.

9:30 – Mass Communication Research class with Professor Danehy.  This is one of the required courses for Mass Communication students and to be honest, I was not thrilled about it.  But it has turned out to be one of the most useful classes I’ve taken in college.  Professor Danehy teaches us as those who will consume research, not conduct it which makes it much more manageable.

11:00 – Work in Student Services.  I’ve had a work-study job in the COM Advising office since freshman year.  While it has been really helpful for myself to know all of the policies of COM and BU, I also really enjoy getting to work with the advisors and COM students day-to-day.  And I think my friends appreciate the mini-advising appointments I can give them in our apartment.

1:00 – COM Tour for prospective families.  If I could get paid to give tours of COM everyday, I wouldn’t think twice.  I LOVE meeting interested students and their parents and sharing my experiences with them.  In addition to being a COM Ambassador, I am also one of the coordinators of the program and get to work with the 19 other students who share are equally enthusiastic about COM as I am.

3:00 – COMlife meeting.  Once a week, the six cast members and two producers of COMlife get together to talk about what we are all working on, what we are filming, and what we all want to accomplish in the next episode.  It’s a great time to all catch up on each other’s lives and see what everyone is working on.  It also just reminds me who amazing the people around me are and definitely drives me to do as much as I can.

5:00 – PRSSA meeting. Joining the BU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America was one of the best decisions I made at school.  They bring in fantastic speakers and is a great resource for internships/interviews/PR, especially for students who are just getting started.

Evening – Homework & Group Meetings.  By the time you leave COM, you will be a pro at group projects.  I’ve worked in teams of everything from two to 10 and you really get used to balancing work with others and accomplishing things together.  Because I usually have class, work, or my internship from 9-5 during the day, the evenings are when homework happens.

I would love to hear about a day in your COM life – tweet me @KateScott10 and don’t forget #myCOM!

So normally I would apologize for having 2 Red Sox related blog posts, but THE RED SOX JUST WON THE WORLD SERIES!

The magic of the beards prevailed, and for the first time in 95 years the Sox just won the World Series at Fenway! As soon as Koji struck out the last batter, everyone just ran into the streets to celebrate.  The BPD shut down Kenmore Square, but Bay State road was filled with people, and we all ran down to get as close to Kenmore and Fenway as we could.

There were all sorts of chants like “lets go red sox,” and “papi, papi,” (pretty sure there was one involving the Yankees and a 4 letter word for a while, but I’ll leave that up to your imagination.) People were climbing on anything that could be climbed, from lampposts to trees, the crowd was singing “Sweet Caroline,” and it was one of the best nights of my life. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Boston so excited, people were celebrating in the streets for hours.

The parade starts at 10am on Saturday, and heads down Boylston all the way down to the Museum of Science, where the Duckboats are going to go into the Charles and do a loop. (Here’s a link to the map).

http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2013/10/boston_red_sox_world_series_parade_route.html

It’s definitely going to be one of the craziest celebrations Boston has seen in a long time!!

 

Hi all! We are about half way through the semester and midterms are just starting to settle down in COM, so I’ve started to set my sights on my extracurricular activities. My biggest extracurricular activity is my on-campus theater commitment. I am the President of On Broadway, which is the premier musical theater organization at Boston University. The greatest part of On Broadway is that the entire club is completely student-run, which means students run every single part of the process of putting up a show. This semester, I’ve had the opportunity to work on three different shows:

1)     The Drowsy Chaperone – Assistant Lighting Designer

My first show of the semester which just launched last weekend was The Drowsy Chaperone in which I tried my hand at lighting for the first time. As Assistant Lighting Designer, I got the opportunity to learn the light board, program cues, focus the lights on the stage, and choosing which cool lighting effects go from scene to scene. Since The Drowsy Chaperone went up in the amazing Tsai Performance Center on campus, we were able to do limitless lighting effects that created an amazing show.

2)     How to Succeed in Business – Ensemble

For my second show of the semester, I will be headed to the stage to act in the ensemble of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The show has been an absolute blast to be in the ensemble of, especially since I get to play a variety of bit parts, ranging from nerdy business man to an energetic 60’s game show host. I am also getting a workout with the number of dance numbers in the show (this show may turn me into a dancer, who knows?)

3)     Fire & Rain: An Original James Taylor Showcase – Producer

I am trying my hand at producing again, but this time for a student-developed showcase. Fire & Rain is a completely student created collection of James Taylor songs arranged to fit numerous different musical styles. Producing is one of my favorite parts of the theater because I am involved in the advertising and budget management regarding the production. This is my fourth shot at Producing with On Broadway, and I’ve enjoyed the chance to work on a student developed piece!

My semester thus far has certainly been theater filled, but filled with all of the things I enjoy. On Broadway has been an amazing outlet for the past four years to fulfill my theater pursuits and I am very happy to have found such a great home on campus. If you are interested in theater as a hobby, BU is definitely the right place to be.