Sarah: Tales of a Nicktern

Hey there terriers! Whatever you find yourselves doing this summer, I hope you’re making it fun and meaningful. Make these next few weeks count – fall will sneak up on us before we know it!

Your first summer after your first year of college tends to go a bit differently than the previous, especially if you’re a COM student. But fear not! This change is often for the best. Come springtime, if not as a freshman than definitely as a sophomore, you’ll be hit with the same question countless times: “What are your summer plans?” This year, with a smile and maybe just a hint of smug satisfaction, I was able to respond with something that makes the 8-year-old kid in all of us do cartwheels: I’m working for Nickelodeon.

As of last Monday, I officially started my internship with Nickelodeon Animation in beautiful Burbank, California. The program hosts roughly 30 interns on various shows and in various departments. I’m working in the post-production department with the vault librarian, and after only my first week as a Nicktern, I can tell that this will be a near life-changing experience. Nickelodeon has built a climate of genuinely passionate and friendly people who are excited about their jobs and excited to teach interns.

This really isn’t your typical internship program. Our supervisors trust us with a lot of the work and responsibility given to employees. And because of it, we’re held to very high standards. But it’s not all work – being a Nicktern certainly has its perks. Interns have the opportunity to take classes, see screenings, attend networking events, meet with some big names in the industry, and just have a lot of fun (I play ping-pong almost everyday with co-workers in the outdoor courtyard). Nickelodeon really knows how to treat its interns.

Being on the west coast still feels a bit surreal to me. Just weeks ago, I was in student services planning out my schedule so I could participate in the LA program my senior year. Now, two years early, here I am. There were certainly a few bumps in the road. Moving out to the West Coast from New York was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to coordinate (I may have spent more time on Craigslist looking for a place to stay than I did studying for finals). But, it was absolutely worth it!

The perpetual follow-up question I got about my summer plans was, “How did you get that gig?” The simple answer: I applied. Having connections is a great way to get your foot in the door, but NEVER underestimate the power of a polished cover letter and genuine passion for a position. As a BU COM student, some pretty incredible internships are well within your reach. This summer alone, I have COM friends interning at Lifetime, Sirius Radio, VH1, ABC and some other pretty cool companies. Searching for internships can be one of the most stressful tasks as a college student, but in the end, also the most rewarding. Take advantage of all the career services COM provides. And just apply! You’ll never know until you do.

So soak up the sun and enjoy your last few months pre-BU. And be prepared to make next summer count!

See you new terriers in the fall!

Kate: The Countdown Begins…

As the countdown to summer was highly anticipated by many, my countdown is just beginning. The countdown for September 1st, the day that I will board a 747 with 200 other BU students to London for the next three and a half months.  And something tells me that with classes over and that diploma in hand, a few of you have a very similar countdown as you look forward to beginning your freshmen year at BU.

This summer, I’m laying low in preparation of a fantastic three months abroad. No internship, just working, seeing friends and enjoying Boston.  And I pass that same advice along to you as you prepare for the next step in your life.  Many you are probably feeling the pressure to brush up on high school skills or get an internship related to your intended major. My advice to you: just relax.  You will have plenty of time for that once you’ve arrived, trust me. Take this time now to enjoy your home life, your high school friends, your summer freedom and lots of yummy graduation cakes because once all the thrill begins in September, it won’t stop and you won’t want it to.

My countdown says 72 days. What does yours say?

Julianna: Summer Begins

Hey BU COM 2016!

Now that you’ve graduated (or graduation is right around the corner) you will come to realize that the next two and half months will culminate to be one of your most significant summers. Look at these next few months as the introduction to the newest and best chapter in your life. Not only will you start college in September, but you will also begin to “put yourself out there” in the world. And so in this introductory phase you will learn more about who you actually are as you experience orientation and say goodbye to family, friends and your hometown.

I guess you can say that I am in quite the reflective and inspiration-seeking mood. It happens to be that just as you are going through an exciting and life-changing summer, so am I. In August I am going on a 10-day trip to Israel through the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that works to combat anti-semitism, bigotry and anti-Israel sentiments. I will tour the country and attend seminars about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Now until I leave for Tel Aviv, I am working at my summer job in Manhattan and staying up on the news in Israel and the Middle East. I am filling up the shelves in my Nook library with a journalistic must: Dan Rather’s recently published memoir as well as literature on Israel and its history.

Enjoy your summers and check out my next blogpost in mid-August where I’ll be writing love notes to Israeli falafel and giving all of you important advice for navigating through freshman year.

Tom: It’s Internship Time

Tom ImageHey guys! Hope the summer months have treated you well and you are all excited to come to BU in the fall. I’ve already met some of you at Orientation and I look forward to seeing all of you over the next few weeks.

This summer I’ve begun my first COM summer internship at SpeakEasy Stage Company over in Boston’s South End. I am one of SpeakEasy’s Marketing Interns, which means that I intern under the company’s marketing director to assist in gaining new subscribers, advertise for their upcoming season, and help out the office in any way I can.

SpeakEasy is the perfect first stop for my first internship as it is exactly in the field where I want to end up. I was able to combine my passion for theater with my COM education in the advertising industry. My advice to incoming students is to take advantage of the summers to find the best internships. Since you are not bogged down with schoolwork, you can focus on getting the most out of your internship.

The greatest part of my internship at SpeakEasy (besides the free show tickets) is that I have managed to get FOUR COM Credits for the internship. If you are a junior or senior in COM, you can get course credit for your classes that actually count towards your major requirements. This was ideal for me because I can get the four credits out of the way and focus on different things coming my way during the school year. I definitely recommend COM students do multiple internships in their time here. While this is my first internship, I plan on doing 3-4 more in the rest of my time here (including one abroad in London in the spring!). It’s a great time to gain experience, build up your resume, get some course credit, and of course, have a good time in a field your passionate about.

I’ll be back later in the summer with a bit of advice for new students moving in to BU in the fall. See you all at Orientation on Thursdays this summer!! Reach out to me when you get here – the student advisors and I can’t wait to meet you guys.

Alexa: Tips for Your COMlife Audition

Alexa ImageHey everyone! Hope the summer is treating all of you well! While you anxiously anticipate your first year at Boston University you might decide to take a chance at auditioning to be a part of our school’s webseries COMlife (yay!). Being a part of the show is great and I wanted to give you guys some insider tips on the audition video process!

1.      Be creative

In your video, it’s important to stand out and talk about (or show the producers) what makes you different. The people casting the series watch a ton of videos and if you are creative (ie. not just stand in front of your video camera) you’ll make a big impression.

2.      Have fun

I know this should go without saying but have fun in your video! The concept of the series is to show current/prospective students the fun and exciting life of a BU COM student. If you don’t look like you’re enjoying making the video, it’s hard to believe you’ll enjoy being a part of the series.

3.      Tell your story.

What makes you, you? Tell us who you are by making yourself relateable to others. For instance, I was very involved in basketball in highschool so I talked about myself as an athlete and even recorded myself shooting around.

4.      Be yourself

I know this is the most cliché’, but it’s so true. In your audition video act like your normal, everyday, awesome self and everything will work out for the best!

Quick tip: Keep your audition video close to the allotted time. You can get your point across without spending 20 minutes doing so.

Good luck to everyone auditioning and if you have any last minute questions feel free to email me, alexa111@bu.edu.

Have a great rest of the summer!

Taylor: Let the Packing Begin

Taylor ImageWithin 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.

“TomKat”: We’re Back!

Tom ImageKate ImageWe're back for summer blogging! Although our COM Ambassadors are off for the summer pursuing internships, summer jobs, and vacations - we will continue blogging  and getting you excited to come to COM in the fall.

Our COM Ambassadors will be blogging every Wednesday and Friday telling you what they're up to when school isn't in session and giving you tips, tricks, and pointers for moving to BU in the fall. Consider us an inside guide to surviving the summer before your first semester.

Hope you all are having an excellent end of your school year. We'll both see you at Orientation this summer and stay tuned for more updates from our COM Ambassadors!

“TomKat”: Get Ready for Summer

Tom ImageKate ImageCongratulations to the recently admitted, and now official, BU COM Class of 2016! We know that picking a college can be one of the most stressful moments in your life, but we are so happy to see you guys here in the fall! “COM’s the Bomb” as you’ll soon come to know and love.

Our COM Ambassadors are settling their things at the end of another great semester. We have CA’s ready to graduate, coming back from abroad, finishing up their finals, and just arranging to start their summer plans. We’re sure you guys are having back to back graduations, grad parties, and beach trips to get to this summer – but we wanted to give you some tips of getting prepared for BU this summer.

1. RSVP for Orientation – Orientation will be one of the highlights of your summer and your first stepping stone for your start at BU. You will make your schedule, get your terrier card, hear about everything going on in the fall semester, and most importantly: meet other 2016-ers! You can RSVP and read FAQ’s about Orientation at www.bu.edu/orientation.

2. Check out the COM Ambassadors – If you have been following this blog, chances are you know a bit about each of our COM Ambassadors. You will be notified soon about the opportunity to choose your own COM Ambassador. The COM Ambassadors will be your upperclassmen mentor when you come in the fall, so choose wisely. You can check out their blogs on this site or check out our main homepage.

3.Think about FYSOP – If you are interested in moving in early and doing community service with fellow incoming freshmen, you should think about FYSOP – The First-Year Student Outreach Program. You can see all FYSOP has to offer on the Community Service Center (CSC) website or hear about Sarah’s experience.

4. Sit back and Relax – The most underrated tip of the summer. Chances are you are a mix of excitement and anxiety right now. Some days you can’t wait for BU and other days you are worried about making the big transition. Not to worry – you will find that adapting to college will be easier than you think. Sit back, relax and enjoy your final summer before starting college.

Our CA’s will be blogging about their summer adventures at the beginning of June so stay tuned until then. Remember – feel free to reach out with any questions you may have to either of us: tschrank@bu.edu or katescott10@yahoo.com. We’re happy to help! Congrats again! We can’t wait to see you in the fall!

Mike: My Final Days Abroad

Mike Image

Hey all,
I can't believe it's already nearing the end of the semester and my time abroad here in Madrid. These past few months have been the best of my life and I am so sad to leave Spain. The people I've met, the amazing places I've traveled to and the delicious food-- it has all been such an incredible experience. If I have one piece of advice for underclassman, it is to go abroad. And try to go to a country where they speak another language and you can stay with a family because it really is the best way to master the language and immerse yourself in the culture.

We finally wrapped our documentary last week and have the screening this week. After months of hard work filming, interviewing and editing, we assembled a final product that i am really proud of and can't wait to show everyone.

I'm currently writing this from my hostel in Portugal. This is my final trip before the program ends. We have a 5 day weekend because of the Spanish holidays next week. I am finally able to relax a bit and enjoy the last few weeks abroad.

It is bittersweet to leave Spain. I know how much I am going to miss Madrid but I am excited to go home to New York City and hopefully get an internship there this summer. I also was accepted into the Los Angeles internship program for this fall so I will heading to LA in August to get some hands on experience in the industry. Its going to be a very different "abroad" experience from Madrid, but I'm excited to meet new people and conquer a new city.

Unfortunately  I will be apart from Boston for yet another semester but I'll be back in the spring to spend my last semester on campus. See you all soon!

Kaitlin: Finals

Kaitlin ImageFinals.  Now, I’m sure you can relate to Boston University students as they cram, cry and complain about finals week, because whether you’re in college, high school or junior high, finals are just no fun.

But here at BU, we’ve realized some tips and tricks to survive the atrocity that is finals week, and I’m going to share them with you!

1. Sweat it out.

It’s been scientifically proven that working out helps decrease stress levels dramatically.  Since BU students are very intelligent, we’ve figured that out, and for this reason, you’ll see an exceptionally packed Fitness and Recreation Center (FitRec, our awesome gym) towards the end of the semester.  So when you have a test and can’t read another word out of the textbook, give it a break; go for a run; lift weights at the gym; take a yoga class.  It’ll give you a productive way to put off your work, and will actually help you out in the long run (beach season is coming up, after all!).

2. Find a buddy or two.

Studying in groups can be a great way to get work done.  Get together with friends and perhaps other students from your classes to cover material for the tests.  Living on specialty floors (like the COM floors in select BU Residence Halls!) can be extremely helpful for this! Have a question? Shoot over to your classmate who lives across the hall.  You’ll be able to get another perspective on a topic that may need some clarification.  Plus, the bit of distraction that comes with being with friends can be healthy after stuffing your mind with words or numbers all day.

3. Eat some yummy goods.

Finals can be a good time to overindulge in the most unhealthy way possible- but try not to allow yourself to do that! Eating tons of pizza, candy, and other heavy foods will only slow you down, making you more tired, anxious, and stressed. Instead, find light, healthy foods to accompany your late night study sessions.  Instead of ordering Pizza Hut, grab some veggies and hummus or a bowl of fresh fruit.  It will keep you more willing to get your study on because you won’t be regretting that 6 pound hamburger.

4.  Fall in love with Boston all over again.

While I’m studying (especially on the 26th floor of Student Village 2!) I like to close my book or my laptop, and just look at the city I live in and love.  After living in Boston you may start to take for granted the marvelous things around you.  So allow yourself to be distracted for an hour or two.  Stare at the beautiful Charles River. Take the T to a site you’ve never seen.  You’ll give yourself the chance to clear your mind before a big exam, and will remind yourself why you love Boston.