Jamey: 4 BU London Pro-Tips from a Self-Proclaimed Expert

1. Pret A Manger is the new Starbucks.

Anyone who resides on Commonwealth Avenue knows how much Starbucks we Terriers like to go through. This summer, I had Cold Foam Cascara Cold Brew coursing through my veins in place of blood. However, Starbucks are few and far between in London! While there is a Starbucks on Gloucester Road (right by Courtfield Gardens), the prices in pounds end up converting to about 1.5x the cost of American Starbucks! So we, the BU Londoners, learned quickly that Pret A Manger is far superior to Starbucks. While the coffee isn’t incredible, they have wonderful teas and lattes. The main highlight of Pret A Manger is the ￡3 sandwich section with some really incredible food for very reasonable prices

2. 43 Harrington Gardens (The Academic Building) is your friend!

I totally get it. You’re in London! You don’t want to spend all of your time in the academic building. You’d rather go out and see the London Eye, take a walk through the Tate Modern, or see a show on the West End. But for those days when you’re tired or need to catch up on schoolwork, you should take advantage of the academic building! The staff of the BU London program are so friendly, and they really want to get to know you. (Shoutout to my two best friends in the student accounting office on the fifth floor!) The BU Academic building has a wonderful common room complete with a tea station. Additionally, the library basement is so cute and quiet. While it’s small in size, it’s aesthetic could beat Mugar any day!

3. Don’t expect to get off the plane and experience immediate Harry Potter magic.

My first day in London was full of jet lag, homesickness, and anxiety. I was hoping to get off that plane and jump right into my European adventure, but I realized quickly that that would not be possible. Listen to your body and listen to your mind! You will have so many days to go out on adventures and explore. I am so proud of myself for using self-care to get through my first day at BU London. If it’s not the best 24 hours of your life, that means you’re experiencing something completely normal! And if you continue to struggle, BU London has a certified counselor on staff who can meet with you to help you make your abroad experience more easy and enjoyable!

4. Reserve your BU London Social Catalogue programs early.

The BU London Program runs all sorts of cool expeditions and events to get you acquainted with London, the UK, and Europe as a whole! A couple of weeks before your departure, they will send you a catalogue with all of these events. Once you get the catalogue, you should reserve your spots IMMEDIATELY! There are limited spaces, and every single one of the events I went on was worthwhile. Attached is a picture from the BU London trip to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness!

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Sophia: 3 Easy breakfast recipes for college students on-the-go

Breakfast is, like, really important.

You already know this. I know that you already know this. You've been told this every year from kindergarten to 12th grade. So tell me, besides your latest Saturday brunch at Union Cafe, what has your most recent, ACTUAL breakfast meal been? A protein bar? Cereal? Scrambled eggs?

Let me tell you something: you deserve better than that. Your body and mind deserve better than that. As college students, we neglect proper, nutritious breakfasts every day in favor of 20 more minutes of sleep or a longer shower. But you shouldn't have to choose! There is an overwhelming amount of scientific research that proves eating breakfast in the morning improves your cognitive functions, supports a healthy metabolism, increases your daily energy levels and improves your overall mood. So if time is a factor in your decision to deprive your body of its most important daily meal, fear not! Here are some of my favorite, wonderfully easy breakfast recipes that are healthy, delicious, and super quick.

Protein Oats (with coffee!)

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Time: 3 minutes (plus overnight soaking)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of oats
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (feel free to add more or less depending on how wet you like your oats)
  • 1/4 cup coffee
  • 1/2 cup protein powder (again, I opt for vanilla, but peanut butter, chocolate and banana are also great options)
  • 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Directions: combine all the ingredients in a mason jar or container. Shake well and refrigerate overnight. Pro tip: if you're a caffeine addict like me, don't be afraid to add more coffee into this. More coffee is never a bad choice.

Banana Oat muffins

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Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana, mushed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of vanilla
  • 1/4 cup of maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 cup of greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups of oats
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Toppings of choice (I usually alternate every time I make these with semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, blueberries, walnuts and strawberries)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin ban with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes or until sides are golden. Enjoy or refrigerate for healthy breakfast muffins! I also sometimes eat these for dessert when I'm having a sweet craving at night. Yum!

Veggie Egg Cups

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Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Veggies of choice! Think: spinach, mushroom, tomato, cheese, onion, etc.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Fill with ingredients of choice. Whisk 4-5 eggs with salt and pepper. Pour whisked eggs into each muffin mold with until full and the majority of the veggies are covered. Cook for 30 minutes. Enjoy hot or refrigerate for breakfast on-the-go!

Grace: Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Climate change is the single largest threat to our nation. Global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions is impacting our public health, economy, and national security. Studies show that the incidence of extreme weather events, which inflict a huge loss of life and property damage, will only increase due to climate change. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution is estimated to cause 29% of lung cancer deaths globally.

However, there is hope: the Yale program on climate communication released a report in December showing that 72% of Americans view climate change as something important to them. Better yet, taking action on climate will improve other issues in America, such as malnutrition and obesity. According to the Lancet Medical Journal, transitioning to a plant-based diet will help both solve food insecurity, reduce obesity, and fight climate change. I believe in American entrepreneurship and resiliency, and I want to work to push climate change solutions to the forefront of policy making.

One of the best ways that we, as individuals, can take climate action is by reducing our personal carbon footprints. Here are some useful ideas for how to get started:

  1. Eat a plant-based diet. The meat industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, so try cutting out meat at least once a week. #MeatlessMonday
  2. Walk to class. BU’s campus is walkable, so save your wallet and our planet by skipping the Uber.
  3. Wash your laundry with cold water. Save energy and prevent the possibility of color leaching by opting for a cold rinse.
  4. Buy second-hand clothing. The fashion industry is one of the most energy-inefficient industries. Consider hosting a clothing swap with your friends or selling your clothing to consignment shops.
  5. Vote for elected politicians. Stay on top of the news and vote for the elected official whose policies you believe in.

Every person matters in the fight against climate change, so you can make a real difference in the sustainability of our world.

Hali: What It’s Like to Work in an Exceptionally Trendy Office

As I may not have mentioned since my first ever contribution to this blog, I am a public relations student. While studying PR, I’ve found myself in internships related to media relations, PR, and marketing. While I’ve had amazing experiences in each of these (extremely similar, closely related, basically the same) fields, I am currently experiencing my trendiest™ internship to date. 

If you have the COM ambassadors on Snapchat (add us @comsnaps if you don’t!) you may have recently seen that this semester, I’m interning at an integrated advertising agency in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston. I was abroad last semester and interviewed for my position via Skype, so I knew I was in for a surprise on my first day. While marketing agencies have a reputation for attracting ~cool~ employees, I was overwhelmed by the level of coolness in this particular office. I’ve decided to make a list of the best things about my office’s trendy vibes: 

There is… KOMBUCHA ON TAP???

First of all, this is the most important item on the list. You can stop reading now! There’s just no need to continue! Yes, it’s true. There is a constant supply of kombucha in the office kitchen. My gut health is… sublime. 

There is… A DOG???

Yes, you read that correctly. There is a stunning, gorgeous, adorable shih-poo who keeps us company and motivates us to work our hardest each day. I’m not sure if this counts as trendy, but it’s absolutely a perk. 

Everyone…. is so stylish??? 

At night, I lay in bed tossing and turning, contemplating what to wear to my internship the next day. I swear, working in a trendy marketing agency can feel like you’re attending #NYFW all day, everyday. And thank goodness for my hip Warby Parker glasses. I’m not certain I would’ve been hired without them. 

While this roundup is short, the complete list of things that are cool about my office spans multiple pages. As I apply to jobs (yikes, second semester senior alert) I can only pray that my search leads me to an office half as trendy as the one I’m currently at. 

Geneve: Do It For the ‘Gram

Whether you like it or not, Instagram has climbed its way to the top in terms of social media site rankings. From mouthwatering foodie accounts to fashion bloggers with perfect outfits, don't think that you have to have a ton of followers or an endless amount of money to curate your feed into something that reflects the life you love! Here are five easy ways to spice up your Instagram game! And hey, maybe you're not that into Instagram--nothing wrong with that! Just pick one, mess around, and see how you like it!

1. Get a Lightroom Mobile preset!

PHOTO 1

I first heard about people buying presets from bloggers. Those can range from $30-$70 for a pack-- ridiculous! I resorted to searching the internet and found that you can buy a TON of different presets on Etsy for way cheaper! You can buy packs for around $10 or a single preset for $5. To choose a preset, I recommend going with colors that you like, or ones that create a visual you love. For example, mine is warm toned because I like sunshine and summer, which is kind of what all my pictures look like. I also really like it when I look tan and my hair looks blonder, all of which my preset helps accentuate!

2. Add highlights!

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There are endless ways you can choose to categorize your highlights. Personally, I like to do them by location, but a lot of people will choose topics. I also like to choose a cover for the highlight that matches my feed, so overall there is a cohesive aesthetic.

3. Post what you want!

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Sometimes, we take so many pictures to get "the perfect shot". In choosing which one to post, I always go with the one that I feel the best about! It's okay to ask your friends for advice sometimes, but make sure to choose something that really portrays who you are and let your personality shine through!

4. Create interactive stories!

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Instagram stories are a great way to show followers a more "real" version of you! You can post polls, show your bites, and snippets of moments of your life worth sharing. I learned how to add fun embellishments and text effects by following and watching bloggers' Instagram accounts. Adding color behind words, alternating fonts, and using the pen are all tools that can help you!

5. Make your caption short, sweet, and 100% you!

PHOTO 5

The last part, and usually the longest part of crafting the perfect Instagram post: the caption! You don't want it to be too long, you want it to catch people's attention, and you want it to relate to the photo. I usually like to include something that happened that day, or share a moment that I was making a fool of myself. Don't be afraid to be silly! People love laughing a little while scrolling through.

With that, go on out there! Make your account 110% you! And let's connect- @genevelau .

Gab: New to Boston? Love photography? Here are some cool local spots to explore.

Boston is a stunning city, filled with beautiful architecture and history around every corner. Moving to Boston last August from southern california as an aspiring photojournalist felt like a kid in a candy store. Walking down different streets in Boston I always find great photo opportunities. It’s hard to get out of the BU bubble sometimes but here are some fun reasons to venture out and be creative!

  • Chinatown

Chinatown is a beautiful spot in downtown boston with so much going on. There are so many events and stories to be told in the culture heart of the chinese community in boston. I’d recommend going at golden hour, the magical lighting falls so perfectly on the whole neighborhood. The people are friendly plus the food is amazing. Chinatown is a great option for a full day of going out and taking pictures, getting food and maybe doing a little shopping as well.

  • Graffiti Alley

There is a hidden gem in Cambridge called Graffiti Alley. If you are coming from the BU campus, hop on the Green Line’s B train headed towards Park Street. Once you reach Park Street, switch platforms and get on the Red Line towards Alewife and stop at Central! It is an alley completely covered inch to inch in graffiti with amazing stain glass windows above it all. It is a super photogenic location for portraits, backgrounds, or even just a nice alleyway shot. Plus, there is also some great food places along this street as well for a snack after your shoot!

  • Acorn Street, Beacon Hill

Acorn Street is a beautiful and quaint cobblestone street in a Beacon Hill neighborhood. Acorn street is the most photographed street in Boston for good reason, but there are plenty of ways for you to put your own unique spin on it! This street makes for an excellent spot for portraits, family shots or even a nice long exposure of the street with the lights shining on the cobs. My recommendation would be to use a nice wide angle lens and explore all the different angles and perspectives you can think of!

  • The North End

Boston’s North End is a photographer and foodies dream spot. As an italian myself, the North End has earned a big stamp of approval by me. This area is less like of a tourist attraction and more like an authentic italian neighborhood, filled with many narrow maze like streets and shops. There are so many amazing streets, restaurants and people that you can photograph and get to know. The North End is full of stories of people, culture, family businesses, experiences and a lot of history! The freedom trail even passes through the North End.

  • The Charles River Esplanade

As a BU student, this destination should come as no surprise. BU students are fortunate enough to go to be on a campus that runs along the Charles River and a beautiful trail called the Esplanade. Both relaxing on the BU beach overlooking the river or going the extra mile and heading over the BU bridge onto the esplanade makes for a perfect place to clear your head and take some beautiful photos. Bring a tripod! Whether it is to take a long exposure of the ice sheets melting over the river at sunset or the early morning glow, the esplanade will make you feel lucky to call Boston your new home.




Stephen: The “Boston” Bubble

Regardless of where you’re currently at in your college career at Boston University, you have undoubtedly heard the term “BU Bubble”. This bubble is very much real and I’m sure you have been told the importance of leaving the bubble to explore the city. You should definitely strive to do this and make it part of your routine (I know I need to work on this sometimes), but there’s another bubble present for many of us that goes unnoticed. The “Boston Bubble”.

The city of Boston provides countless activities to enjoy and places to explore, but one thing that many people don’t recognize is its location. As the hub of the New England area, Boston is a great central location to explore outwards into Massachusetts and other neighboring states. There are so many adventures to partake in while here at Boston University, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of that fact.

At this point you’re probably wondering how trips outside of Boston are even possible. Most students don’t have cars and the T only takes you so far. This is very true, but the commuter rail, which is also part of the MBTA system, is the solution.

For those that don’t know, from January 5th to June 30th of this year, the MBTA is providing $10 weekend passes that allow for unlimited travel across Boston’s commuter rail network. $10. Unlimited travel. That right there is the answer.

Now that you understand what amazing opportunity is at our fingertips, let’s take a look at some specific things we can choose to do:

  1. Visit Providence, Rhode Island

Leave the state entirely and go spend the day in another historic city in the New England area. Check out the Roger Williams Park Zoo, walk around Waterplace Park, or enjoy the famous Providence Athenaeum. You can also just walk around and enjoy the new scenery! It is your adventure so do as you please.

  1. Hike the Nashua River Rail Trail

Hop on the commuter rail and travel north to Ayer station located in Ayer, MA. If you’re looking for a quick hike in MA, this is just one of many options open to you. The New England area has a multitude of nature locations to explore and the commuter rail makes many of these viable options.

  1. Snowboard or Ski at Wachusett Mountain

If you’d like a neat winter experience before the season is over, take a train over to Wachusett Mountain. The resort also provides a free shuttle from the T station to the slopes so get over and experience the fun before the service starts wrapping up in March!

With so many other adventures as well, it would be a shame to not take advantage of this opportunity. The deal lasts throughout the entirety of the semester, so try to find a weekend or two at some point to travel around with some friends. It’s always super nice to take a break from the city regardless of whether or not you’re swamped with work. Putting some distance between yourself and your daily responsibilities eases the mind and simply makes you feel better (trust me it does).

So what are you waiting for then? Check out https://www.mbta.com/projects/10-weekends-commuter-rail and get going!

Maddie: Every BU Com Major, As Explained by Viral Tweets

In our media-heavy world, it’s impossible to go a day without a hilarious tweet going viral. Some of these tweets inspire huge shifts in online culture, becoming a part of the popular lexicon—whether we want it to or not. And as COM students, we’re more than experienced at using Twitter—sometimes, it’s even required for our classes. While we may not be tweeting something viral every day, we can all certainly relate to feeling just a little too called out by a tweet. Below are the tweets that accurately sum up every BU COM student based on their chosen major.

  • Journalism

Hughes Photo 1

As a journalism major myself, I can confirm—we need to know all the details, always. No journalism student gets into this path of study without being innately curious about the world around them, even if it goes against our best interests. While we may sometimes get caught up in the drama surrounding us, we will always do our best to be honest and reliable.

  • Film & Television

Hughes Photo 2 (1)

This is what I imagine film & television students’ brainstorming sessions to be like—just kidding. As some of the hardest working students on BU’s campus, you’ll never see a film & television student not thinking about what their next script is going to be or without a camera on them. If you’re lucky enough, maybe you’ll get to see one of their films at a free BU screening!

  • Advertising

Hughes Photo 3

Advertising students are incredibly creative and innovative—and as a result, are usually very busy with outside work and fun organizations such as Ad Lab. You may catch them downing a coffee or two so they can continue working on their next campaign—support them through it all!

  • Cinema & Media Studies

Hughes Photo 4

Cinema & media studies majors tend to be very detail-oriented, catching small aspects of films that other COM majors tend to overlook. They tend to look at things with a more observant eye, meaning that they’ll fixate on a detail and tell everyone about it. It’s good to have someone around who will notice something that you might not see—but hey, can we watch some rom-coms instead of classics for a change?

  • Mass Communication

Hughes Photo 5

Mass communication covers the most amount of breadth in COM, yet not many students know a ton about it because it’s not as targeted as other degree programs. From what I know about mass communication students, they never stop hustling—not even when they face unfortunate situations like the student from the tweet above. Group papers? Mass communication students are on it, with a large coffee in their hand, of course.

  • Public Relations

Hughes Photo 6

Public relations students are nothing if not talkative. We have a lot to say, and we have to get it out quickly, a la the art of the 30-second elevator pitch. Though we realize that sometimes our words come out faster than our thoughts, we will bring 100% to any conversation or brainstorming session. Just remind us to take a breather sometimes.

  • Media Science

Hughes Photo 7

This tweet is for anyone who ever said that BU COM students can’t excel at math—while it may not be our first choice of study, media science majors are here to say that you can combine logic with your creative side and make a career out of it. Though a relatively new major, it’s nonetheless important to the field of communications as a whole—here’s looking at you, stats requirement.

If you related to any of these, let me know! My twitter is @maddie__hughes.

Laurel: Cheap things to do This Winter in Boston (when the weather is frightful and far from delightful)

Oscar animated shorts at the ICA

With dates now through mid-March, catch up on all the buzz-worthy films up for top marks at the Oscars. With your student ID tickets are only $5 and it’s the perfect way to spend a chilly afternoon or evening.

Ansel Adams exhibit at the MFA 

The MFA always has fun pop-ups, rotating exhibits and after hour events. Most of the time their special events also offer special discounts for students, if not totally free with your ID. Grab a friend and go explore the short lasting Ansel Adams exhibit before it goes at the end of February! With contrasting old vs. new this exhibit is not only absolutely beautiful but fascinating as well.

Highly discounted workout classes

There are so many fun workout places that offer very cheap classes for students. You can even try out class pass completely free for a whole month! Keep an eye on fan favourites like the HandleBar who not only has a great student discount but has been known to offer free rides to students during finals. You can also check out Power Rowing in Brookline who offers cheap unlimited classes to students! Forget staying warm in winter, work up a sweat instead!

Movies at Coolidge Corner with a discount on ice cream after from JP Licks

Coolidge Corner is arguably the best movie theatre in Boston! The old-time theatre feels with the classic film format is impressive on its own. Make a night of it and keep your ticket stub to get a discount on ice cream at JP Licks afterwards!

Dare I say it, sporting games

This may be very obvious considering we have a plethora of teams here in Boston, but seriously there are multiple ways to grab cheap tickets last minute to games for the Celtics and Bruins. The Beanpot tournament is every February at TD Garden which is a nice change of pace for BU students. If you can't go to the Beanpot, tickets to hockey and basketball games at BU are always free!

Cheap tickets to the Theatre 

Check out the various theatres in downtown Boston. Most of them have affiliations with colleges in the are and offer wonderful student discounts! An Inspector Calls is a classic coming up next month at Emerson’s theatre and student tickets are a steal!

BU Arts initiative newsletter 

The BU Art initiative sends out regular newsletters featuring awesome art activities going on in the week. Some are completely free to BU students! Last semester I took a calligraphy class where I left with my own calligraphy set! Sign up to receive updates on film shows, art pop-ups and more!

Explore Boston's Cafe Scene 

Boston has great cafes, especially in the greater Boston area, so make a day of it and explore the surrounding towns through coffee shops, you may discover places that you would have never known where there. And while you're at it let me know your favorites because I survive on coffee and hot coco in the winter.

Steven: Why you should live on the COM floor

There’s rarely a quiet moment in Warren Towers 11C, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

A hidden gem in BU are its specialty community residence floors. When I applied for housing in the summer before Freshman year, I checked off a box that I’d be interested in specialty housing for the College of Communications. I didn’t realize it then, but that decision has had a HUGE impact on my time at BU so far.

Through the COM floor I’ve discovered so many opportunities, made lifelong friends, and had countless unforgettable experiences. So when you’re trying to decide where to live during your first year on campus, I’d highly recommend you check off that box. Here’s why.

1. Your neighbors become your best friends.

The COM floor gives you the unique opportunity to become best friends with the people you live with. Before coming to BU, I was worried that the other students on my floor would never be more than strangers. But I’m happy to say that my neighbors are some of my closest friends!

2. There aren’t just COM kids!

Surprisingly, the COM floor does not only have COM students. There are premed students, political science majors, and even a few who are undecided. Because of this, there is always a diverse range of perspectives and ideas!

3. Movie nights are a common occurrence.

Living with Film & Television students has its perks. Movie nights happen almost every weekend, and there are always in depth conversations about shot composition, lighting, and sound. Last weekend we watched Call me by Your Name (we cried).

4. There are always new opportunities to get involved.

The residents of 11C are always moving and staying active all around BU. Friends on my floor are involved in COM driven clubs like BUTV10, WTBU, and The Daily Free Press, as well as Stage Troupe and BU On Broadway, two theater organizations on campus.

This semester, I even started a radio show on WTBU with friends from my floor. It’s called sadboi hours, and we play music that gets us in our feels. (Check us out on WTBU on Sundays from 12-2AM!)


5. There’s always someone available to help on a project.

Whenever I have trouble on a project, I can look across the hallway and find someone ready and willing to help out. Production assistants are never far away!

There you have it! Living on the COM floor has been a great experience so far and I’d highly recommend it. So take a chance and check that box!