COM Ambassador Blog

Rachel: From Start to Finish: The Race to April 18th

Usually, when I say I’m from Hopkinton, MA, people stare at me with a blank look on their face until I say, “It’s the start of the Boston Marathon.” Hopkinton is a pretty small town, so it’s a big deal when hundreds of runners, spectators, and camera crews suddenly appear on our common.

Naturally, living my entire life in this small town where nothing happens on every other day of the year, I grew up attending almost every single marathon start. Year after year I’d stand on the sidelines, watching endless waves of costumed runners, high-fiving anyone I could reach and yelling out names written on shirts. How could I not aspire to be a part of it all?

I’ve never been the most athletic girl. I dabbled in sports in high school, but I was no varsity star. About my junior year of high school, though, I started telling everyone I was going to run the Boston Marathon. I got a lot of “yeah, right” responses.

When I got to BU, I enrolled in the Marathon Training PDP through Fitrec (would recommend, even if you don’t plan on running a marathon) in hopes that it would help me achieve my dream. That was last year, and I learned very quickly that it takes a lot more than enrolling in one class to run the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

I set a goal to run the Boston Marathon in 2016: the 120th Boston Marathon and my 20th year on this earth. There are two basic parts of running the marathon: get a number and train. The training, I was sure I could do. The number was the tougher part. I’ve never run a marathon before; therefore, I couldn’t get a number by qualifying. My only other option was getting a number through charity.

I ended up getting a number from the 26.2 Foundation, a charity from Hopkinton that supports health, wellness, and the sport of marathoning. I was so ecstatic when I got my number! It took a while to hit me that I was actually going to do it. I was registered to run the Boston Marathon!

There was a catch, though. When you run for a charity, you have to sign a commitment to raise a certain amount of money for them. In addition to motivating myself to train and be able to run 26.2 miles over the course of three months, I’ve had to motivate myself to fundraise and come up with $5,000 by April 18th.

It’s now March 27th, and there are 23 days left until the marathon. Yesterday, I ran my longest run so far (21 miles!) from Hopkinton to B.C. As of today, I have $2,984 raised. Those 23 days are going to fly! I’m so excited for April 18th, but I’m also nervous. I have a lot of ground to cover and a lot of money to raise.

I’ve been blogging about my experience training, so if you’re interested in more of the nitty gritty stuff here is the link: https://seeherun.wordpress.com

If you’re interested in tracking my fundraising and reading a little more about my running experience, here is the link to my fundraising page: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/rachel-mclean-1/BostonMarathon2016

Maybe you’ll spot me running through Kenmore in a couple of weeks, as I run from hometown to current home. Thanks for reading!

Joe: Why you SHOULDN’T study abroad

Imagine leaving everything you know behind to live in a foreign place for four months? Well, hold on to your hats, kids, because this guy did just that and moved to this tiny little place called London. Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t. But I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t abandon everything you know for an experience abroad. You will hate every second of it and have so much regret, continuously counting down the days until you’re back home living with your parents.

Trust me.

First of all, London is D I S G U S T I N G. There are so many scenic landmarks to photograph that you’ll be too overwhelmed. And sometimes the sun comes out and it’s warm and it’ll make you go “WHYYYYYYY????”

Secondly, there is nothing to do here. It’s unbearable. There’s only so many times you can go to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, Borough Market, Camden Market, Portobello Market, Shoreditch, SoHo, Chelsea, Oxford Circus, ride the London Eye, see Big Ben, explore the South Bank, go to Brighton Beach, etc. before you get tired of it all. The lack of things to do here makes London incredibly boring.

London is so segregated from the rest of Europe that it’s almost impossible to travel beyond the UK. A 3-hour train ride just to get to Paris…seriously!?! Truthfully, I’ll settle for nothing longer than 2 hours and 59 minutes.

(P.S. The pizza in Florence is literally so gross that you'll contemplate how lucky you are to never have to see it again)

Everyone here speaks English and it’s sooooooo inconvenient. To be able to understand what everyone is saying all the time is not exactly what I had in mind when fantasizing about my time abroad. And the people are a little too friendly. It’s like they’re overcompensating for that time we dumped their tea in a certain harbor. Or their overzealous imperialism.

And lastly, it sucks because I’m further than I’d like to be from the greatest man on the planet and my real life role model, as pictured below.

So, in conclusion, it’s probably best that you just don’t come here. I’ll stay and carry this burden for the both of us.

Claudia: Fighting the Mid-Semester Slump

So it’s that time a year again. The mid-semester slump. We’re back from Spring Break and I have immediately jumped back into work, classes, and clubs. It’s hard not to overwork yourself during these last few weeks of the semester! So remember to take time for yourself to relax and de-stress from your busy week!

Here are a few ways I like to unwind!

Listen to music

(I exclusively listen to Hamilton)

Watch a movie

(Fellow CA and my roommate Jen has KILLER movie suggestions like Me, Earl and the Dying Girl or What We Do in the Shadows)

Read a book

(I’m currently reading Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow)

Sit in the dining hall and chat with friends/procrastinate for hours

(You can have dessert after your dessert!)

dessert FOO

Go out to dinner

(Treat yourself after a long week! Go to Trident on Newbury or Clover over in Central Square — or even explore somewhere new)

Go on a walk on the esplanade

Grab a friend and go on a walk on the esplanade — matching tracksuits are a must!)

7. SLEEP!

(Take naps! Go to bed early!)

Emma: Your Post-Spring Break Semester as Told by Parks and Rec

Now that spring break has come and gone, it’s crazy to believe that we only have a few weeks left of our spring semester here at BU. The remainder of the school year is time to celebrate and buckle down, with Marathon Monday and Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s to look forward to, but also final projects and midterms to tackle.

No matter what different struggles and excitements the rest of this semester has in store for each of us, the characters from Parks and Rec always have our backs. Because every day can’t always be a Leslie Knope kind of day. Sometimes, we all have to be Jerry’s.

You realize how much you appreciate your professors who made your midterms before break

We take back everything we said about you as we crammed before break

…And resent the one’s who saved them all for after·

HOW COULD YOU EXPECT US TO STUDY? WE WERE ON A BREAK!

You start to actually think about how your favorite seniors are graduating

Try to avoid plots to make them fail out of classes so they have to stay another semester

Attention to your grades becomes more important than ever

The quest for A’s is too real

5. But at least you can study outside!

Just don’t let Boston’s wind blow your study guide into the Charles

It’s finally acceptable to get super excited for summer

When all you want is to complain about it being too hot outside

But you’re still so happy to have these last few weeks with your best friends from school

Couldn't have done it without you guys

Claire: Remember to be Selfish

Full Definition of selfish

1 : concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself: seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others

This post is a reminder to be selfish.

Disclaimer: I think “without regard for others” is a little extreme - remember to love and respect your peers.

Four years is so short when compared to a lifetime. The average lifespan of an American in 2012 is 78 years. Four years is only 5 percent of the average lifetime!

However, the four years students spend at Boston University are often the most formative. College is where people learn their passions, develop their skills, make lifelong friends, and experience so many “firsts”.

Boston University is a raging sea of opportunities. It just simply seems impossible to take advantage of everything. Work, family, stress, and the inevitable need to get a job makes it so easy to say “I simply don’t have the time”.

Don’t have the time? Psst. Most of these opportunities will disappear and never be presented again. The few opportunities that remain, I promise you, will actually be impossible to take advantage of when you have a 9-5 job and a crying two-year old.

So let us be selfish during this “only 5 percent” period of our life. Let’s put our own “advantage, pleasure, or well-being” above everything else. Push all of your excuses and restrictions aside. Do everything possible to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.

Here is my inconclusive list of opportunities to take while at BU.

Run for that leadership position
Study Abroad (twice if you want to)
Do Alternative Spring Break
Pick up that minor, and maybe the second one too
Spend the Summer in Boston
Switch your major if you hate yours
Sign up for WTBU and BUTV10
….try to make your own show or be a producer
Be a TA for a class you love
Overload
Pick up a new hobby
Sign up for a PDP or take a fitness class at FitRec
Join another club
Apply for that internship even though you don’t think you have time
Take as much free stuff as possible
Go out even though you are tired
Take a trip outside the city
Go to a Redsox game - I mean come on
Stop worrying about spending too much money
But, take advantage of student discounts…
Go to all the museums in Boston
Sign up for a graduate level course
Take out a book (for pleasure) from the BU library
Take out as much free equipment as possible from FPS
Steal fruit/desserts from the dining hall

Chris: Thoughts From A Senior After the Final Spring Break

Spring break for a college senior is much like spring break for a high school senior, especially if you’re doing regular decision. Earlier this week on my tour of COM with fellow CA Eliza, we had a student who applied to BU and was waiting to hear back. Prior to her leaving the building, I told her and her family not to worry, that no matter what things would work out.

As I begin to take one proverbial step outside of COM and into the real world, I have to apply the same thinking to my job hunt. Similar to being asked what schools have you heard from, the taboo question senior year of college is “what are you doing after graduation?” For those with jobs lined up already, it’s just like those students who were accepted early decision, they say what their plans are and move on. For those of us still in limbo, things get a bit awkward when we respond.

The key for you, the prospective student, just know that it’s okay to not have everything figured out at the same time as everyone else. Like I said, things do fall into place. Rather than focusing on everyone else, which can be difficult, channel the energy towards other things. In high school I channeled it towards my extra-curriculars, which at the time involved being on the track team. Four years later, I am using the energy to remain positive and continue applying for jobs.

Esra: The Quarter Life Crisis

The quarter life crisis: it's real and it's normal.

You don't have to get to the "midlife" point to have a crisis. I've realized we all experience it at some point or another during our college career. There's that moment of sheer panic where you're like "I'm running out of time", and "what am I going to do with the rest of my life?", etc.

I think it's the availability of options that makes us all so unsure. Up until this point, it's seemed relatively simple: graduate high school, apply to and choose a college, graduate from said college. But after graduating from college, there isn't necessarily a predetermined next step. You may find yourself wondering if you should start working right away or go to grad school or take a year off to travel or do community service, etc. Really the possibilities can be endless and it's nerve racking.

So I'd like to share some words of wisdom from the lovely Airbnb host I had while visiting Dublin. She didn't know it of course, but she told me exactly what I needed to hear: it'll all be grand. Nothing profound, rather simple actually, but I could see how certain she was about this. It'll all work out. We hear this type of thing all the time, but when you take it to heart and fully understand that no matter what decision you make everything will fall into place, it takes some of the weight off your shoulders. Perfect decisions don't exist, so relax and enjoy yourself because "it'll all be grand."

Alex: My Favorite Teen Movies

In just two weeks, I’ll be turning 20 years old and I have to say, it’s making me much more upset than I was anticipating. Turning 20 seems like the end of an era for me. I’ve been a teenager for 7 years now and it makes adult life seem that much more real.

These past few weeks of being 19 have made me reflect back on all the teen movies that have made me appreciate the past couple of years so much. Here are my favorite teen movies that everyone should revisit, regardless of age:

1. Sixteen Candles
John Hughes is a teen movie wizard. All of his movies are so genuine and hilarious, but my personal favorite is Sixteen Candles. Nothing makes me cringe and laugh more than the party scene at Jake Ryan’s!

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2. Clueless
This movie is one of my absolute favorites of all time! The wardrobe, script, and casting are so iconic and the entire film is so quote-worthy. I idolized Cher in high school and though I will never come close to being as cool as she is, I’ll still definitely try.

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3. American Pie
American Pie is one of those movies that can make me laugh hysterically on any day. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still love the movie’s soundtrack and all the blink-182 tracks on it.

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4. Mean Girls
Some people say that Mean Girls has become overrated and overdone, but I think that’s impossible. This movie will never not be funny.

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5. Palo Alto
Though this movie is on the newer side, it’s probably my favorite teen movie ever. The dialogue is so genuine and it reminds me so much of my time in high school in California. The movie is based on James Franco’s high school in Palo Alto which makes the movie even more interesting and intriguing.

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Amy: 10 Things I Didn’t Expect to Learn While Abroad

1. Just because you're in an English-speaking country doesn't mean there won't be a language barrier. I'm in Dublin, which is basically as close to America as you can get in Europe, and I still find myself on Urban Dictionary or Google searching Irish slang almost every day. I love picking up new phrases (grand craic= great time) and it's a great little reminder that I'm in a totally different country.

2. As it's own country, Ireland is a baby, but as a society it's older than anything I've ever seen. This year is the centennial anniversary of the rebellion that STARTED the war that brought Ireland's independence from the UK. Politically we're less that 100 years old here, yet there are so many castles and monasteries that date back to B.C. years. It's a funny juxtaposition, being so close to structures built by Vikings and early settlers, and still being able to see bullet holes on states in Dublin from their rebellions and the war of independence.

3. Europe is so easy to travel around. I never thought I'd be 21 years old and be able to decide on a Monday that I'm going to fly to France the next weekend. Casually saying "oh, I think I'm going to Spain this weekend and then Italy the next" is totally normal around here and ITS UNREAL. I guess it's like taking a casual road trip to Canada when you're in America except so much cooler (sorry, Canada!)

4. Photo-storage is an issue. If you're thinking about traveling abroad, look into how much space is on your phone/camera, and then figure out the best way to store photos on your computer. Also, when you're deleting photos on your iPhone to create space for new ones, make sure to delete the photos from the deleted photos folder. It doesn't make any sense to me but you actually have to delete them twice to actually make space.

5. Because most of the BU programs are part class and part internship, we don't actually take classes with students at our host school. This makes it a little trickier to make friends, but totally not impossible! For example, our campus bar here holds an event every Tuesday called "shite night" that's really fun and that a lot of the local students go to. They basically just blast old music (think HSM and 90's pop) that everyone sings and dances along to. It's unlike anything I've ever seen in America but it's so fun because so many people go and get super into it. Learning about campus culture has been really interesting.

6. Being away has actually reaffirmed that I made the right decision when coming to BU. I've always loved BU and knew it was the right decision, but earlier this year I kept wondering if I would have liked being at a smaller school that wasn't located in a city. Living on a small campus and taking a bus into Dublin's city center has it's ups and downs, but it made me glad that BU has the best of both worlds when it comes to campus/city balance.

7. We're here for so much more than academics. The classes I'm taking are so great, but I definitely feel like most of the learning I've been doing is experiencing and adjusting different cultures. Getting lost in unfamiliar cities and adapting to foods and customs that I don't totally understand has given me a great perspective on how to handle tough situations and make my way through life wherever I am.

8. Your health is super important!! Between the classes, a new atmosphere, all the traveling, and spending so much time with the same group of students, it's easy for colds to catch on and spread. When one person gets a cold, it's super easy for it to spread to the entire program because our bodies are caught off guard with all the new things we're doing. I've learned that it's important just to be aware of what I'm doing and making sure I'm trying to stay as healthy as possible.

9. The grass is actually greener here. Like, in a very funny literal way, the grass in Ireland and VIBRANT and it's the most amazing ironic thing I've ever seen. You expect Ireland to be green and full of fields and sheep (which is true) but the grass itself is even greener. I'll never get over it. Also sheep are like cute little clouds with legs and they are super adorable.

10. Time will fly by! Okay, this one I knew, but it still surprises me how fast time is flying by. I'm about halfway through the program now and I have no idea how I'm going to fit in all the things I want to do before I leave. There's definitely a balance between taking advantage of the opportunities we have to see everything and not being so stressed about getting everywhere that you don't enjoy it. To anyone looking to go abroad, make a loose list of places you want to visit while you're gone, and then amend that list as you actually start to make plans. I've added and removed places that I want to travel to, but honestly there are no wrong moves 😉

Jimmy: Binge-watch BU Alum Bingo

In college, “Spring Break” connotes one of two possible avenues: crazy whirlwind dream vacations with new friends OR slumming back to the family couch to binge-watch with a vengeance. And for the most of us, the latter hits closer to home

But what you may not have realized is that a good deal of the stars on screen have at one point or another taken the same trek down Commonwealth Avenue we take every day! Take a look at this list of famous actors and actresses who have either enrolled or graduated from Boston University!

Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) attended SFA 3 years, Hon. 1995