COM Ambassador Blog

Aidan: So You Did First Semester….Now What?

Hey team, Aidan here. So, as some of you know, I worked this summer with Orientation and helped a lot of the incoming COM Freshmen to figure out their first semester schedule. One thing that I have noticed is that, after first semester, COM freshmen are on their own completely to figure out their schedule. So, what I would like to do today is give my tips, from a COM Student perspective, for what your schedule should look like going into your second semester!

Keep it Balanced!

You know how you are supposed to eat a balanced breakfast? Well the same can be said about your schedule (but you shouldn’t eat it because a schedule is an intangible concept….). Don’t overload on one type of class, like taking four writing classes and still not doing your stats requirement.

Find Fun Ways to do your Pre-Reqs!

Remember your Freshmen/Sophomore Requirements? Yeah, you have to take two History Classes. Sorry, but it happens to all of us. So, I suggest you make the best of it! I don’t like history courses (can you tell?), but I got mine out of the way doing a Roman History course, which I ended up liking a lot. I purely did this because I liked Roman Mythology growing up, and so I took this course. What I am saying is, don’t be afraid of unorthodox classes to do your pre-reqs. Be adventurous!

Take Your Time

Dudes, though they call it “Freshmen/Sophomore Requirements,” you have all four years here at BU to do them. Don’t forget to take classes you want to take! Want to take an Acting course? Take it! You do have to do general elective credits at some point, spread them out as time for fun!

All in all, it is very hard to mess up your schedule completely. Just make sure you are taking COM201 and that you don’t overload yourself!

L.E.: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

There are roughly 16 weekends in a semester, and although Boston holds endless opportunities for weekend adventures, being in the North East provides a plethora of options to get out of town for a mini vacation.

I'm originally from Florida, the land where you need to own a car to get around, so I never really took the initiative to travel by myself. However, thanks to Boston's proximity to other major cities in the United States, it's easy to hop on a bus for a weekend getaway to New York City.

Here are a few easy ways to book your transportation to visit family, friends or even a whole new city:

1a. Commuter rails

Boston has several commuter rails that you can take to travel to a new part of Massachusetts or even other states. Personally, I have only taken the commuter rail to go to Providence, Rhode Island (an amazing city btw), but I have several friends that take it to visit Salem or just to go apple picking. So whether you have a friend that goes to Brown or you want a more suburban adventure, the commuter rail is fast and the fare ranges from $2.10-$11.50.

1b. Other commuter rails

These cheaper trains are found in more than just Boston. For example, this past weekend I took the Marc train from Washington, DC to Baltimore to get dinner with my brother while I was visiting a friend in DC. These trains can make your weekend trip kill two birds with one stone (or train) so check the local train schedules and see if there are any commuter trains that can take you from State A to State B.

2. Bus

There are several bus companies that pick up at South Station and can take you all across the east coast. Personally, I always stick with Megabus because they're reliable and have outlets and wifi on board. This is the most frugal way to get to nearby cities like New York and prices general start at $5. I suggest traveling with a friend the first time you go by bus, but once you get the hang of the bus system it's easy to take weekend getaways by yourself. The 4 hour drive is worth it to save yourself from a $100 plane ticket.

3. Plane

Now planes are generally more expensive, but it's sometimes worth it to spring an extra $50 and save yourself a 10 hour bus ride. If you're out-of-state like I am, you probably fly to and from Boston quite frequently throughout the school year. I found that flight companies like Southwest and Jetblue have great point systems that reward you the more you fly. So if you've saved up your points, a flight to Washington can cost you nothing (unless you're traveling on a holiday, which in that case take the bus- unless you have 30,000 points saved up).

Don't be afraid to venture outside the borders of Massachusetts! Besides, your best friend at NYU misses you and you deserve to treat yourself to a Broadway show every now and then. Look how happy my best friend was when I visited her for Georgetown's Homecoming weekend:

Hannah C: A Very Biased List of the Best On-Campus Jobs

When you’ve Ubered all over the city of Boston, you’ve bought all the clothes, you’ve seen every show, have eaten out every meal, and your wallet is crammed full of receipts, that’s when you know. It’s time to get a job. Finding an on-campus job is within reach, and so are the physical jobs themselves! Actually. It is so nice to go to work and then class with a minimal commute.

This list provides some options for those on the job hunt. It’s a compilation of some on-campus jobs my friends and I have held, and I hope you enjoy!

COM Ambassador

This job rocks. The job of a COM ambassador is to be the face of the college. CAs are the first people you meet as a prospective student on a tour, the answers to your questions at Open House, and the best point of contact during your first few weeks as a freshman.

If it wasn’t already obvious, I’m a COM ambassador—it’s why I’m writing this blog —and my personal favorite part of the job is Open House. On two Saturdays every April, we welcome accepted students to give them a taste of what COM is all about. Each time we host an Open House, we’re reminded of why we chose COM and BU, and it’s our chance to tell why. We’re also great company to chat with and keep you entertained throughout the day.

“I love meeting prospective students and helping them with such an important decision – choosing a college. When freshmen who took your tour tell you that you’re the reason they chose COM, it’s the greatest feeling.”

Stacy Schoonover, COM’17

Orientation Student Advisor

Remember Orientation? Remember the crazy kids who carried oversized signs and got down on the dance floor for Rhett’s Night Our? (If you’re not yet a BU student, you’ll meet them during the summer before your freshman year, don’t worry.)

I was one of those kids, the Student Advisors. I lived and worked with a group of people who in a few short months became some of my best friends, all while meeting a quarter of the COM Class of 2019 and registering them for classes. I don’t think I will ever laugh, dance or take ridiculous pictures on the job so much as I did as an SA. I had a stake in the success of the university for the first time as a student advisor: we worked hard as a group to pull off each session for BU and its students. We saw it what meant for BU to count on us, and I’m a different student because of it. If you came to Orientation last summer (S/O to anyone in group 42), I hope you enjoyed your session as much as I did. Apologies to anyone who witnessed me attempt the whip and nae nae.

“Being an SA allowed me to connect to incoming students, current students, and administrators in a way that made me feel more connected to BU. It made me realize that a ton of people at this university care a lot.”

Tim Green, COM’17

Office assistant

Many offices on campus—the number is myriad—are in need of student employees to handle administrative tasks, such as replying to emails and answering phone calls. It’s a gig that often allows for time for homework or reading, so you can read enough to expand your vocabulary to use fancy words like myriad. 😉

This job also provides an opportunity to learn about something outside your interests or become an expert about an academic department, such as your major. In this type of job, the people you work with most often is the student population, while scheduling appointments and answering questions.

“I was an office assistant at Marsh Chapel my freshman year; it was a work-study job. It was interesting because I never realized how popular Marsh Chapel was because of the legacy Martin Luther King, Jr., and Howard Thurman left until one of my responsibilities was to track where everyone came from at servcie. And every Sunday, there were people from all over the country. I think the farthest I recorded was Wyoming, and people from Maine and New Hampshire would use it as their regular service.”

Monica Nunez, SHA’16

“I love working at the CCD because I get to help younger students utilize all of the services that BU has to offer that will aid them in getting the most value out of their time here.”

Nika Witczak, Questrom’16

Student Activities (SAO) Event consultant

If your dream is to plan events, this is the closest you’ll get at BU. Every on-campus event needs an event consultant to help organizations take care of the details. Student employees in the SAO know everything that needs to get done in order for events to go off without a hitch.

“Being an event consultant can be stressful, but I absolutely love meeting new people (and I love my coworkers)! Plus we get to know in advance about all the cool events happening on campus – it’s pretty awesome to see how student groups are so motivated and I’m glad to help troubleshoot the problems they may come across. In general, the job is great because it’s a really fast-paced environment and I feel like I’m being helpful and productive while I’m there.”

Adrienne, CAS’17

Howard Thurman Center (HTC) ambassador

A lesser-known corner of campus, the HTC is a great place to meet new people and engage in conversations that challenge your perspective. Join the HTC for discussions about difficult topics and finding common ground with students of all backgrounds.

The HTC is a place for students to learn more about themselves and their place in the world, break down previous notions about social issues, and develop a strong sense of self.

“College presents a rare space where you are surrounded by vastly different perspectives and ideas. The HTC recognizes the importance of bringing those people together and having them engage in meaningful conversations. I’m really excited to be a part of the center and promote their mission.”

Naamit Tubul, CAS’17

Hanna: Why You Should Watch the Season 2 Premiere of Jane the Virgin this Monday, 9/8c.

Do you watch Jane the Virgin on The CW? You probably don’t. It’s on a network still aiming to shed it’s immature vibe and has an admittedly silly (yet wonderful) title. However, you should be watching, and as a Film and TV student here at BU, I feel it my duty to encourage you to do so.

Why You Should Watch It:

1. A BU COM alumna is on the writing team. I saw her speak at BU last year and we bonded over the fact that we are both #TeamMichael. Her name is Corinne Brinkerhoff and she is my idol.

2. It’s based off a telenovela and plays with the genre in a super fun way.

3. Gina Rodriquez, who plays Jane, won a Golden Globe for her performance. It was well-earned; she is funny, charismatic and charming on the show and she never misses a beat. In addition, she is beautiful, but she doesn’t look the way you may expect a female lead to look. She is Latino and she is not a tall, blonde rail. She is healthy (and she always looks great in her cute dresses ugh I love her) and if you follow her on Instagram, you can see that she’s super powerful from her love of kickboxing!! Really though, they make Jane above average in her personality, work ethic, and commitment to her beliefs, not because she looks more like a Barbie doll than everyone else watching at home. Gina portrays this character beautifully, and her performance is one that no one should miss.

4. Hot guys. But not typical hot guys! Let me explain.

4A. Brett Dier, who plays Jane’s friend and ex-fiance Michael, is goofy hot. It is impossible NOT to fall in love with his charm and quirkiness and he can give hope to guys everywhere who may not look like Ryan Gosling.

4B. Justin Baldoni. Ok, he looks as good as Ryan Gosling. He’s the typical male model type, but the fact that he looks perfect makes up for it. His appearance also works perfectly with his character — his behavior stems a lot from how he may have been treated because of his looks, and others also expect him to be a playboy because of it. He defies a lot of those silly stereotypes by becoming a genuine guy, and as the sperm-donor of Jane’s baby (sorry, are my random hints about the plot confusing? Don’t let it intimidate you!) he definitely has a lot of touching moments in the show. He rocks.

4C. Jaime Camil is a Mexican silver FOX and I want to hang out with him very badly. In my opinion he is the funniest part of the show. He plays Jane’s telenovela-star father who was out of her life until recently, and throughout the season he and Jane’s mother were potentially falling back in love. Gasp! Such a telenovela. Anyway, he’s sexy and he knows it, and he contributes beautifully to the generational aspect of the show.

5. Enough about hot guys, because even though they’re there, this show centers around the bond of three women. A grandmother, her daughter, and her daughter, to be precise, and they all live together to make the happiest of families. Jane’s mother Xiomara (how pretty is that name?) had Jane very young, but that didn’t stop the women from raising her to be a bright and balanced woman. Now they share a bond of friendship, support and understanding, and the way they handle battles together is inspiring. If you like empowered women, you’ll love them. If you like sentimental mother-daughter relationships, you’ll love them. If you love families, you’ll love them. If you love happiness, you’ll love them.

6. THE PLOT. All I’ll say is that it has an absurd premise of a girl artificially inseminated by a heartbroken lesbian. If I try to continue, you’ll think I’m insane. Somehow the writers created a twisted and constantly turning story, reflecting those of telenovelas, and made it a) understandable, b) riveting, c) tasteful, and d) incredibly high quality story telling. There isn’t a weak moment on Jane the Virgin, even when you think, “WHAT? HOW?” The strength of the characters drives each absurd addition and allows the audience to enjoy every moment, without scaring us away with its complexity. GENIUS I say!

7. THE PROGRESSIVE ASPECTS OF THE PLOT. The plot includes issues of gay marriage, highlighting that a lesbian character on the show is only able to marry in some states. After the Senate decision about national same-sex marriage, the writers tweeted the screenshot from that episode and remarked that they were VERY happy that that statement was now inaccurate. How cool.

They also deal with the issue of immigration, for Jane’s grandmother is not technically legal in the country. They touch on Christianity in the most subtle, interesting way, and they of course brought abortion into the mix while somehow avoiding an uproar. Although the show is not about a Latino family, it is about a family who is Latino, and the cultural insight that comes with the show is refreshing and necessary. Needless to say, the show does not shy away from social issues near and dear to our hearts, and it does so in a manner that seems to avoid major conflict!

After a near perfect first season of killer acting and a stunningly crafted plot, not to mention a gorgeous AND human-looking cast, we can confidently expect a brilliant ride with the second. I want this show to succeed and I want you to help me make it happen. Tune in Monday 9/8 central or find it on Hulu, and if you like it or dislike it, reach out to me and let me know! The only thing I love as much as watching Jane the Virgin is talking about it.

Chris: Greetings from London!

As the lone CA abroad, I guess it's my duty to say, if you can...GO ABROAD!!

Now, I'm not just saying that as a plug for BU Abroad or COM, after a month and a half of living in London I truly back that statement. This semester I'm taking part in BU's London Internship Program which is COM's largest abroad program.

Essentially, you take two intensive classes for six weeks, usually in your field of study, then for nine weeks you get to intern with a company in London while taking one other course.

Enough about the school stuff and more about London. It's definitely a nice change from Boston and BU's campus, the city is a step up in terms of pace (think New York City) and unlike Boston where you can walk everywhere, I've found myself taking the tube plenty of times.

Thus far, my favorite part of London was going to an NFL game at Wembley Stadium, which just happened this weekend! I'm a huge New York Jets fan, and on Sunday I was able to watch them play against the Miami Dolphins. The last few weeks, I was forced to watch the games at a casino at 6:00 pm to account for the five hour time difference between here and the east coast. But luckily this week I only had to wait until 2:30 pm. Before the game I was able to hang out with fellow Jets fans I've met at the casino and take in the NFLUK experience. Plus the icing on the cake was the fact that the Jets won and improved to 3-1!

Next week, we have fall break and I can't wait as I'll begin to travel around Europe a bit more than I already have. Thus far, many of my trips have been within England; I made my way to Dublin, Ireland last week, but next week I'll be going to Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid/Barcelona, Spain. And during the rest of October I'll be visiting Paris, France as well as Milan, Italy.

And if you aren't convinced that you should try and go abroad, here are my top 5 reasons for going abroad:

1) Get to make new friends!

I only came abroad knowing one other person in my program and have made a ton of friends, from people that live on my floor to people I have class with.

2) Culture Shock

Similar to the way you feel going to away to college for the first time, there is a bit of a shock when you go abroad. Sometimes you do get homesick, but in the end, you get to adapt to living in a completely different place, you adapt to a new culture, and even get to pick up new cool words (like saying queue instead of a line).

3) TRAVEL

This past summer I worked for an airline, so I obviously love all things travel. And when it comes to being abroad in the UK or Europe at large, you have easy (and relatively) cheap access to so many other countries, which is amazing!

4) Helps Your Resume

This one goes in line with culture shock, but living in another country and studying/working there is a huge benefit for your resume. Rather than going into an interview and saying you're an adaptable person, you can prove it by saying you went abroad, studied AND worked for a company where the office culture is different than office culture in the states.

5) Rule Social Media

If you want an easy way to make your friends jealous, just go out on the town and Instagram or post to Facebook whatever you're doing. Going to Stonehenge (only an hour away from London)? Instagram one of the seven wonders of the world and make your friends jealous while they suffer through midterms (and rain from a hurricane).

Kevin: If It’s Free, It’s For Me: Movie Pre-screenings Around Boston

The film student’s dilemma: I want to go to the theater, but dropping $10 every time I want to see a movie doesn’t exactly mesh with my “broke college student” budget.

The solution? The magical world of pre-screenings. You’ve probably gotten emails from the Film/TV department about a couple, but if you keep an eye out, a good amount of movies will have free promotional screenings a few weeks before they come out in theaters. Most of the time they do them to build hype, so the most you’ll have to do is fill out a slip with what you thought of the movie.

Check a few of these sites:

Gofobo.com – probably the best website to check, you can put in your zip code and it will tell you all the screenings and how to get into them. (The majority are open to the public, but some are based on contests)

Advancescreenings.com – Similar to Gofobo, but it seems like gofobo usually has a longer list.

Facebook – A lot of studios have on-campus reps, and they’ll have Facebook pages like Universal at BU or Warner Bros. at BU. They’ll post about screenings that are exclusive to BU students, so just bring your ID along and you’re good to go.

An added bonus of some of these screenings is that actors/directors will come along and do Q&A’s sometimes, so you can do a quick write-up and count it as a cinematheque. (Plus bragging rights to your friends when you get a selfie with actors.) You’d be surprised by the amount of big-name movies that have screenings—so far this semester I’ve gotten to see Black Mass and The Martian, and Steve Jobs is having one at the theater by the common this Thursday (10/8).

Esra: How to enjoy fall even if you hate it

Let me start off by saying I love fall, and fall in Boston is particularly beautiful. It never even occurred to me that someone might dislike fall until I was having a conversation with a friend who said she hated it because it gets colder, darker, and the days get shorter (touché). So, if you are one of those people who hates the sudden pumpkin obsession this time of year, I’ve got you covered with some ways to enjoy fall anyway!

1. Go apple picking or go to a pumpkin patch

Usually pumpkin patches and apple orchards are in the same area- so yay for two-in-one! Bonus: you can make an apple pie afterwards.

2. Make pillsbury holiday sugar cookies (the halloween ones are out in the fall)

I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like these cookies. I think the fact that they’re not available all year round adds to how great they are.

3. Check out the foliage

Even the biggest fall hater can’t deny the leaves are incredible this time of year. Bundle up and take trip to Boston Common or a nice walk down the Esplanade.

4. Boston Public Market

Don’t have time to make a trip to an orchard? Stop by Boston Public Market and get your fix of apple cider and apple cider doughnuts! A taste of fall without having to go far from campus!

5. Head of the Charles Regatta

This one is not quintessentially “fall” which is perfect if you’re not into the usual fall activities.

Eliza: Wait, I have to think about next semester already?

It may seem like the semester just started, but it’s already time to start thinking about the spring term. Schedule planning has been available for a few days, and registration is going to sneak up in a flurry of colorful leaves and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. For some people, it’s no worries – they know exactly what to do to stay on track for graduation, study abroad plans, or just their major. If you are not one of these people (I am not), then there’s a few ways to make sure that your registration process isn’t the most stressful experience of your semester.

Make an appointment with an advisor: This one may seem super obvious, but sometimes people forget that these amazing people are available to help you figure your life out. You can make an appointment by calling the office, or by stopping into Undergraduate Affairs during the week.
Check your curriculum guide: On the COM website you can find guides explaining what courses you might need to take for your major, or a guide to help remind you that you need to take another history class. Either way, they can make keeping track of your progress way easier than just guessing.
Talk to your COM Ambassador: Especially if you’re a freshman, you’re COM Ambassador can help you out with figuring out what classes you’ll take in the next semester.

The most important thing about registration is making sure you don’t let it stress you out too much! It should be exciting, not terrifying, deciding what direction you’ll take with classes.

Kreag: Tips for Surviving The School Year

Going into my sophomore year, I have discovered that returning to college is vastly different than arriving here for the first time as a freshman. I already have an established group of friends, as well as a wide range of activities that I was anxious to return to. There is no awkward adjustment period; instead I was able to jump right back into the college lifestyle I developed over the course of my freshman year.

However, there are still some universal challenges that I feel like all college students go through, whether you’re a freshman or a senior, so I’ve decided to compile a list of tips for surviving the school year.

Tip One: Learn to Balance Your Time

This is a problem I still encounter as a sophomore. As a freshman, it is definitely harder trying to balance social life, homework, and activities, but it is certainly possible. However, I was able to learn what worked and what didn’t in terms of balancing the various aspects of my daily life. For example, I realized that getting work done during the day is so much easier for me than waiting until night. During the day, I often find myself with a huge amount of free time, which I always managed to spend doing nothing, and then it would come to the evening and I’d be spending hours with friends instead of finishing up and essay or studying for a test. So, if you find yourself with an hour free between classes, sit down and do some reading, or maybe write a couple paragraphs for your next essay. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

And along the same lines, don’t overwhelm yourself. I know it may be tempting to involve yourself with seven different clubs, or begin working three part time jobs all while taking your four classes, but trust me, it is so easy to become overwhelmed by doing this. Make sure that you have enough time to breathe in between all of your activities. You have four years here, which means you have plenty of time to work various jobs or try different student activities. You don’t need to throw everything on your plate starting first semester of freshman year.

Tip Two: Study Groups

One thing I discovered freshman year was how helpful study groups are. Not only is it a great way to productively spend time with friends, it is also a great way to learn material by bouncing concepts and questions back and forth. Especially for COM students, I found that this is a great way to get through the COM101 tests.

Tip Three: Don’t Procrastinate

This is a huge problem for a lot of students. I know that I still procrastinate on things like readings and essays, but it is super helpful to get an early start. My New School Year’s Resolution was to begin my essays at least a week before it was due (and that’s still cutting it close!) I’ve found that even this small head-start on assignments dramatically reduces the stress that comes with essays, as I know I won’t be up until four a.m. the night before trying to write my way through a paper about the ancient history of Rome.

Stacy: How to Read the News as a Busy College Student

Reading the news is one of the most important things you can do as a COM major. Whether it's local news, campus news, national news or beyond... as a communications major you are expected to know about breaking news before other people.

For some, reading the news comes naturally. For others, it's a bit more of a chore. Here are some easy ways to stay educated, current and relevant in the news cycle:

1. Twitter.

I use it strictly as a news source. Start following the news shows you watch, radio shows you listen to, journalists you admire, government officials, sports teams, fellow journalism students, etc. In the morning I always check Twitter for 15 mins. Sometimes tweets lead me to videos, sometimes to articles or sometimes I just read the headlines. Either way, Twitter is an easy way to get connected and know what's going on in the world.

(Also try TweetDeck, you can separate your news tweets from your social tweets. This makes reading the news more efficient as your favorite comedians or Madison from down the hall won't be in the way while you're trying to read.)

2. News Apps

I personally like AP Mobile (Associated Press) and the New York Times App. You can get notifications for any breaking news. Sometimes I'll get the alert before the story appears on television or radio. Super nifty.

3. Student Subscriptions

As a student, you get a discount for a lot of publications (Boston Globe, New York Times, etc.) Definitely use these discounts while you still can! Also, in the second floor of COM by the elevator... there are papers (USA Today, New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, etc.) that are up for grabs! Free news is the best news.

4. Podcasts

A lot of radio stations have podcasts that outline what the major news stories of the day were. Only takes a few minutes of your time to get updated.

5. Buzzfeed

Buzzfeed does have a News section. Usually isn't as in depth as other news sources, but it keeps it brief and usually has some fun feature stories you wouldn't see in other places. Buzzfeed also has news quizzes - to check if you are in the know of what happened each week. A good tool to evaluate how well you're keeping up.

Hopefully you found this helpful!