Reflection – Page 4 – Kilachand Ambassadors Blog

Kilachand First-Year Seminars

By Jan Bhatt (CAS’23) and Michelle Roos (CAS’23)

Hey y’all!!

My name is Jan, and I am an English major on the Pre-Law track! I’m going to talk about my experience with freshman KHC courses as a humanities major, and my friend+roommate Michelle is going to touch upon her experiences as a STEM major. Please please please feel free to reach out to either of us if you have any questions or want to chat!

During my first semester, I signed up for a KHC seminar course called Global Shakespeares: Text, Culture, Appropriation. This was designed like an English course, which as an English major I thoroughly enjoyed. However, for the second semester, my advisor (go Eric!) suggested that I sign up for a course that is different from my major, and I signed up for a chemistry seminar called The Material World. This is the course that I’m going to elaborate on because it was very helpful, not only because it helped with HUB requirements, but also because I was able to learn and retain very important information revolving around climate change and resource depletion. I still remember the few cases that we studied in that class, and I love bringing them up when talking about accountability of large corporations. It was taught by Professor Linda Doerrer, who is a very fun, easy going and interesting professor. I enjoyed speaking with her and learning from her, especially due to her ability to simplify advanced concepts of chemistry. I am very grateful for the two Studio courses as well, because it enabled us to converse about the ongoing global humanitarian issues like immigration, racism, etc. It gave me a platform to participate in regulated, academic conversations about issues that are relevant to the current socio-political climate. I took both studios with Dr. Amanda Fish, who is absolutely wonderful, and is willing to be helpful to the best of her ability. The work-load seemed like a lot to me in the beginning, but that is mostly because I am a massive procrastinator and left the assignments to the last minute. I eventually got the hang of time management and not leaving most of my work to the last minute and it helped me a lot! So that would be a portion of my piece of advice: time management, and communication. Reach out to your professors if you are confused about the assignment, if you need an extension, or if you need extra help! Nine times out of ten, the professors are more than willing to accommodate and help you out! To summarize, my experience with first year KHC courses, minus some hiccups (mostly caused due to my personal shortcomings), was overall incredibly positive and rewarding!

Hi! I’m Michelle, a neuroscience major and chemistry minor in KHC. In the fall of my freshman year, I took the same Shakespeare seminar as Jan, where we were given the opportunity to read and analyze a wide range of adaptations of Shakespeare’s classic works. Last spring, I selected another first-year seminar entitled “Whose Schools: Power, Equality, and Public Education”. In this class, I found it insightful to learn not only of the inequalities in Boston Public Schools, but also how the education system ties into larger, systemic, socio-economic issues. In addition to these seminars, I also completed two semesters of Studio during my first year at KHC. I liked how most of the writing assignments for this class were relatively open-ended, with the opportunity to construct a research paper on any topic given in the second semester. I chose to write about the treatment of individuals with psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders under the U.S. healthcare and criminal justice systems; this paper is only one example of how a KHC class enabled me to consider the information relevant to courses in my major under a new light.

I am grateful to KHC and the academic advising I have received (shoutout to Amanda!) for encouraging me to take interesting classes that I would not have otherwise taken. These classes have allowed me to expand my interests and gain an interdisciplinary perspective of many of the world’s most challenging dilemmas. As a STEM major, I often find it more comfortable to stick to hardcore science courses than to grapple with the tough questions that are presented in KHC classes. Nevertheless, there is something especially rewarding about completing a difficult paper or engaging in a class discussion that I do not experience in my STEM classes. By forcing me out of my comfort zone, I believe that the courses that I have taken and will take in the future in KHC will allow me to emerge from college as a more well-rounded individual who is (hopefully) more prepared for graduate school.

How Kilachand and Questrom Have Shaped My BU Experience

By Rebecca Sarkisian (Questrom’23)

While there are many factors that influence each BU student’s unique college experience, there’s no doubt that which BU college you’re in has a major impact. For me, being a student in the Questrom School of Business and Kilachand Honors College has been a cornerstone of my time at BU. Questrom and Kilachand courses are different from each other, but being a student in both colleges has helped me in a few ways.

1. Exploring My Business Courses from Different Perspectives (and my Kilachand Courses from a Business Perspective)

Questrom and Kilachand courses are definitely distinct from one another! But that just means that there’s more opportunities to expand your thinking about different subjects. I personally like the way that Kilachand, with its focus on the global community, complements my business education. Kilachand encourages students to bring their knowledge from their major to their Kilachand classes. For example, for my Kilachand class on climate change, I wrote my final paper on mandating corporate environmental reporting standards similar to financial reporting standards. I’ve also definitely applied my Kilachand experiences to my Questrom courses as well.

2. Having a Plan to Fulfill Hub Requirements

One of the first things I did when I decided to attend BU was start making a spreadsheet of the courses I wanted to take throughout my four years here. I started with my required Questrom courses, then my Kilachand courses, and finally the courses for my Accounting concentration within Questrom. Then, I figured out which Hub units each required course satisfies. The BU Hub is essentially BU’s general education requirement, and can be fulfilled by courses both in and out of your major. When I planned it all out, I found out that my required Questrom and Kilachand courses will fulfill nearly all of my requirements, and I was able to fulfill the rest through my first-year Kilachand seminar selections. Obviously this will not be the same for everyone, but working with your advisors can help to determine your path through the Hub and how your major works with Kilachand.

3. Flexibility of the Kilachand Curriculum and Working with Advisors

Both Questrom and Kilachand have their own dedicated advisors, which has greatly helped me around course registration time. Being able to quickly go to Questrom drop-in advising, and then to an appointment with my Kilachand advisor has made the registration process so much smoother. All of the advisors do their very best to guide students’ unique academic paths. For example, working with my Kilachand advisor helped me realize that I could rearrange my Kilachand course load so that I’m not taking a 4-credit Kilachand course on top of the intensive 16-credit Questrom Core courses and additional Questrom Honors Program class I’m taking this semester. It’s also just reassuring to have a group of people to go to with questions throughout the year.

*One of the best parts of being in Questrom is walking into this building every day. Credit: Rebecca S.*

That’s just a little bit about my personal experience as a student in both Questrom and Kilachand. But no matter what you’re majoring in, you’ll find the support in Kilachand to shape whatever path you decide to take.

Getting Around Campus

By Matt Kim (CAS ‘22)

Above: Walking down Comm Ave during a sunset. The bustling atmosphere of students going about their day in West Campus really brings the city feel to life.

Boston is one of those walking cities. It’s walkable because things are close by, but it’s also walkable because the sights are so beautiful. Coming from a fairly small town myself, I was taken aback by the cityscape every time I walked to class in East Campus or to hockey practice in West. Many of you will start off your first year by walking around everywhere to get a feel of campus, and it’s the best way to do it! You get to explore the atmosphere and experience, firsthand, of life in a city college.

Whether you bike, skate, take the bus, or walk to class, there’s something for everyone. Since you’ll be living in the Kilachand dorm, you’ll be placed squarely in East Campus. If you want to make it to the other side of campus, it’s a short walk to the BU bus stop, or a pleasant 15 minute walk over. There are your Blue Bikes, where you can pay a small fee to borrow a bike if you’re really in a hurry; the bike lanes are wide and safe enough for bikers and the skateboarder/scooterer (is that a real word?). Alternatively, if you bring your own bike, Kilachand has a neat space to store it on the first floor. And of course, there’s the famous T that shoots down the entire length of campus. You can either pay per ride, or get a semester pass for unlimited use during the academic semester (found on the StudentLink). For those not familiar with the T system, it has stops all throughout BU’s campus, so it’s a quick and efficient way of travel. And not to mention, it goes directly into downtown Boston for a fun weekend with your new roommate(s) and friends!

The BU bus is my main method of transportation nowadays, since I have to travel back and forth from class to practice to research to home. The bus runs every day and during most hours of the day, so you can get around whenever you need to. You can download the BU bus app on your phone, and once you find the bus stops, it’s a piece of cake to catch a quick ride to wherever you’re going to. But walking has its perks too. You get to be surrounded by other students while walking down Baystate Road and admiring the beautiful scenery, or strolling past the BU Beach and the Esplanade, the GSU (George Sherman Union) building, and even Agganis Arena. Walking is both therapeutic and good for your health, especially after a year of staying inside. So whether you have your own wheels or just your feet, go out there and explore campus!

ENG & KHC: Balancing Academics, Extracurriculars, and Social Life

By Peyton Tierney (ENG’21) & Deema Abdel-Meguid (ENG’21)

DeemaPeyton — Peyton & Deema, March 2021: Four years later, still each other’s ENG and KHC partner in crime <3

Freshman Year (Don’t worry about the extra credits!)

Peyton: Freshman year on paper is daunting, and I’m not going to lie it wasn’t easy. Since both KHC and the engineering core curriculum are front-loaded, you will be taking 2-3 more credits than your peers who are either in just ENG or just KHC. The good news is the extra credits are primarily just for the first year, and once you get the hang of it you're in a better place to deal with the more fun and challenging work that follows in your next few years. Deema and I survived the freshman year workload while also joining clubs and making friends so we are here to tell you that you can do it too!

Deema: Freshman year certainly was not an easy one. I was maxed out on credits, signing up for a bunch of clubs and organizations and trying to maintain the clean pink and grey aesthetic I had chosen for my second floor KHC double. Finding a balance was challenging at first, but knowing I was not the only engineering student going through it helped tremendously. I quickly got into the swing of things. My peers and I encouraged and supported each other to keep pushing through. I distinctly remember Peyton, who was amazing at chemistry, teaching me about moles using a tree and leaves metaphor when we were freshmen. Who knows what would have happened in that class without her...

Eventually, freshman year was over, and it was on to the next. Being in ENG and Kilachand is more work than your major alone, but it is ABSOLUTELY doable and highly worth it. There is a lot of talk about the retention rate in Kilachand when you are an engineering student, but the reality is that if you are willing to put in the work and you value the balanced education Kilachand gives you, you will pull through and you will make some of the strongest academic connections imaginable when you do.

Advising (Plan ahead)

Peyton: I am graduating this year as a KHC, biomedical engineering student with a concentration in nanotechnology and completing the pre-med track while having studied abroad and worked in a lab for 3 years. It takes lots of advanced planning, good time management, and a lot of hard work and dedication, but you can accomplish whatever your goals are. And you don’t have to do it alone, you have a veritable fleet of advisors to help you navigate class registration, extracurriculars, and future planning. I have a KHC advisor, an ENG advisor, and a premed advisor to ensure that I am fulfilling all of the necessary requirements for my degree. All are extremely supportive of my goals and have also helped me plan what research/extracurricular I should strive for as well as helped refine my post-grad plans.

Deema: Throughout my time in the Honors College, I worked with my ENG advisors and my KHC advisors to flesh out my schedule and academic goals. At one point, I wanted to minor in Biology, and even with my Kilachand schedule and requirements, I was able to work with the department to make it possible. I ended up starting a minor in Mechanical Engineering and was able to take a few extra classes and opportunities to work towards it. My advisors were supportive every step of the way.

Peyton and Deema in Salem for Halloween, 2017 (Left), and having high tea at the Boston Public Libraries, 2017 (Right)

Finding Balance (Class, Life, Lab)

Peyton: While good time management is essential to managing the busy schedule of ENG KHC student, finding activities you enjoy and friends to hang out with is critical to your success and wellbeing. Growing up with a family who plays a lot of boardgames, I joined the BU Boardgame club my freshman year. Through this group, I met the majority of my friends outside of KHC and ENG and used our Thursday night meeting times as both incentives to finish all my weekly problem sets a day early and to ensure I always had a night off to have fun. Boardgames have been a part of my weekly routine for 4 years now, and I am the current president of the club. Making sure to give yourself a couple of nights off every week despite how busy you are is a great way to ensure you always have the energy you need for your busy schedule. Managing lab work and classes also gets easier starting your junior year as you are finished with the engineering core curriculum and have a greater say over your electives and class schedule. This makes scheduling blocks of time to participate in research a lot smoother. Also, there are a number of opportunities for paid summer/semester research work for engineering students so you can get paid for these hours.

Deema: Looking back on my four years at BU, it was really the people I met who helped me find balance. It was the friends I made in my Dance Theater Group who made the late rehearsals after a long day of academics worth it. It was my colleagues in my research labs who were also up late nights making incredible research happen who helped me push through my own late nights. It was the Brothers I met in my professional fraternity who became my family in Engineering and made me smile during the tougher weeks. It was the KHC friends that I got to bond with during classes that made every moment in Kilachand worth it. Finding balance for me was about finding the right support groups and people who kept me on my toes and reminded me of the activities that I enjoy the most. Balance was about finding moments between classes like walking or eating at the dining hall to catch up with friends.

Making time for the things you love and the people you care about (including yourself) is absolutely key for navigating whatever academic path you choose to pursue. Taking care of your physical and mental health, whatever that looks like for you, will re-energize you and enable you to better fulfill your obligations. The road was bumpy at times, but here I am getting ready to graduate!

Peyton and I have done almost every project possible together when given the choice. We are both BME, so we have been in most of the same classes both within KHC and in ENG. We always worked together well, but it was really the common experience we shared of both being in KHC and having similar ways of thinking that brought us success and honestly a lot of fun while we worked on a ton of deliverables together. Our story is not unique, and many people in ENG and KHC tend to pair up because they are the best equipped to support each other through the entire process.

Peyton: My best piece of advice is finding a group of friends to become your study group. Since we all tend to be busy, we often schedule longer than necessary group meetings or study sessions so that we can also use these work periods to hang out. These study sessions work even when we are not working on the same sets of assignments, it's just nice to have the blocked off to keep each other accountable and catch up on the week!

Existential Crises and Cookies: My Experience in KHC UC 105

By Nicole Chiulli (CAS’23)

Liberty, Fanaticism (Religious and Secular), and Civic Unity (also known as UC105, a philosophy course); this was my Fall first-year seminar in KHC, and I’ll be honest - to this day, I still have no idea why I chose to take it.

I’ve always been a lover of STEM; I knew with absolute certainty coming into college that I was going to major in neuroscience. I appreciate the concreteness of science, the clear answers and tangible outcomes. It’s how I entered neuro in the first place - I studied psychology in high school, and found myself frustrated at the open-endedness of it all. It seemed to me that there were no actual answers; just contradicting theories, innumerable “what-if’s” and “possibly, maybe’s.” The subjectivity of it disheartened me. I was amazed by the human mind and all it entailed, but psychology was unfulfilling and general biology was unsatisfying. (Of course, once I discovered that I could major in neuroscience specifically, I was sold - going into painstaking detail about anything and everything neurobiological was exactly what I wanted.)

In other words, I thrive on working with the physical problems of the world. Which explains why, when I told my parents which course I chose for my first semester, they looked at me with a whole new level of incredulousness. My dad recovered first, concealing his confusion with a hesitant, “Well, I’m glad you’re leaving your comfort zone.” My mom asked me point blank: “Why on earth would you do that?”

I really didn’t have an answer. I remember scrolling through the first-year seminar options, meticulously reading each description. They all looked interesting, and a good number of them lined up with subjects I liked. And yet, for some reason, I got stuck on UC105. I kept going back to the description, couldn’t get it out of my head despite the many choices which fit me better. I had never taken a class before on the topics it listed, had never even mentioned them throughout high school. Philosophy was something completely unfamiliar to me, and everything I knew about myself suggested that I would hate it.

I took it anyway. I remember my first day of the class, walking through the doors of the School of Theology; it was held in a cozy little room on the fifth floor where there was a single long table and, three out of the four walls were entirely covered by bookshelves. There were twelve of us, and we sat around the table with Professor Griswold at the head. We went over the course structure - there were no exams, no final projects. We simply had to read different material for every class by various philosophers; then, every week we each had to write a one page paper which somehow connected to the class topics. Over the semester, we were all expected to read at least two of our papers out loud to the class and lead discussion, but other than that, there were no assignments.

I remember trying to write my very first paper and having no idea where to begin. These papers had no prompts, just a strict one-page limit and the vague direction to be thoughtful. This was bizarre to me, and it was two in the morning, and all of the philosophical jargon from the readings was making my brain hurt. So, I wrote a page about how entirely confused I was. I pointed out all of the things I didn’t understand, and why I didn’t understand them, and how I was approaching them in my head. Basically, it was an entire page of my inner monologue, stream-of-consciousness style. The next day I regretfully handed it in with the knowledge that I was going to fail my first paper. Imagine my surprise when it was marked as an A.

From there, things only went up. Class consisted of an hour and fifteen minutes of pure conversation. We would talk, ask questions, argue - sometimes about the readings and our papers, sometimes about things going on in the world around us. I won’t spoil the topics for those who are planning on taking it, but they were ridiculously engaging. We would debate and debate and debate and come up with no answers. My suitemate happened to be in the class with me, and she and I would press on for hours back in our dorm. Both in and out of class, we would agonize over philosophical questions, having minor existential crises every other day. At some point in the semester, Professor Griswold began bringing in cookies - “vitamins for the mind,” as he called them - to sustain us throughout our endeavors. Every class ended with more questions than we started with, and we never reached any conclusions. It was frustrating and painful and confusing, and surprisingly, I loved every minute of it.

Somewhere along the line, I realized that we never would find the answers, and that that was okay. I learned that thinking through the abstract, impossible questions isn’t pointless, even when there’s no solution in sight. I gained a better understanding of myself, my friends and my world in the process (and ate a whole lot of cookies). To this day, UC105 remains my favorite class I’ve ever taken. The professor was amazing, the topics were fascinating, and the class structure was awesome. I don’t know why I took it, but I’m incredibly glad that I did.

Compare and Contrast: Confessions of Siblings in KHC

By Kadie Cathcart (CAS’23)

For just barely being a freshman in high school in August of 2015, moving my sister into Kilachand Hall for her first semester of college was an eye-opening experience for me. As cliché as it may sound, BU felt like home to me from that day on. Reflecting back on that moment as I finish my second semester of sophomore year, I can’t help but think about how significantly KHC has continued to impact myself and my family. My sister Charlotte graduated in 2019—the same year I started at BU—from both KHC and the College of Engineering with a degree in mechanical engineering. Now a PhD candidate at Princeton University, I thought I would compare and contrast our experiences as two very different KHC students.

1. What was/is your experience like in KHC?

Charlotte: KHC was my break from a rigorous STEM schedule in mechanical engineering. In my major studies, every question had an answer, neatly binarizing my work into “right” or “wrong.” KHC classes gave me a chance to discuss bigger, more conceptual problems with my friends and peers, each with their own expertise or bias. We examined things critically and explored the moral or ethical shades of gray that exist in real world problems. While this might not be as satisfying as having a clearly defined solution to whatever problem was at hand, I found these conversations, and the community that fostered them, so fulfilling.

Kadie: For me, as a political science student, KHC offers a more intimate space outside of a lecture hall surrounded by hundreds of other students. Typically where my non-KHC courses fail in leaving much room for discussion or analysis, my KHC courses make up for. I thoroughly enjoy discussing our curriculum through my specific policy/political centered lens while simultaneously hearing analysis from my peers through their differing major and minor focuses. My KHC classes have been the place where I really develop my opinions on a number of academic and social topics which I can bring to my other classes. Unlike my sister, who experienced very little interdisciplinary overlap, the convergence of my non-KHC and KHC courses have both focused and broadened my thinking as a student.

2. How did you meet friends when starting at KHC?

C: Honestly, mostly from classes and luck! I also did the tried and true method of leaving my door open for the first week or so of freshman year which let me meet my hallmates, as well as talking to them after our floor meetings hosted by our RA. Truly, though, our discussions in KHC studio classes let me talk to and get to know my classmates, and then that branched off into hanging out at the dining hall or the 9th floor together! Then I met their roommates and their friends, then their roommate’s friends, and on and on until finally I’d met my entire class! I met my best friend and future roommate at KHC just by hearing my other friends mention that she had great notes for our chemistry class and so we headed to the 9th floor to see them. You never really know how or why you’ll meet your people, but KHC let me meet everyone in the program quickly so I could find them easier!

K: Similar to my sister, the spider-web of existing KHC student relationships is how I met a lot of my class. As daunting as it was to transition from knowing most people in my high school to knowing no one entering college, putting yourself out there is the best advice I can give on making friends. My roommates and I did a lot of knocking on other people’s doors in KHC just to say hi and introduce ourselves during the first few weeks. From these initial meetings it was much easier to recognize people in classes and get to know them better. My current roommate and I met while walking from KHC to Nickerson Field for Splash; both being political science students we decided to walk around the tables together and through conversation realized we had classes together! From that point on we started sitting next to each other in classes, walking back to KHC after, and hanging on the weekends in our dorm rooms. It truly only takes making one connection to get to know everyone in KHC!

3. Where did you prefer studying within KHC? Are you a 9th floor girl or common room girl?

C: Absolutely the 9th floor. I would spend entire evenings up there with a group of friends hanging out under the guise of working. I actually had to study in my room to get any actual work done because the 9th floor was really my favorite spot to socialize.

K: I am also team 9th floor. The 9th floor is great if you need a change of scenery while studying or doing work and also, of course, is a great place to socialize and get away from studying or doing work. It was also great for getting help from KHC classmates on assignments and topics.

4. What was your favorite KHC class you took? Who was it with?

C: It’d have to be a tie between my freshman year seminars — Spaces of Art with Professor Dana Clancy (a wonderful class on art and curation in contemporary museums, which meant our classrooms were the great museums of Boston! Weekly trips out to the ICA, MFA, ISG, and Harvard Art were an incredible way to get to know my classmates and the city) or Broken Bones, Buried Bodies: Forensic Anthropology and Human Rights with Dr. Jonathan Bethard (now working at USF). Each allowed open-format discussion between students, hands on exploration of the course’s materials, all with the insight and guidance from some of the most thoughtful and passionate teachers I’ve ever had.

K: I would also have to say my favorite course was the forensic anthropology class offered in my freshman year of study called Fractured Lives and Bodies: Forensic Anthropology, Disasters, and Human Rights with Professor Sean Tallman—an updated version of the exact course my sister took four years before. This class was quite a step outside my comfort zone and truly allowed me to get a new understanding of a topic I most likely would never have learned about if not for KHC.

5. Since graduating from KHC what have you taken with you from the program?

C: The ability to care and critically think about a variety of topics! The work we did examining ethics across disciplines - public health, history, ecology, engineering, literature - impacts and inspires the way that I navigate the world and academia. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to participate in such illuminating, sometimes infuriating, always exciting discussions over the course of my studies in KHC. From all of that work in presenting our own ideas as well as listening and absorbing those brought by other students or scholars, I feel as though I’m always ready, willing, and excited to talk with basically anyone about basically anything. In graduate school, your studies can become so hyper-individualized that it can be hard to break back into the big wide world of reality. I like to think that the work I did while in the KHC program helps keep me more well-rounded (academically and on the whole) than I would have been otherwise.

My sister, Charlotte, and I at my matriculation!

3 Tips for Students Attending College During the Pandemic

By Yash Patel (Questrom’23)

Living through a global pandemic has taught us to value some of the most basic things we used to take for granted. Whether it’s going to class in person, or simply shaking hands with someone you meet. As a business student at BU, the pandemic has brought both new challenges and new opportunities in my college experience.

As the smart and dedicated BU students we are, learning to overcome these challenges is something we all learn in college. Personally, the pandemic has taught me to adapt to dynamic environments and make the best of what I have. Although the learning atmosphere is not ideal, I have managed to maintain my grades and continue to expand my extracurricular activities.

I spent my Fall of 2020 semester on campus and I am currently spending the majority of my Spring semester at home. Attending college on and off campus during the pandemic has allowed me to understand some key differences. Over the past year, I have developed a list of three tips for students attending college during the pandemic. These three tips have been the key to success for me in college over the past few months. They have allowed me to create new opportunities and maintain my well-being even during these unprecedented times.

1. Virtual Attendance

Although most students are discouraged when a class or club meeting is held virtually, I have learned to use this to my advantage. Virtual class means you can attend it from anywhere! No more waking up late and running to class. Sometimes I attend class in bed still under the covers (This is a bad idea. I fall asleep 90% of the time). Attending class virtually also means everything is recorded. This allows me to prioritize what is important. Just recently I had a midterm in accounting coming up. So I decided to study for it instead of attending my IS class. After the midterm, I rewatched what I missed.

Virtual attendance does not apply to just classes but also clubs. It allows me to expand my extracurricular activities. I have joined so many new organizations across campus because of the convenience of being able to attend their meetings from my own room. Not only that but career fairs and special events are also held virtually. There is no excuse to not attend them! It’s so easy!

2. Organize

This one might sound obvious but it is extremely important. Before the pandemic, I was always an organized student. I had a list of things to do throughout the day and I checked it off as the day went by. But attending college now is very different. On top of the list of things to do, you need some type of digital planner that keeps track of all the meetings you have throughout the day. A space where you can write down all the Zoom links for these meetings is very important. Some days I have more extracurricular meetings to attend than actual classes! Keeping everything organized is very important! I learned this lesson after having to scramble for Zoom links last minute and being late to meetings haha.

3. Take a break

Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a break. Even just a 30-minute nap sometime during the day helps. Sitting in front of a screen all day can be exhausting and it drains your energy. Take a nap or do something away from your desk. When the weather is nice, I like to ride my penny board up and down Bay State Road. Sometimes my friends and I go on bike rides on the Esplanade and into the city. These types of activities allowed my brain to reset. Although it sounded silly at first, but I realized this was one of the most helpful habits I learned to do as I attend college in the pandemic.

As life slowly returns to “normal,” my college life will forever be changed. I joined so many new clubs because of my ability to attend them virtually. I have learned to constantly check my planner throughout the day and add every little event to it. Lastly, I have also learned to do small things I enjoy for at least 30 minutes every day. As talented and innovative BU students, we have to learn to come up with small and simple solutions to continue to make our college experience a successful one. Good luck with yours and be sure to share any tips you have!

Riding my penny board down Bay State Road right outside of Kilachand Hall to take a short break.

High School vs. College

By Cathy Cheng (ENG’23)

Thinking back to my senior year of high school, I remember being extremely excited ⁠— but, at the same time, so incredibly nervous ⁠— about what college would be like. I spent my summer browsing Pinterest for dorm ideas, researching study hacks, scrolling through social media, and taking more Buzzfeed quizzes than I care to admit…

But ultimately, even with all of that planning, my college experience was nothing like I had expected. So, to all of the high school seniors ⁠— or anyone else who’s curious! ⁠— here are some of the major differences I’ve noticed between my high school and college experiences:

1. Dorm Life

One of the biggest changes for me in college was dorm life. Even as someone who’s shared a room with their older sister for their entire life, I found it to be such a strange experience. For many of us, this may be the first time we’re living on our own. And while there certainly will be challenges along the way, take this as an opportunity to meet new people and also learn more about your own preferences!

2. Social Life

When it comes time to commit to colleges, chances are that you and your friends will be heading off to different places. While it can be difficult to adjust in your first few weeks and make new friends, just know that it does take time. But I’ve found that there many more opportunities to meet others in college, especially on an urban campus at a large university like BU. Be open to new experiences, but also make sure you’re keeping in touch with old friends!

3. Schedules

The summer before my first semester at BU, as I was planning out my schedule, I remember being so thrilled about just how much I had in my day. Everything had worked out perfectly: I was out of class by practically 1pm every day!

I was in for a wake-up call, however, when I met with my advisor: I hadn’t included a single discussion or lab.

Even after accounting for any discussions or labs, there are still some other differences. At my high school, students typically took 7-8 classes a semester. In college, that number falls to 4-6. And you have much greater freedom in designing your college schedule ⁠⁠— assuming your classes don’t fill up! Pro tips for planning your first schedule: don’t forget discussions/labs, take into account how far your classes are from each other on campus, and don’t forget to save time for lunch!

4. Classes and Assignments

Closely related to schedules are your classes and assignments. In most courses, assignments are usually due once a week. While that may sound like a relief, these are not designed to be completed the night before. So plan ahead!

And unlike at many high schools, there are rarely classroom copies of textbooks which can be rented out each semester. With 4-6 classes a semester, textbook costs can add up. Look into alternatives to buying textbooks new!

Finally, midterms aren’t actually...mid-term. Instead, many courses plan for 2-3 “midterms” (or projects) alongside a final.

5. Resources

Now, that might sound like a lot at this point. And it can be. But at the same time, there are many resources that you have access to as a college student. On the academic/career side, you have your faculty advisor at your college (in addition to a peer mentor and Kilachand advisor at KHC!), office hours, the Center for Career Development, and career fairs. On the recreational side, you have access to the Charles River and the Fitness and Recreation Center! And there are plenty of other resources as well ⁠— be sure to check out the very first post on this blog!

One of my most intriguing memories is going with a friend to one of the workshops hosted by the Center for Career Development on professional dinner etiquette. If you ever get the chance, RSVP for free food and the chance to learn how to hold your fork...the right way.

6. Independence

I’ll end it off on a high note!

In college, you can expect immense independence. While it can be easy to get stuck on the campus bubble, put yourself out there and explore the city! And make sure that you take advantage of all of the opportunities that you’ll have in these next four years!

*The Boston Public Library. Credit: Cathy C.*

Ultimately, no amount of reading or hearing about other people’s experiences can truly prepare you. Just remember: everyone is coming into college for the first time. It takes time to figure things out. But at the end of the day, remember to have some fun!

Common Room Conversation

Hello, hello!

I am Susritha Kopparapu, a junior double majoring in Biology and Computer Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

And I am Emily Oros, a junior studying Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering with a minor in biology.

We are both from Massachusetts and were roommates our freshman and sophomore years. Although we are no longer living together, we have become great friends and it’s all thanks to our time living in Kilachand Hall.

Watch our video to hear us talk about some of our experiences our freshman year!

You might have heard us talking about FIRs, who are Faculty-in-Residence. These are professors who serve as mentors and role models for the students in their living and learning dorm. They are always up for conversation, whether that be about academics, careers, or hobbies. In our experience, FIRs are a critical resource especially during the transition from high school to college, and the relationships that develop have lasting impacts beyond your freshman year.

Thanks for listening to us reminisce about the good old days :,)

-- Emily and Susritha