Vending machines.

I would like to write about something extremely important to me - the vending machines on campus, and their evil vendetta against me.

You might think that I’m exaggerating severely, but oh, no, if only I could make this up. You see, I am slightly addicted to Sprite. Maybe more than slightly addicted. I’m lucky enough to be on a campus that carries Coke products, so the vending machines are supposedly well-stocked. I am quite used to said vending machines being sold out of Sprite when I have a craving, and it is always a slightly letdown to swipe my Eagle card, hit the Sprite button, and see that tragic “SOLD OUT” flash at me. Or the other day, when I was taking a break from tutoring in the Math Lab and needed something to drink, I got a very unfortunate “CASH ONLY” notice. Honestly, hardly anyone carries cash on this campus. You just don’t need it, your Eagle Card does everything. When the Sprite is not sold out and the machine decides that it’s accepting cards, though, the excitement I get upon hearing the machine make vending noises is ridiculous, as I anticipate my beautiful can of soda popping out at the bottom.

As if it weren’t bad enough that the machines like to run out of my most precious commodity, though, sometimes they just like to mess with my head. Earlier in the semester, when I was watching a movie with some friends, I needed Sprite- badly. So I grabbed a friend, took the elevator down to the lobby of Edmond’s, swiped my card, and hit the Sprite button. I heard vending noises- the sure sign of success!- and got giddy with anticipation of my bubbly refreshment. The clanking and machine noises seemed to be taking a bit longer than usual, and suddenly ceased, but no Sprite had appeared yet. I shot my friend a very confused look, and then glanced at the machine. “SOLD OUT.”

EXCUSE ME? “Sold out”??? Then why did you clink and clank at me, Mr. Vending Machine? Seriously. You’re not supposed to make vending noises unless you are going to VEND.

Well, you can imagine that I really, really needed Sprite now, especially because I thought I was going to get some. So my friend and I trotted over to the next building (Walsh), waited for someone to let us in, and then went over to the vending machine. I swiped my card, hit the button for Sprite, and heard the much-anticipated clinking and clanking noises. SUCCESS! Really, machines only make those clinking and clanking sounds when it’s going to provide the selected beverage. That one in Edmond’s was just a fluke. I surely had the unfortunate luck or having had the person before me buy the last Sprite, was all.

Wait, what? Where is my Sprite, Mr. Walsh Vending Machine?? “SOLD OUT”? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Okay, this just means war. Not only do I still have no Sprite, oh, no, that’s not enough for these machines. They must also fake me out with their stupid clinking and their absurd clanking.

At this point, my friend described me as being like a very angry pregnant woman being denied the one treat she is desperately craving. That’s why he quite happily followed along as I stormed off to find the vending machines in the next building, the Gate. At least my plight was providing entertainment for someone, I suppose. At any rate, we find the vending machines, though it doesn’t look promising- the snack machine is completely empty- but I swipe my card any way. The clinking and clanking sounds now mean nothing to me… I must have managed to un-Pavlovian dog myself. What’s that actually called? Extinction of classical conditioning. Thank you, psych class.

Wait, really? There’s actually Sprite here??? YES! THANK GOODNESS!

The snow lay on the ground...

So, this morning I was awoken by my roommate at 9:30 because it was snowing. Great white fluffy bits of sky were falling outside my window. The excitement was palpable.

I went down to McElroy to grab some food with a friend from my hall. After that I came back to my room and started my last chemistry homework of the semester before another friend texted me and asked if I would go to Mac with her; always up for food and prolonging any work, I obliged. After a french fry fueled discussion of the weekend's events, we decided we should go back up to Gonzaga and try to get some work done, it being finals week and all.

Back in my room, I make some raspberry tea and snuggle up under a blanket to check my email, then my Facebook, then the yoga schedule, then my Facebook and email again in case anything had changed. After feeling as if I had wasted enough time, I decided to start planning out my study schedule. We only have one more day of class tomorrow (Monday), and then two study days before finals week. Then I decided you, as a prospective student at Boston College, would love to hear about my day thus far and wrote this blog entry.

Tonight, I'll probably go to Mac again to grab some dinner and then possibly to a coffee shop near campus for an a cappella show and then Christmas Mass on Lower. It all depends on how much work I accomplish in the next few hours.

Until we speak again,

Kristin

It is the End of the World (Semester) as We Know It

So the semester is winding down; and by winding down I mean in the last week I've done more work than I thought was possible for one human being. If you're starting to feel sorry for me, I've also managed to watch almost the entire third season of Grey's Anatomy. What I have not done is sleep.

Today I turned in my final project for my documentary film class with Professor Michalczyk. I decided to make a press kit for Errol Morris' Film The Thin Blue Line. The documentary is a gripping quest for justice in a 1980's murder case. When I delivered my project, Professor Michalczyk suggested I watch Morris' film Standard Operating Procedure on the Iraq War next.

This afternoon, I went to the math lab like I always do, even though I've turned in my last homework for the semester. I talked with my friends for a bit before going upstairs to the English department in Carney to meet with a Professor I hope to have in class next semester. After that I walked down to lower with a friend and caught the Comm. Ave bus in front of Conte forum. The Comm. Ave bus takes students, mostly juniors, who live off campus home as well as allowing all students a quick trip to Cleveland circle or to Boston as the bus allows students easy access to both the D and C line. I made a quick trip to Boston before returning to my room to do work.

Around 6, my friend Jane who lives down the hall texted me to see if I was planning on going to the review session my Gen Chem teacher was holding tonight for our test on Friday. After grabbing a quick bite in Mac (McElroy), we went over to Higgins for the session. Now I'm back in my room, working on my papers for my writing portfolio and contemplating another episode of Grey's. Then I think I'm going to hit the sack early tonight and rest up before finals next week.

Until next time,

Kristin

A Day in the Life of a Math Major

Monday, December 1

• 8:57AM- My alarm goes off. I hit snooze after exactly one second of "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows.
• 9:06AM- My alarm goes off again. I hit snooze again.
• 9:11AM- I finally roll out of bed, wrap myself in my blanket, turn off my alarm, and sit at my computer.
• 9:23AM- I realize I should probably stop Facebooking and start getting ready for the day. I grab some clothes and hop in the shower.
• 9:36AM- I'm back at my computer again. Whoops!
• 9:42AM- I head out of my building, across the parking lot and up through the parking garage elevator. I'm just not feeling the Million Dollar Stairs today.
• 9:58AM- I arrive in Fulton for my Abstract Algebra class just in time to get back the exam we had before Thanksgiving break, and then settle in for some note-taking.
• 10:52AM- My roommate and I arrive in Hillside, snatch a table (surprisingly, there are some empty ones today!) and get in line for sandwiches. One of my friends who works there makes me a fantastic chicken club with lots of honey mustard, and I take an extra side to go with my frips (fries+chips=...). Honey mustard is heaven, but I could seriously live off of honey mustard with frips.
• 11:28AM- Realize I didn’t finish my Probability homework. Take out said homework, realize I actually had finished it after all, and put it away again.
• 11:47AM- Roomie and I arrive in our Probability classroom to get our ideal seats, and also start taking down the notes the professor has already put on the boards while discussing the He Said/She Said column of The Heights.
• 12:53PM- Head over to Carney to tutor in the Math Lab for a couple hours, and spend some time grading math homework for Calc 2 when no one needs tutoring.
• 3:00PM- Run back to Edmond’s to grab my ID and blood donor card so I can go to the blood drive.
• 3:30PM- Check in at the blood drive in Gasson, work on a paper while I wait, then donate blood, eat some cookies and drink some juice. For some reason, cookies at blood drives are fantastic. Maybe it’s the lack of blood.
• 5:00PM- Meet up with my aunt for a while, have some nice conversations.
• 5:50PM- Meet up with a classmate to work on our Psychology project. Spend an hour or so analyzing our data and talking. Her room in 90 is fantastic, I’m very jealous of her bay windows.
• 7:54PM- Arrive back in my room, and start trying to read for my Psych exam I have on Thursday. One of my friends comes by to show me the BC Men’s Ice Hockey poster, and point out where we are on it. We look at the poster for a good fifteen minutes or so, discussing how cheesy and poorly photo shopped it is, but how much we enjoy it anyways.
• 8:11PM- She leaves and I start reading again.
• 8:23PM- Another friend comes in to talk about Christmas present ideas. We finally figure out what she should get, and I finish my last page of reading.
• 8:49PM- I head next door to Walsh to do some work and hang out with two of my sophomore friends. One of them puts in a load of laundry, and we go back to her room to talk and look over the script proposals for the CCE's next murder mystery comedy show. Very little work is accomplished.
• 11:18PM- We realize the laundry has been left in the washing machine for at least an hour extra, and run down to put it in the drier. I make her use her Eagle card to buy me some Reeses Cups. Go back upstairs and proceed to spend an hour watching youtube videos, including Disney Sing-along Songs. We keep an eye on her laundry this time using LaundryView on the UGBC website.
• 12:40AM- When my friend goes down to get her laundry, I decide I should head home and go to bed. Arrive back in my room to find a note from my roommate on my desk saying "I like your face." Leave her a note that says "I like your face more," and go to bed.

Earbuds and Strangers

So, here I was walking down Linden Lane about two weeks ago (above). I was headed towards the bus stop to go back to Newton campus, coming from the fourth floor of Lyons Hall, where I had been practicing piano skillz for my music theory class (and just for fun - consequently, there are 10 or 11 practice rooms in Lyons and some elsewhere around campus with pianos in them that are almost always available, if you want to play).


Anyway, I was walking back, listening to my iPod, when I happened to run into my Perspectives professor (Perspectives is a core curriculum course that combines two semesters of theology and two semesters of philosophy into one year-long course, gets rid of core requirements and is one of the most interesting - albeit most difficult - classes I am taking and that I have heard about). We talked for a little bit, which struck me as awesome, considering the size of the school and the number of things she probably had to get done (we have a pretty intimate class, 21 kids, though my largest lecture is Gen Chem and is only 51). When we were leaving, she said, "You know, you shouldn't have both of those ear buds in when you're walking around; it makes it seems like you're trying to avoid interaction" (which, as you may have guessed from my posts, I generally don't do - I am pretty outgoing). So, I tested this theory, and low and behold, in the past two weeks there has been a noticeably different connection with people around me when I wear one, none or both ear buds. Even between strangers, get a head nod or smile with at least one ear open, but when I have both in, I get the *glance/avoid gaze* type deal. So there are two lessons: most people here are friendly enough to make a connection while walking by a complete stranger, and when in public, try not to wear both earbuds and it will open you up a little.

Hooray extracurricular lessons! Thanks to my professor for the insight, and please come back to see another update within a week!

BBFN, YFN Joe! (see last post)

This is my life.

Hey Guys,

My name is Kristin Canfield. I'm from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and I'm a freshman at BC in the College of Arts and Sciences. As of now, I plan to double major in math and English and possibly be pre-med or pre-law (I'm only a freshman). I live on Upper Campus with about 60% of my fellow freshman, which means I have the luxury of rolling out of bed at 8:52 and still making it to my 9:00 am General Chemistry class. Skills, I know.

So far at BC, I've been involved with the Figure Skating Club and Student Admissions Program, and I tutor a high school student in math through the Neighborhood Center. I also am really interested in a organization on campus called the Global Justice Project, but so far it has been difficult for me to make their meetings. This semester I'm taking General Chemistry, Multivariable Calculus, First-Year Writing Seminar, Economics, and Documentary Films.

As a freshman, the "college process" is still fresh in my mind, so I understand how stressful and confusing it is, but trust me, it'll work out. Well that's all I have for you right now, so Good Night and Good Luck.

Kristin

My Entire Life! (But Not Really)

Hey all,

My name is Joe, originally from Medway, MA, and I am a freshman (woo high school… I can still feel it in my bones…) here at B.C. in the College of Arts and Sciences. Well, that’s all I have time for, I need to get back to reading Plato’s Republic (and rereading, according to my professor). Goodbye for now!

Just kidding! B.C. definitely has kept me busy, but not so much that I don’t have a couple extra minutes to talk about myself on a blog occasionally. And perhaps run down to the local ice cream parlor, soaking wet, every time it rains… but that’s a story for a different day.

So the really abbrev.ed “me”: I am double majored in music and biochemistry, taking classes of General Chemistry, Music Theory, Calculus, and Perspectives (philosophy and theology all combined into one really sweet class). I am in the Screaming Eagles Marching Band (fantastic gig, I am sure I will have a post about it later on), and hope to photograph for an on-campus magazine.

I live in Keyes, on the Newton campus, with 40% of the freshmen here at BC, and absolutely love it. If you later hear anything bad about Newton campus, disregard it immediately!

Anyway, that is my life as of yet, which I am sure will get a lot more interesting very quickly, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading this far, and please feel free to leave questions or comments or concerns or any other just heaping piles of words strung together in any legible way! I would love to be able to reply to people curious/interested in BC (or just people that have no idea what else to do).

BBFN,
~Your friendly neighborhood Joe

Sparknoting the Basics

Hey everyone! My name is Emily, and I'm from Maine. So I live in an igloo and can ride a moose.

Okay, not really. But you would be surprised at the number of people that actually believe that. It's pretty fantastic.

More seriously, though, BC is only two and a half hours or so from my home, so I can see my family pretty frequently. Or not. It's really up to me. And a very major plus side is that BC is actually consistently ten degrees warmer than home!

I'm a Math major with a French minor in the class of 2010. My current residence is Edmond's Hall down on lower campus, though I was on Upper my freshman year. Edmond's is pretty fantastic for me since it has kitchens, which allows me to bake excessive amounts. It definitely is a great de-stresser for me, and I guess for my friends who benefit from the brownies and cookies and cupcakes generated by my roommate and yours truly.

I'm involved in the Dance Organization of BC- I choreographed a number for our February show last year, and performed in it both freshman and sophomore years. This year I'll be teaching some studio classes, since I'm preparing to go abroad in January (London! I'm so excited). I've done some theater shows and I also joined a group last semester called "The CCE" ("The Committee for Creative Enactments," we've been calling it "The Committee" as of late. We do murder mystery shows- sort've like the movie Clue, only student written- and improv comedy). I also volunteer with the Student Admissions Program. I like to play Frisbee in the middle of the night, find swing sets and act like I’m five years old again, and go on random “field trips” with my friends (which often result in burritos or ice cream).

So that's the very brief version of my life at Boston College thus far! Now it's time for bed since I have to get up in ummm... far too short a time, at any rate.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the Boston College Student Admission Program blogs! This blog is maintained by undergraduates in the College of Arts & Sciences who have or are interested in Science majors.

If you are a prospective student who is interested in applying to one of BC's science programs, look no further! Here we try to give you a window into the life of Boston College students, who will be posting about what daily life is like on the Heights. Bookmark this page and keep coming back for more; this blog will be updated regularly by one of many of our Student Admission Program volunteers! We all have stories to share that we hope will help you determine if BC is right for you.

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Thank you so much for stopping in! If you'd like to hear more about BC, visit the official site of Boston College! You can also learn more about visiting campus and our tours and infamous Eagle Eye sessions at the SAP webpage! We'd love to have you!

Good luck!

Sam Lipscomb
SAP Technology Coordinator '08-'09
Boston College A&S '10
lipscoms@bc.edu