The Final Stretch

Hi Guys!

I'm actually posting from home right now. Today is the last day of Easter break before classes resume tomorrow. I was actually lucky in my scheduling so I don't have class until 1:30 on Tuesdays, so I am catching a train tomorrow morning instead of tonight so I get an extra day at home before going back to the final stretch of the year.

I have my last exam on Friday and then I have to work on my final papers and begin studying for my final exams. I only actually have two final exams, my biology on Thursday May 12th, and my chem on Friday May 13th (haha, I know, Friday the 13, I would have my hardest and last final on that day, right?)

I haven't posted in a while because things have been pretty hectic. My laptop had a malfunctioning video card or something. Luckily BC has a great support team. Even though I did not buy my Dell through BC, I could take it to the Walk-In Help desk where they told me exactly what they thought was wrong and checked my warranty. Because I have only had it for a year - not even - I could take it down to the Service Building about a 2 minute walk from O'Neill library and still on campus and get it fixed for completely free by the BC team. I was excited, to say the least. They also have loaners, but I figured since I was going home that night for Easter Break, and would have full access to the desktop in my basement, it wasn't necessary, but it was nice to know that BC has that kind of stuff.

It's hard to believe that the school year is almost up. One year down, three more to go. It seems like I was just on campus for my orientation a few days ago, and now I've already brought some stuff like my winter coats (hopefully it doesn't snow again, but it snowed Saturday at home) back with me when I left Wednesday night.

I'll post again soon!

Taylor Dean

deantb@bc.edu

Airport Sightings (and other transportation issues)

Okay so as I was frantically trying to navigate my way thorough the hordes of marathon runners, family vacationers, and general slow walkers at Boston's Logan Airport this morning, I could not help but notice the insane amount of people I knew who I just happened to run into there! I mean, I don't know that many people at BC (or in the greater Boston area) but every time I go to the airport I seem to see ALL OF THEM! It's always kind of awkward to see someone who you only speak to in class in an outside setting, and when you combine that with check-in and security, it's generally just a weird experience. I guess it's somewhat expected to see people from BC or your high-school when going home for breaks because most Boston schools tend to be on the same schedule but today was just ridiculous. My advice: avoid sweats and crocs no matter how early your flight is because chances are, you WILL see someone you know.

That being said, transportation in Boston is relatively easy and cheap and is generally geared towards college students. The T is just $2 to any destination and although it may take eons to get to wherever you need to go, it definitely beats taking cabs everywhere. And while I have never personally tried the BC grocery shuttle, I hear from reliable sources that it's really convenient. Moral of the story, while it may take a while, you can get anywhere you need to go in Boston relatively easily and cheaply.

Kay Thx Bye,

Kristin M.

Sinter Fashion

Strolling around campus lately, (I am, in fact, on of the despised "slow walkers") I can't help but notice the unique combination of Spring and Winter (Sinter) attire that people are donning. Some students seem perfectly fine in flip-flops and shorts while others are bundled in North Face and Uggs. This leads me to ask what exactly is appropriate attire for the awkward in-between period? On the one hand it is still pretty chilly and if you add in clouds and rain to the mix, your looking at some pretty frigid weather. But on the other hand, it has been Winter for so long and I can tell everyone is just itching to break out the tank tops. (note: the last comment only applies to girls) So hopefully we will keeping having lovely 70 degree weather because frankly I don't think I have it in me suit up for Winter ever again!! \

Peace,

Kristin M.

Have questions about Sinter Fashion (or anything else about BC)? Shoot me an e-mail at mcalpikr@bc.edu

Congrats Admitted Eagles

Saturday and Sunday saw an influx of people on campus for the Admitted Eagle Days. I was fortunate enough to help out with SAP (Student Admissions Program) for both days. It seems weird to know that last year I was doing the same thing. The whole college process can be overwhelming. In helping welcome the future members of the Class of 2015, I was a directions guide, toured the residence halls (which was cool because we went through my floor, Kostka 1) and mingled with the families during lunch. This came at a good time for me. Last week was so full of school it was nice to unwind and be able to hang around with some pretty cool kids. I maybe I met some of you! Until next time, Taylor deantb@bc.edu

I go to school at Hogwarts

As I sit in Bapst Library, I cannot believe how incredibly lucky I am to attend BC. Anyone who has seen the library would agree with me when I say that it looks like one of the buildings at Hogwarts: incredibly high ceilings, incredible stained-glass windows that stretch from the ceiling to the floor, and massive wooden tables with wooden chairs. It is hard to put into words how amazing the building is, but "beautiful", "breath-taking", and "bloody brilliant" come to mind (I hope everyone got the Ron Weasley british accent joke). Honestly, studying in Bapst is like studying in a castle. Visitors- make sure you visit the 24-hour library if you have a chance to come to campus!

Best,
Kathryn

"The Finishing Line" is in sight

It's hard to believe there are only about 6 weeks left of school before summer break! Well, it's been a little while since I posted (it's been a busy few weeks) so I'll start at the beginning.

Over Spring Break I went to Narrows, VA, with BC's Appalachia Volunteers. The experience was AMAZING! We stayed in the town's activity building with a group of Holy Cross kids (there were about 30 volunteers between the two schools). We did a lot for the community like building a deck for an elderly woman, a ramp for someone who can't walk up stairs any more to get to her home, worked at the daycares, built shelves at a shirt, cleaned the high school, but what amazed me was how much they did for us. They gave us a fireworks show, pot lucks at different churches every night, went out of their way to find the only Catholic church in the county so the kids that wanted to go to the Ash Wednesday Mass could go since it was during our trip. They didn't need to do all of that but they told us they look forward to having college kids every year. It was such a loving community! I really enjoyed it.

After we returned home we got back into the swing of things. I didn't have a lot due that week, so that was really nice for me. We had an after-Appa meeting last Sunday where Father Himes spoke. He told us about doing service in order to help the least of our brothers and about how we shouldn't be doing it for ourselves, even though we might get something out of it. I can't do his speech justice. Father Himes is an excellent speaker and everyone wants to take his class every year. I'm trying to get into it, but we will see if my pick time is good enough!

Speaking of pick times, the Housing Lottery just ended. As a freshman you can go for an 8-man, 4-man, 6-man, 9-man, or doubles and triples. The first day, Monday, is 8-mans, then if you don't get that most kids go for 4-mans on Tuesday, then 6- or 9-mans on Wednesday, and then doubles in triples on CoRo or in 66 Commonwealth Ave. Me and my friends, luckily, had a pick time of 7:10pm on the first day and got an 8-man in 90 St. Thomas More. We were so excited! I've been really close to these girls all year, so it was really nice to hear that we would all be together again (6 of us live on the same floor in Kostka, 4 of us within 3 doors of each other).

However, now that housing is over and class-picking begins for freshman on April 14, the end of the year is very near. It is very scary to think that freshman year is nearly ending. It went by so quickly!

And to think, it was snowing Thursday and I'm talking about summer break!

If you have any questions about Freshman year, since letters should be getting to those of you who are seniors about admissions soon if they haven't already, feel free to email me! I'll be glad to answer any questions!

Taylor Dean
deantb@bc.edu
Class of 2014
Biology Major, Sociology Minor

Welcome Back

Hello World,

This is my first attempt at blogging so bear with me here, but I'm pretty sure I will eventually get the hang of it!! It has been such a crazy couple of weeks for me and I'm so glad that they're finally over.

After coming back from a nice, relaxing Spring Break spent in sunny Miami, I was hit with three (yes, three!!) midterms the week I came back. Add that on top of the chaos caused by housing assignments for next year and the result is one very stressed, (and over-caffinated) college student. Lucking housing worked out really well for my friends and I and we got an eight-man on Walsh 6th floor!! Still waiting on the outcome of the midterms but I'm hopping they have a happy ending as well!

I cannot wait for spring and the warm weather. I'm so excited to be able to sit outside and see the beautiful campus again! It will be exciting to see green again after so many months of everything being covered in snow!

Peace Out,
Kristin M.

Spring Break

Hey guys!

Today for me is the first official day of Spring Break, with my definition as the first day without school. It's a great relief to not have to worry about school for the next week because the weeks since Christmas have been fairly stressful - I've had all my first exams, saw the men's Hockey team win the Beanpot again this year, and I've gotten a little bit of sleep. However, tonight I'm not headed home or sporting a bikini in some warm tropical place. Right now, I'm still in my dorm.

This spring break I will be going down to Narrows, Virginia, with the Appalachia Volunteers. I joined in the fall as a freshman and we've been meeting nearly every Sunday since September. There are over 600 members and 38 sites from Maine to Georgia where you can either go on a Habitat for Humanity trip or a Community trip - which is what I'm doing. We've been told that we will be making a ramp for a disabled member of the community, doing some maintenence work in the high school, playing with kids in the day care, and listening to the stories of the community members during the meals they're eager to make for us. We're heading down there tonight (we're leaving Lower Dining Hall at 6pm) and making the 12 hour trip through the night so we can get some sleep. We're leaving Virginia around dinner time on Friday and will get back sometime Saturday morning. It should be a fun and eye opening experience for our group of 15 students (in all grades from freshmen to seniors).

I'll be sure to tell you about it when I get back!

Taylor Dean
deantb@bc.edu

Rallying for Relay

Every year, Boston College hosts the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" in the Plex. The tennis courts are transformed into a sea of sleeping bags, blow-up mattresses, and college students from all different groups, clubs, and social scenes. For one night, all differences are put aside to support the fight against cancer. And this year, BC students raised over $140,000 to support cancer research!

The Student Admissions Program team had tremendous success in its effort to raise money for Relay. To raise a few extra dollars through the night, SAP members made pancakes to sell to those brave enough to stay from 6pm through 6am. The pancakes were a huge success (except for when I accidentally put the batter on a griddle that wasn't hot and liver-shaped pancakes resulted!). Other teams sold cookies, brownies, even colored hair extensions! Although I was tempted, I decided against rocking pink and purple highlights :)

That's all for now! Stay posted for some fun Relay photos!

-Kathryn

Dancing through the week

Hey guys!
I just finished another 4 hour dance practice tonight, I'm so tired! I am a member of the Dance Organization of Boston College, a group that is student-run that performs dances that are student-choreographed. Every Monday and Wednesday, we have an hour of required practice, and each girl decides which of the dances she wants to perform. I absolutely love it, but it does take up a lot of time! I am very tired now, but I have to study for a bio test and write a history paper for next week. Starting early, but somehow I never seem to have enough time... like most BC students, I am always so busy! I'll probably lock myself in Bapst (the 24 hour "silent" library on campus) all weekend, unless something more fun comes along....

Anyway, if anybody has any questions about dance or BC in general, feel free to email me!

-Kathryn
carliskb@bc.edu

Help Desk

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't blogged lately, but this is because I was without a laptop. It was a fluke incident - a faulty hard drive - and it doesn't happen to everyone. However, because of this incident, I found out about a couple of great resources.

The Walk-In Help Desk saved my life. I had spent hours on the phone with the computer company getting no where so one of my friends told me to stop by the Help Desk on Monday when they were open. I did. The friendly folks down there help me out. They took my laptop, diagnosed the problem, and helped me figure out what I needed to do. Once my new hard drive arrived in the mail they removed the faulty one and installed everything I needed.

Thank you, Help Desk.

While my laptop was broken, I studied and used the computers in the lab right across from the Help Desk in the O'Neill Library. It's a nice place to study with a laptop lounge, Macs, and PC's, so there is something for everyone. And I got to use some of my 500 free printing pages.

If you ever need it, the computer lab is a good place to go.

Planning Ahead in My Life

Hey all!

I'm back, and doing better than ever this year! I've been keeping pretty busy, but after almost two and a half years of school, I've finally begun to settle into a solid direction in life. I know, wicked scary, right?

I've found myself two main courses of study; I haven't yet planned out every detail, but I'm hoping they can both be majors, in the end, between Music and Computer Science. I love them both equally, and there are actually a lot more similarities between them than you'd expect at first. Either way, as I learn more about each of them, I find myself more and more interested in studying them!

Over the summer, I got a taste of what a professional work environment is like in the C.S. world, while I worked here on campus while rebuilding a large portion of BC's websites. It was actually quite fun and interesting, and I'm putting everything I learned there in use for the Student Admissions Program now! I've taken the role of SAP Online Coordinator, so if you ever have any questions pertaining to the website, feel free to let me know.

This semester, I joined the University Chorale after a completely impromptu audition, and by some strange trick of fate, got in! I absolutely love the group now, and it's an awesome experience - we're singing Mozart's requiem in D Minor this fall, and in the Spring, I'm going with them to Ireland to perform in a few places around the country!

Here we are performing with the Boston Pops

I'm definitely still into a broad range of subjects; I came into school with a Physics major, and have switched to Chemistry to a very brief stint trying to join the Lynch School of Education, to Computer Science as it is today. My roommate is convinced I'm going to graduate from the Theatre department by the time I'm done. It's one of my favorite parts of BC - you can be specialized in a subject, but still dip your toes all around.

Until next time, let me know if you have any questions!
mahonjc@bc.edu

Sincerely,
Joe Mahon
BC '12

Midterms

Ah, finally, an end to midterms! Over the last three weeks I have had three tests and two papers, not including all of the other homework. Now, on to round two (my next midterm is next week)!

To be honest, the midterms weren't that bad. Sure, coming out of high school everyone gets a little shocked to see the grade on the top of their paper, but with my experience so far, most classes scale them, so a 50 could be a B.

As a science major, I highly encourage taking classes out of the discipline that interest you. Don't just pick random classes to get rid of the core. I am in Sociology of Health, Illness, and Healthcare and, as pre-med, it is extremely interesting. I took this as a social science so instead of being in Intro to Sociology, this class is open to anyone and a lot of fun. Check out all the options.

Now, off to study!

Freshman Year

Hello!

This is my first post, so I will introduce myself. My name is Taylor and I'm a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biology with a pre-med concentration. I'm from Portland, Maine. I'm involved in the service group Appalachia as well as the Student Admissions Program in outreach, high school visits, and blogging.

If you have any questions, please email me at deantb@bc.edu!

Appreciating Boston

You know how people say "you don't know what you've got until it's gone"? They were right, you really don't. I'll be outta here in a few weeks and I'm kinda upset that I didn't get to spend very much time exploring Boston. That was actually my New Years Resolution, to explore Boston more, looks like I dropped the ball on that one.

But in all seriousness, this is a great city, probably one of the best in the country. I wish I could say that I've been to the Commons and all the other hot spots in the city, but sadly I haven't. Maybe next year I'll make the effort to spend my free time in the city instead of in a dorm room.

Either way, to anyone reading this, explore Boston. It's a once in a lifetime chance to see a city as a college student and really get to know the city inside and out. The T makes the city so accessible it's ridiculous and you can have a really good time for little or no money.

When you come to BC you're not going to school in a college town, your going to school in a city, and one full of colleges at that. Really take advantage of all the city has to offer, you won't regret it I promise.

Jake

Finals

It's that time of year again - time for finals. Spring semester could possibly be the worst time ever to have finals, and the reasons are endless.

• 1) Its beautiful outside. 75 degree weather screams "don't do work and play wiffle ball" and it's hard not to listen.
• 2) You're so hyped up about being done with school, the last thing you want to do is study more.
• 3) You're wiped out. By the time finals week rolls around the mountain of papers and presentations you just climbed has left you tired and drained of all energy.

But you can't just give up, finals are make or break grades so sometimes you just have to gut-check and stick with it. If you plan out your studying you'll be fine. So here's a few pointers I've found helpful when finals roll around.

• 1) Start early. The earlier you start the more comfortable you'll be with the material by the time you actually take the test. Also, this takes a lot of the weight off your shoulders in case something pops up you didn't plan for (mostly parties but that's not the point)
• 2) Find a way that works for you. I know everyone's different but I think the one thing we can all agree on is that blankly staring at your book is not going to cause your body to absorb knowledge. It'd be sweet if it did though. So find something that works for you. Some people like flashcards, come people like to just write down everything they know and work from there. Whatever it may be, find it and do it.
• 3) Relax. People get so tense around this time of year. I mean I know how serious finals are but relax bro, your not going to die. Don't hesitate to reward yourself with a movie or some video games after you've been studying for hours. If your not careful you'll burn yourself out before the finals even start.

Anyway, that's just my advice. Hopefully it helps you too.
Jake

Procrastination

I think the title of this blog is a little ironic considering that I have procrastinated posting this for far too long. Everyone loves to procrastinate because it's easy and a lot more fun than whatever else you would be doing. But a word of advice to all new students, avoid procrastination at all costs.

If you stay on top of your work you'll thank yourself when you're in bed sleeping and not caged in at the library all night writing a paper. Believe me, I know how hard it is to avoid procrastinating. Why do my paper now when its due in a week and I could be playing NFL Blitz? I've asked myself this way too much. So from me to you, don't procrastinate. It's that simple.

Jake

Adventure through Boston!

Hey all,

Today, I went for a bit of an adventure through the streets of Boston. I think it's a pretty good (if tourist-y) route, so I figured I'd share some highlights:


View Walking Tour! in a larger map

We took the BC Shuttle down the road to hop on the D Line of the T:

Blue - Got off train 20 minutes later at Copley Plaza, left the stop and immediately found something interesting. I've never been in the Boston Public Library, and, oh my, was it enormous. And free!

Red - Walking past all the ritzy boutiques and art stores and cafes along the famous Newbury Street.

Green - Walked through the lovely spring-time Boston Gardens, and by the also famous Swan Boats (they were not running today, sadly). We then continued through Boston's version of Central Park, the Boston Commons. Lots of frisbee, dog walking, and Merry-Go-Rounding on a nice day here.

Teal - Hit up historic Tremont Street, one of the first routes of the Freedom Trail through downtown Boston. Strange that some of the people responsible for the creation of this country walked along that exact road.

Yellow - The circus was in town... literally! The Big Apple Circus tent was set up in the middle of the expansive Government Center plaza, outside the *gorgeous* (sarcasm) City Hall. We continued our walk past that irrational excitement that surrounds circuses, to

Purple - Quincy Market and Fanueil Hall, one of the main tourist centers and a very handy marketplace, entertainment center and shopping plaza for everyone. We watched one of the many street performers balance on the top rung of a 10-foot ladder while juggling three daisies, spinning a pillow on a pole off his mouth and doing comedic stand-up. Needless to say, he earned a tip from us.

Red - Finally, we made it to our destination! Annddd... way past it, accidentally. But after a bit of backtracking, we sat down and tasted the glorious Mike's Pastries (though personally, I'm partial to Modern Pastries across the street). Located in the heart of the Italian-influenced North End, and in the middle of downtown Hanover Street, you really can't go wrong with a trip to Mike's, Modern, Cafe Vittoria, the Gelateria, Pizzeria Regina, or really anywhere else in that neighborhood. Mmmm...

So there's your introductory walking guide to Boston. I'm two years in, 20 years native of the suburbs, and still love walking around to see all the things I've seen before, while finding all the new things I've never noticed. More to come soon, of course!

Meantime, email me!
~Joe
mahonjc@bc.edu

The Asian American Scholarship Has Been Named!

Hey guys!

I'm proud to say that the Asian American Scholarship has been named!! HOORAY! Why is this important you might ask?

For a few years now, the scholarship has been left nameless; there has been no one for Asians to look up to, unlike other mentors such as Martin Luther King (a scholarship in his name goes to an African American student every year). So the BC community believed that the Asian American Scholarship should be named after someone also.

However, BC has been denying our candidates that we believe the scholarship should be named after, for reasons such as having no connection to Boston College or not living within the Catholic faith, but all that changed this past week!


With the scholarship now named, the Asian community here at BC can feel a bit more at peace. To celebrate, everyone was invited to participate in a few events, one of them being a small "flash flood" in the Quad with lots of music and dancing. Such a great accomplishment!

That's it for now! Peace!

David - A&S 2013
nguyenec@bc.edu

Boston

Hey y’all,

My name is Katherine McKenna, and I’m an economics major from Houston, TX. One of my favorite things about BC is the city of Boston. One of the cool things about BC is that we’re out in the suburbs, and we have awesome football games and tailgates just like other big schools, but you can also hop on the T (the subway) and go into downtown Boston or Cambridge. The trip usually takes about 20 minutes, and it is definitely worth it.

There are a ton of fun things to explore in Boston. My friends and I love to go to Newbury Street when the weather’s nice on Saturday or Sunday to go shopping and eat lunch. There are also lots of really cool museums and historical sites around Boston. Being in a city full of colleges is a blast. You can go check out parties at other schools like MIT or Harvard (who actually have fun parties, shocking huh?) or go see a concert at the House of Blues or other venues.

There are a ton of schools in Boston, and therefore there’s always something cool to check out. However, BC is nice because it is not directly in the hustle of the city.

Thanks,
Katherine