Relationships

Hello friends!

As I sat in my room in Edmond's Hall this evening watching the sun set over Gasson Hall (gorgeous despite construction!), in an attempt to avoid tackling my monster marketing homework, I started to think about relationships.

The word "relationship" can be kind of limiting, because at first it may seem like I'm just talking about romantic relationships. Though those are definitely important, there are so many other kinds of connections to be made at Boston College. There are "friend" relationships. These are the people that you meet in your freshman year dorm, through activities you are involved in, or from friends-of-friends-of-friends. These relationships have been so important to me at BC. Without my friends, I would have nobody to eat turkey and brie sandwiches with at Hillside after class (which would be a great tragedy).

Being in CSOM, I have been told about the importance of Networking (with a capital N) since my first day of classes. Boston College alumni are so eager to help current students and can frequently be found at panels put on by the career center in the evenings. Hearing about the careers of these people, who were in my shoes only a few years ago, has given me a great deal of confidence about my future in the workforce. Many professors at Boston College also have a great deal of connections to people working in industry. This year alone, I have had a total of eight guest speakers in my classes! I'm not sure you could get this kind of experience at any other university.

The final type of relationship I've been thinking of is that of mentor-mentee. With a staff of hundreds of professors and other professionals, there is no shortage of experienced and worldly adults willing to dispense advice to undergrads. The greatest thing about the faculty here is that they truly do care about the students. Everybody is looking to see us succeed and will do everything they can to help us achieve our goals, whether by writing recommendations to grad programs, helping us prepare for Big Four interviews, or getting us through a particularly nasty bout of homesickness. In short, the relationships that I've had the opportunity to make at Boston College have been some of the best of my life, and I have no doubt that they will continue long after graduation.

-Amanda Penza '12
penzaa@bc.edu

Hello! An Introduction

Hi everybody! Like many of the other recent posts, I am here to introduce myself as a new member of the blog. My name is Seth Yarkony and I am a freshman in the Carroll School of Management here at BC. I intend to concentrate in Management & Leadership and Marketing and pursue a minor in Faith, Peace, & Justice. I am from Lake Forest, IL (about 30 miles North of Chicago), and I absolutely love BC.

When I was beginning to ponder colleges, I thought strictly in the Midwest until my counselor suggested BC. I have some family out here but never really considered applying because it was somewhat far from home. Despite my concerns, I decided to include BC in my list of schools to visit over Spring break of my junior year. Needless to say, I fell in love with it the moment I stepped on campus. The beauty of the buildings, strong academic programs, wide array of clubs and other extra-curricular opportunities, and spirited student body is what attracted me to the school. Now that I have been here for over a month, I can affirm that my perception of BC was accurate and has not changed at all. This is a great place to be and everyone I meet is just as happy as I am.

I have managed to become involved in a few clubs on campus, through student activities day and my researching of them before school began. I am a member of the Emerging Leaders Program and I am also on the Leadership Council for Boston College Republicans, along with my newly found work with SAP on this blog and through the High School Visits program. While it may seem like a lot, I find it very easy to manage my time due to the much more free time I have been given at college compared to that in high school. My first suggestion to all high school students entering college: GET INVOLVED! I have met a lot of new people in my clubs that I wouldn't meet otherwise and it is very easy to find a group that shares your passions.

I will do my best to post regularly to share my own experiences and discuss the new things I learn each week here at school. Feel free to ask me any questions through email or on Facebook, I will do my best to answer them. Until next time, GO EAGLES!

-Seth
yarkony@bc.edu

Hockey Banner Raising

Hey Everyone,

Quick blog here but I just wanted to quickly talk about this weekends Banner Raising Ceremony. Im a pretty big college hockey fan so I thought this was awesome. It was the night of the first home game for BC this year Conte, the rink was packed. I went with all my friends to the student section early so we could get some good seats right behind the opposing goalie. The actual ceremony started a little after we got there. They showed a quick video with BC's success in the past decade and then brought out members of the past championship teams. Finally they unveiled the new banner and it was like something I've never seen before. The feeling of seeing a national championship banner unrolled and hoisted in your school is like anything else. It has to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Another good thing was that this signaled the start of a new hockey season which I cant wait for. Anyways thats all for now and I cant wait for the next banner to be hoisted up (hopefully!).

-Dan

SPLASH at Boston College--this weekend!

For any former attendees of the MIT Splash education program, the popular event is set to take place at Boston College this Saturday for the first time, sponsored by UGBC! This weekend, I will be teaching a class with fellow blogger Christina Quinn (CSOM '13) titled: "The Six Degrees of Social Media."

Having glanced at the classes available (everything from "Perspectives on the Music of Pink Floyd," "College Pranks 101," and even "Dimensionality and the Shape of the Universe"), I can say that there has been much anticipation, enthusiasm, and excitement around campus surrounding the event. We have a great lineup of classes and knowledgeable student-professors! If you haven't signed up, today's the last day! Find out more information about the event here.


Hopefully I'll see some of you soon!

-Dara
fangda@bc.edu

ICE JAM 2010

Hey - so this post has nothing to do with CSOM, its just about the awesomeness that went down tonight at Conte Forum. They had half of a hockey rink and half of a basketball court, and the event was centered around the four teams at BC that compete in these two sports. Bob Costas hosted, which was sweet, and Vanilla Ice was there because, come on, it's ICE Jam. Also, Doug Flutie was there, even lighting it up in the three point contest. And there was tons of free stuff. This is just another event that shows how sweet BC is, and is definitely worth looking at for all you kids who love sports.

P.S. I'm incredibly biased because I'm on the committee that planned this event.

P.P.S. Did i mention we GAVE AWAY A BMW?

Boston Excursion: From Chestnut Hill to the North End

Hey everyone! In my last post I shared some of the things I love about Boston and being so close to the city. I spoke about how I loved Boston’s many neighborhoods and that because it is relatively small, it’s fairly easy to get around even if you are just walking. To prove my point my friend and I went on a little excursion last Columbus Day weekend and walked all the way from Chestnut Hill (Boston College) to the North End. To get a sense of the neighborhoods in Boston, check out this map.

When you want to get from place to place in Boston, it is usually easy and cheap to take the T, the Boston subway system. But when it is a beautiful day I would recommend walking through some of the neighborhoods yourself. You will notice that things are not to far away from each other and it is easy to get across the city just by strolling along through each neighborhood. On a Saturday afternoon my friend and I began walking down Beacon St., heading towards the center of Boston…

We first arrived at Cleveland Circle, a common destination right down the street from the main campus. Here students will find a variety of eateries such as Roggies and Eagle’s Deli, convenience stores such as CVS, the Reservoir T stop, and even off campus housing. After saying hello to some friends, we continued our way down Beacon St., passing through several beautiful neighborhoods, and then arrived at Coolidge Corner. This Brookline intersection and the streets surrounding it have a quaint and pedestrian-friendly feel, and are home to many small and family-run shops and restaurants (not mention my favorite Jewish deli and brunch location, Zafitgs.) You can also catch a glimpse of the restored art deco Coolidge Corner Theatre. This is a great place nearby to walk, eat, shop, and relax with friends.

We soon reached Commonwealth Ave. and passed the famous Boston Citgo sign (see the photo of me above.) With the top of the Prudential Tower growing in the distance, we crossed over to Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, which was filled with pedestrians. This is a popular destination for anyone visiting or living in Boston. Newbury Street is lined with historic 19^th century brownstones with house an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and salons, making it a great destination for shopping, dining, or just enjoying a day in the city. The area of Back Bay itself is part of old Boston and one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. It is home to many great Boston destinations such as Copley Square, the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, John Hancock Tower, and also the Berklee College of Music.

After being entertained by a college jazz band playing outside of Starbucks and perusing in and out of boutiques, we exited Newbury Street and entered the Boston Common, one of the oldest city parks in the country. On beautiful days the Common is filled with picnickers, dog walkers, musicians, families, and street vendors. Here you can walk through the public garden, ride the famous swan boats, or enjoy the “Frog Pond.” My friend and I decided to buy a snack from a street vendor and enjoy a small musical performance taking place that afternoon.

The Common is surrounded by the Boston Theatre District, Financial District, and Beacon Hill Area; however we decided to make our way down to Faneuil Hall. This building is a historical Boston market and meeting hall and one of the most frequently visited sites in the US. Inside and around Faneuil Hall you can find lots of great places to eat, shop, and walk around-you might even see some really awesome street performances by various dance and musical groups. Faneuil Hall is also part of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walk marked with red bricks that leads one through 16 historical sites in the city.

My friend and I finally followed the Freedom Trail all the way to the North End, Boston’s “Little Italy,” and one of my favorite areas of Boston. The North End is Boston’s oldest residential communities and home to Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church. Its quaint streets are filled with Italian restaurants, pastry shops, cafes, and markets. It’s almost impossible to leave with out a box of cannoli or having eaten some gelato or pizza. We ate at a tiny restaurant off of Prince Street and ended our day with some delicious homemade pasta and gnocchi. As you can see, Boston is fairly easy to navigate and accommodates a wide variety of interests. This is something every Boston College student should take advantage of.

Hope you enjoyed this post, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email! papastam@bc.edu

Thanks for reading!

Sofia Papastamelos

(Another) Introduction

Hey everybody! Just figured I'd follow suit and give you guys a bit of an introduction as well. My name is Eddie Jonny; I'm a sophomore with a Marketing concentration in CSOM and just like Dan and Christina, this is also my first post on the blog.

I'm originally from Long Island, New York but even though I'm familiar with the northeast I had never really looked into BC during my college search. I drove through campus on a whim during a trip to some other New England schools and before I even reached the end of Campanella Way I could tell I wanted to go to school here - something just clicked. From that point on BC became my main focus and fortunately everything went according to plan.

On campus I'm involved in SAP, working online and doing high school visits. On top of that, you can find me in the office on Thursdays from 12-1. I'm also involved in the Marketing Academy as well as BCVC, our Venture Competition here at Boston College. I'm also a huge music junkie; I interned at a record label in New York this past summer, so for any of you with the same obsession, feel free to reach out if you're looking for someone to talk music with.

I hope this post didn't get too verbose for you guys, I just wanted to give you a bit of information on who I am and the type of things I'd be more than happy to talk to you about.

Feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions on anything I talked about (or even on things I may have left out). I'm addicted to my Crackberry so you'll more than likely hear back from me within minutes.

-EJ

jonny@bc.edu

An Introduction

Hello all! Since this is my first post (like Dan, below) I also wanted to give you a little information about myself. My name is Christina Quinn, and I am a sophomore in the Carroll School of Management. I'm attempting to concentrate in Marketing and Information Systems with a Minor in the Lynch School in Human Development. Quite the mouthful, but I'm really excited about all three. (Also in the photo I am on the right, my suitemate and coincidentally a fellow blogger, Dara, is on the left.)

I'm from Portsmouth, Rhode Island (about 1.5 hours from Chestnut Hill) so I'm a New Englander, born and raised. I could not be happier to go to BC for so many reasons, ranging from the gorgeous campus to the excellent business program to the amazing people who I live and learn with.

On campus I'm involved in several ways, primarily through my position as the Online Editor for The Heights (our independent student newspaper on campus). I also greet for SAP -- meaning if you decide to stop by the admissions office every other Tuesday at 1 PM I'll be there to say hello to you and answer any questions! Finally, I am a volunteer in the 4Boston program, which allows me to commit four hours a week of community service to my placement, the Pine Street Inn.

Expect to hear more from me in the future, and feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments, or just for information about BC!

-CMQ

quinncq@bc.edu

Meet and Greet with a little Homecoming

Hey Guys,

This is my first blog so I thought I'd take a little time to introduce myself. I'm Dan Rimm, a sophomore in the Carroll School of Management. BC actually wasn't my first choice, or even really on my radar until I got in. I only visited once I was accepted and trying to make my final decision but once I got on campus and took the tour I knew that this was where I wanted to go. That's basically how I got here and I can honestly say now that I'm here I haven't regretted my decision for a minute.

I've always loved sports and music and I've found that BC is great for these. There's been nothing quite like the feeling of Saturday afternoon football games when you're surrounded by a sea of gold or watching your school's hockey team win the national championship. These are things at BC that I'll never forget.

As for me the biggest thing I'm involved in on campus is UGBC or the Undergraduate Government of Boston College. I'm part of the campus entertainment part of UGBC and we are the group who puts on the concerts, pep rallies and dances at BC. For me this has been a great part of college. I have met artists such as The Fray and seen how a concert is put together, from the building of the stage to the actual performance. It is absolutely an experience I could not imagine having anywhere else.

This leads to the last part of my post which is Homecoming which was this weekend. UGBC ran homecoming this year so after going over the logistics of loading students onto buses and other basic things I loaded onto a bus and headed out for homecoming. This year homecoming was held at Boston's House of Blues and featured the artist White Panda. It was great to see so many of my classmates all dressed up and having a great time dancing and just socializing with friends. I loved it and will definitely be going next year.

Anyways sorry for the long first post but I just thought I would let you know a little about me. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions and look out for more posts soon!

-Dan

rimmd@bc.edu

A Guide to Midterm Madness

It's Midterm Madness at BC and while I am done with any formal testing until next month, I know a number of student who are smack dab in the middle of the storm. How does one deal with the stresses of BC Midterm Week? By realizing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Whether you are a prospective BC student or a current BC student, there are methods to the madness:

1. Get your priorities straight, and ahead of time. I've taken on well-known but seldomly applied strategy of one of my roommates with impeccable studying habits: simply plan at least a week ahead of time a plan of attack for each subject. Planning ahead of time also means starting to study ahead of time so when it comes to....
2. Attending office hours (or review sessions)...you have time to develop questions to be answered by professors and/or TAs. Office hours are a great way to get more help on concepts. Every professor I've had held multiple office hours or review sessions in preparation for midterms. I've never walked out of a review session feeling more confused than when I walked into one.
3. Logging in library/studying time. If you know you can't study in the common room with the very likely possibility of being distracted, don't hesitate to make the however undesirable a trip it is to the library. Bapst Library is silent 24/7, not to mention open 24/7. O'Neill has comfortable chairs, natural lighting, and relaxing views of the city. Brighton Library is rather obscure and therefore less crowded. Clear a few hours everyday for studying wherever you study best.
4. Focus on practice problems. Often times, professors give out certain review problems to focus on, or topics that are "very important." Remember them. Most of the time, test questions come straight from the review problems or the "focus" areas that he/she makes a point to distinguish.
5. Don't forget to eat....or sleep for that matter. Your mood, stress level, and retention of knowledge significantly increases with an active digestion system and an well-functioning brain.
6. Keep calm. Easier said than done, yes. However, if you have a studying plan all set (see #1), there is no reason to overly stress about a single midterm. Take a break, walk outside, go to the Plex, grab fro-yo from Lower, play some basketball with friends. A personal favorite study break of mine are wide variety of yoga classes at the Plex. I give yoga credit for all the times I gotten a "Why are you so calm?" accusation from friends.

Whether or not you go to BC, there are ways for dealing with any stressful situation you may come across--from testing to that stressful applying for college/taking AP classes/balancing my extra-involved student life with school period that was junior to senior year.

Good luck with college searches!!
Any questions, please feel free to email me at fangda@bc.edu

'Til next time...

-Dara (CSOM '13)

8 Great Things About Living Near Boston

When searching for colleges, a great way to narrow down your choices is to take into account the location and setting of the university. Are you looking for a large rural school on the west coast? Or perhaps a small urban college in an east coast city? The location may very well shape the culture of the school and the experiences you create while you are there.

Personally, I was looking for a school that was in or close to a city, which is one of the reasons I was intrigued by Boston College. What’s great about BC is that the students here are able to enjoy all of the benefits of a traditional (and beautiful!) college campus while still having quick and easy access to the city of Boston and all of its resources. Students here love living so close to the city. We have convenient access to two T stops that can transport anyone into Boston fairly quickly. Because of this, there are so many things to do on the weekends for fun -so if you don’t feel like taking part in the numerous activities occurring on campus, you can easily get away and do your own thing in the city whenever you please.

Here are some other great things about Boston and being so close:

1. Just like in any city, Boston has a huge array of restaurants, shopping, art, historical sites, shows/concerts, and great nightlife. For great ideas or examples of fun Boston activities, I would recommend visiting this Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/365ThingsBoston?ref=ts or simply check out this awesome site: http://mysecretboston.com/ 
2. Boston is a college town! There are more than 100 colleges and universities located in the Great Boston area, so there are tons of college students and other young adults all over the city. Many businesses in the area take advantage of this, offering products, activities, and services that are specifically targeted to college students. 
3. BC sponsors or partners with other events that are going on in the city such as the Museum of Fine Arts College Night, tickets to sports events and Broadway shows, and homecoming at the House of Blues, so you have a VIP access to some of Boston’s greatest attractions!
4. Boston has great sporting events! For all you sports enthusiasts it is easy and fun to get tickets to Boston Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics games. Did I mention Fenway is only five T stops away…
5. Boston doesn’t have to be expensive! The T is very inexpensive to ride and there are plenty of cheap things to do in the city such as walking around, exploring, picnicking in the commons, and going to the MFA (art museum) just to name a few. Check out the photo above of me enjoying a beautiful day in the Boston Commons. 
6. Boston is also a great place for service and club activities. Many BC classes and service clubs such as PULSE and 4Boston have volunteer placements in the city that students visit each week. In addition, BC performance groups such as the Voices of Imani perform at Boston events/charity benefits and the CSOM business academies visit businesses and conferences in the Greater Boston area. There are just a few examples of how Boston College clubs and organizations take advantage of being so close to the city!
7. Boston offers great job and internship opportunities! Whether you are a nursing student looking to train at a local hospital or a CSOM student seeking an accounting internship, the city has a myriad of resources. 
8. Lastly, what I love about Boston is its wonderful historical aura and the fact that it is such a walkable city. Because of its relatively small size, it is pretty easy to find your way through each of its small and unique neighborhoods, making exploring a favorite pastime. To prove my point, I decided spend a Columbus weekend afternoon walking all the way from BC to the North End! To hear more about this excursion, visit my next post. 

Please feel free to email me with any comments or questions: papastam@bc.edu

Thanks for Reading!!

Sofia Papastamelos

BC Sports Culture

Hey everyone! I just wanted to take some time to talk a little about sports at BC. My whole life I have never been such a sport enthusiast until I came to BC as a freshman last year. Sports were not really of much interest to me and did not play a part in my college decision-making. However, when I first visited BC I could definitely tell that Boston College students have an extraordinary amount of school spirit. Athletics, although they are not the only source of this school pride, definitely play a big part.

All of this intrigued me during the college selection process, but I did not really feel the full effect until I was handed my superfan shirt at my freshman orientation and began to attend football games in the fall semester. There is nothing like celebrating a touchdown in a sea of gold while screaming the BC Fight song at the top of your lungs. In addition to football, there are many other popular sports to attend at BC such as Ice Hockey and Basketball. Sports games are a ton of fun and truly become a big social event that you can share with your friends and fellow superfans. It definitely creates a large sense of unity and camaraderie that I was looking for in a school, whether it comes from sports or from academics (and for BC it is both!)

Another exciting aspect of the athletics here at BC is our rivalries, one of which is with our fellow Bostonians at Boston University. BC and BU usually duke it out in the rink with our Men’s Ice Hockey Teams (did I mention we are the national champs?) and also during the Beanpot -an exciting 4 game tournament between BC, BU, Harvard, and Northeastern (winner gets a year’s worth of bragging rights.) In addition to our rivalry with BU, there is also the “Holy War” between BC and Notre Dame. To the excitement of the superfans, this annual game took place on the heights this year where hundreds of us gathered to cheer on the eagles! (Take a look at the photo above of my roommates and I at a BC family tailgate.) Although we lost, we know there is always next year and we still love our Eagles. Once a superfan, always a superfan.

Not big on sports? Not to worry, there are tons of student at Boston College who feel the same way. Luckily there are many other great aspects of the BC culture to indulge in!
Questions? Email me at papastam@bc.edu

Thanks for reading!

Sofia Papastamelos

Welcome to my blog!

Hey everyone! This is my first post, so I would like to introduce myself properly. My name is Sofia Papastamelos and I am a Boston College sophomore in the Carroll School of Management and plan to major in Marketing and Information Systems. I am from a town called Galloway in Southern New Jersey and absolutely love living so close to Boston during my time here at BC. I come from a big Greek family and therefore am very outgoing and talkative and love to eat, sing, and dance :)

I am involved in many activities and clubs around campus, including the Student Admissions Program, Voices of Imani Gospel Choir, Hellenic Society, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, and Appalachia Volunteers. I look forward to blogging about many of my experiences in these groups as well as general info and personal observations about Boston College. Please feel free to contact me any time if you have questions at: papastam@bc.edu.

Thanks for reading!

Sofia Papastamelos

The 10 biggest freshman adjustments

Hey, my name is Jeff Martin and I'm a freshman in CSOM. It's been a crazy first month. This post is just gonna tell you about some of the biggest differences (good and bad) between high school and college. If you have any questions feel free to email me at martaau@bc.edu. Here goes:

1. Living with someone else- I've always had my own room until now. Living in a tiny space with another person takes a lot of compromise. Keeping the room neat can be hard, and music choice is definitely an issue in my room. But your roommate will become one of your best friends hopefully. Just hope you don't get a forced triple. Those suck.
2. The down time- High school gives you six hours a day of classes in a row. That doesn't happen in college. You will have more free time then you know what to do with, and managing that time is essential to doing well. And on that note...
3. The Work- Its more than you've ever had before. I don't care how many AP's you took in high school, its nothing compared to college. Its not impossible to get done, but you will have to spend more time working then you would want to.
4. Parties- As a freshman boy, I can personally tell you that you better have the right girl to boy ratio to get in to a party here. At home usually you're partying with your friends, here you'll know maybe five people there. It's a big change, but you get used to it quick.
5. Drinking- Yeah this is different then partying. Noon football games mean pregaming starts at 10. That's early. And if you're used to classy drinks, good luck. No college kid is shelling out any money for anything nice.
6. The hours- Days are a lot longer at college. Rarely people go to bed before one, even if they have an 8 am in the morning. Sleep is at a premium here, so naps are extremely common. You really have to force yourself to get out of bed in the morning, which my roommate sucks at.
7. The unfamiliarity- You show up here knowing nobody, or where buildings are, or pretty much anything else. Good news though, all the other freshman are in the same boat. So its okay because you're not alone.
8. The Teachers- They're smart. they're better for the most part than the teachers you've had before, especially if you're coming from a public school like me. They also expect a lot out of you. Everyone here is smart, and they expect to see that. Participation plays a big part in grades for most classes.
9. Everyone is smart- This was one of the things that immediately struck me. In high school I was in the top 5% and got a 34 on ACTs. That is the norm here. You have to raise your thinking to a whole different level here, which is great. One of my favorite things is when vocab words pop up in a group of kids inane conversations. You don't expect it, and its another reminder of the talent that is around you. (I used inane there to help make my point. You never know when they'll pop up.)
10. Living on your own- biggest difference hands down. You miss your family and home cooked meals and your bed. Definitely your bed. But you adjust. You learn how to budget your time and how neat you like your stuff and all those other little nuances. Its just weird not having mom and dad and the dog around anymore.

Some of these seem a little scary, but I love BC. Its a great place to be that I would recommend to anyone. You have to come see how beautiful the campus is and the people are just as good. College is different, but definitely in a good way. Go Eagles. Peace

Things I Love about CSOM

I'll be honest. Boston College wasn't my first choice, but it may as well have been. Had I known then what I know now, I would have saved myself a lot of anguish and disappointment, however short-lived it was. The more I think about it, the more I realized I was a CSOM student at heart and I belonged at BC [Not paid to advertise, not that the school needs it anyways...I swear.]

Why?

1. At last check, CSOM is at #9 for Best B-Schools in America, making it better than NYU Stern anyways.
2. We have our own library located at the heart of Fulton Hall. Such knowledge, emanating right out the aesthetic wooden doors
3. Grad students frequent the stately building that is Fulton. Usually they are attending classes right before/directly after work so the fact that you have the typically outfitted undergrad occasionally intermixing with the grads in their oxford shirts, heels, and pressed khakis or slacks makes walking into class feel so much more important
4. You throw around the powerful business jargon from your homework like it's your job: Asset turnover ratio? Subject matter jurisdiction? Debits/credits? Predetermined overhead rate?...and no one understands you. Common room study sessions are always an interesting time in that sense.
5. As if Fulton wasn't good enough just being aesthetically pleasing, it is themed! Tour guides, despite the school they identify with, are more than proud to tell you that the atrium of Fulton Hall is inspired by The Wizard of Oz, from the tiled floors to the sparkling Tin-Man-hat-chandelier
6. Portico--an all-encompassing business school/ethics overview and the required core "fun class" of freshman year.
7. So many CSOM clubs and organizations....so little time. And since we love networking, most events include a presentation or meeting with important people.
8. To date, CSOM is the only school at BC that makes full use of tent cards on which students are to write their names so professors can learn names. Simple origami with paper, perhaps, and they only need to last a month, tops. But given the physical shape of most Fulton classrooms, propping your tent card in front of you before every class is akin to the feeling of being at a conference with other high-powered industry figures. Always thinking in futuristic times, CSOM.
9. We love social media. We are all about the endless possibilities on Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and other innovative forms of technology.
10. Most events come with a dress code...business-casual obviously. Just getting ready for the real world.

Given the option, would I transfer out of Boston College? Definitely not. But it has more to do with a general love for the school than a reluctance to leave what's comfortable.

What about you? What attracts you to BC?

-Dara

Dustbowl Days and Football Frenzy

Hello there!

Today was a gorgeous day at Boston College. It's 82 degrees, the sun is shining, and I only had my theology and marketing classes this morning, so I was out of class at 11! People are storming the dustbowl to soak up the last bit of summery weather we're likely to get this year. Frisbees are flying everywhere and students and professors alike are taking their lunches outside for improptu picnics. It's one of those days that makes me want to call my parents and say "Thanks for letting me go here!"

The entire campus is also hyped up for the Holy War this weekend against Notre Dame. So many of my friends have purchased t-shirts in anticipation of the big day, and UGBC is sponsoring a pep rally on O'Neill plaza on Friday night! The pep rally will feature the Boston College Marching Band, the Irish Dance Club, and (of course) the football team. The game will be broadcast on ABC at 8 pm Saturday; you should check it out!

Off to work on my marketing project - we are analyzing the marketing strategy of Burger King! Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions: penzaa@bc.edu

Sincerely,
Amanda

Welcome Back!

I am once again getting back into the swing of things at BC. It has been a wonderful three weeks and with all the football games, classes, and club kick-off meetings, I've never felt more at home.

The past week has been busy for me in terms of meetings for study abroad, internships, and off-campus housing. BC has done a fantastic job with coordinating events that are informative and promote networking. Yesterday's 150-credit-hour/Big 4 Information Session was very helpful for accounting majors like me. Professor Billy Soo, chairperson of the Accounting department, gave us some helpful tips for planning our 150 credits and we had a panel of recruiters from the Big 4 firms fielding questions regarding leadership programs, internships, and full-time positions. Resources are abundant here at BC, which is a huge relief for complicated majors like accounting.

On another non-academic note, last weekend was the Fall Concert featuring Kid Cudi/LMFAO! It was such an amazing time and everyone I talked to loved the performances. As a member of the Event Management team of UGBC (Undergraduate Government of Boston College), I helped set up the stage and even got to meet Kid Cudi and LMFAO!

With Parent's Week starting tomorrow and the Holy War game (BC vs. Notre Dame) next week, the spirit of BC never ceases. Another lively week awaits!

Any questions, comments, suggestions, fun stories in the meantime? Feel free to email me at fangda@bc.edu!

--Dara Fang (CSOM '13, Accounting/International Studies)

May 1st is coming up!....

The deadline to decide on a college is coming up and to help you all decide if BC is right for you, I've compiled a list of Q&As that I have gotten frequently from friends from home and people I met at Admitted Eagle Day...

Question: "I keep hearing that BC is very Caucasian and preppy. Do you feel like you fit in just fine? Is the student body diverse enough? Also, do you know if there are any Southeast Asian/Indian clubs/dance groups and such? A Capella groups?"

Answer: BC is definitely NOT all Caucasian and preppy. Of course you have preppy students but that is a rumor stemming from the fact that BC back in the day was a very white-dominant school. Today, we have a very diverse population of both Caucasian and AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) students. There are a great variety of culture groups and dance groups. I am a member of UGBC this year and my mentor is the Director of UNITY, which is a liaison between UGBC and the AHANA Leadership Council and we plan a lot of diversity events. One event in particular featured three cultural dance groups on campus. Furthermore, next year's president and vice president have a lot of AHANA initiatives on their platform. The culture groups that you talk of are very widespread on campus.

Question: Do you like your classes/professors?

Answer: I love my classes and professors. I love my CSOM classes and I have such dedicated professors who do whatever they can to help you through the course, and through the four years of college. Professors are also very accessible. I frequently meet with professors to not only get extra help but even life-chat. Even though I am in CSOM, I still have to take a bunch of Arts and Sciences classes such as Philosophy and Theology. I have had two Jesuits as professors and they are amazing at what they do and you also have them as mentors as well, they aren't just professors.

Question: Why did you choose BC?

Answer: I'll admit it wasn't my first choice and I didn't think I would end up here, but now that I am here, I can't imagine going anywhere else. It was a really great fit for me. A couple of my favorite things about BC besides what I've already mentioned are:

1. beauty (love the churches and Fulton Hall, the home of CSOM)
2. proximity to Boston (we have our own T stop and we have a shuttle that goes to another quicker line. The trip takes about 10 minutes)
3. great social life and school spirit, particularly during football season
4. MARATHON MONDAY which was so much fun and inspirational. BC is such a crucial spot during the race and so a lot of people gather on the streets to cheer on runners.
5. such amazing people that you get to see, befriend, work with, and talk to every day

Question: Where do you currently live and do you recommend Upper Campus or Newton Campus?

Answer: I currently live in Fitzpatrick on Upper Campus. Regarding Upper vs. Newton, it really depends on the kind of person you are because there is no difference between the two, save the bus transportation necessary for students who live on the Newton Campus. I am not a bus-person at all. I need to be able to walk back to room whenever I need to because I tend to forget books, laptop, homework, etc. in my room....and I can't run on any other schedule beside my own.

Question: How do the housing/roommate situations work?

Answer: You can choose your roommates through the ResLife portal which you get access to once you decide you want to come here. Your freshman year roommate is usually randomly chosen based on a housing profile you fill out about how neat you are and whether you want to use the room to study, socialize or relax. You can also choose a roommate if you've met someone at Freshman Orientation that you want to live with: generally people do get who they request. Freshmen housing assignments don't come out until August. After freshman year, there is a lottery you enter with your friends based on the number of people you want in your room.

Hope this helps you make this important decision! If you have any more questions about CSOM, BC, or anything about college, shoot me an email (fangda@bc.edu)!

Good luck! Hope to see you on campus next year!

Marathon Monday

Here's BC in all of its Marathon Monday glory! I had the fortune of watching runners from all over the world and even our own BC runners take on this 26.2 aerobic miracle! So much spirit, energy, and support came from the crowds, especially around BC! Such a fun experience for my first Marathon Monday!

Study Abroad & Course Registration

Hey all!

I've got some downtime before I head to Eagle's Nest to help prepare for the MLP dance: Glowfest!
So here's an update on my life thus far:

Recently, I have been in a very futuristic mode: attending study abroad sessions, getting ready for course registration, 4-yr schedule planning, figuring out my major/minor. The thing about CSOM is the schedule tends to be very tight, especially if you are planning on studying abroad AND majoring in accounting . It's important to figure out your 4-year plan to make sure everything fits and you can actually TAKE the courses you want to take abroad. I am currently an accounting major so I need to think about the 150-credit hour rule for the CPA exam and fitting in my accounting major/CSOM core courses. I also want to study abroad in Parma, Italy in the spring of my junior year so I have to think about taking some Italian classes (something tells me "Arrivederci! Ciao, bella!!" is not going to cut it).

I'm thankful for the barrage of CSOM Study Abroad information sessions. Each session features a different study-abroad country and a panel of students who were recently abroad in that area. I learned a lot about study abroad through them such as academics, social life, traveling tips, good food etc.

Another helpful resource is your academic advisor (who is also your Portico professor). My advisor has helped me a lot with planning my schedule in terms of my intended major (accounting), a possible minor (international studies), and studying abroad (Elementary Italian I and II next year!). He was also very helpful in giving me advice on when I should take what classes and professors I should take.

I also should take advantage of the PEPs resource provided on the UGBC website. It is essentially a review of all the professors, organized by department/course. Very useful information!

Here's what I'm thinking so far for :
Elementary Italian I
Modern History I
Managerial Accounting
Math for Management
Intro to Law

...mmm gotta love CSOM core. Italian should be pretty fun though! We'll see what I can get!

Until next time!
Dara

Springtime at BC

Hey all!

It's the first day of classes after Easter break and I am sitting at a table in the Chocolate Bar, sipping my iced soy chai (the best!), getting ready for my Macroeconomics class at 10:30!

I've had a really relaxing break. The weather in MA has been absolutely GORGEOUS, so I spent most of my break outside, roaming around Shrewsbury (any Shrewsburians out there?)

With only 6 weeks left of school, freshman year is coming to an end. Suddenly, my daily schedule is filled with events like "Admitted Eagles Day," "Course Registration," "Course Registration Meeting with Dean Keeley," "Final Exams" (ooo, ominous). Luckily, my academic advisor (Dean Keeley) is very helpful with matters such as course registration and study abroad planning. Furthermore, Women-in-Business holds an advising workshop a week before registration starts to discuss schedules, professors to take, classes to take depending on the major.

On other note, schoolwork is going well! Before break, my main stress came from the Google Online Marketing Challenge for Computers in Management. Basically, we had Mike's Pastries (a great pastry shop in the North End of Boston) up until the last minute when they told us they weren't interested in helping out with our project anymore (I mean, it's not much work, and you get free advertising). Our group was scrambling to find another company (and our report was due that night). We called around and finally talked to the VP of Finale Desserts, who was very helpful and agreed to participate in the challenge. Our group pulled together and delivered a solid presentation on Wednesday before break.

Anyways, I'm heading off to my only class of the day! Stay tuned for more CSOM news and my experience with course registration!

-Dara

My first blog post.....& CSOM March

Hey all!

My name is Dara Fang and I am currently a freshman in the Carroll School of Management concentrating in Accounting and (currently) International Studies. I'm originally from Shrewsbury, MA (roughly 45 minutes west of BC) and this is (obviously) my first blog post. I'm excited to be blogging about life at BC, CSOM, and Boston!

March has been a very busy month for me. In between the Spring Break and Easter, there have been plentiful projects, midterms, papers, readings, and meetings to keep me continually on my toes and out of my room. The big news on the streets of the Heights, of course, is the recent BusinessWeek rankings for CSOM. In case you didn't hear already, CSOM was ranked the #9 best undergraduate business school! Yay!

With all that added glory, the work and pressure to be the best is sure to be harder. As we speak (...or I type), I am reading about Cost of Goods Sold and Inventory Costs for my Financial Accounting course, planning an ad campaign for the Google Online Marketing Challenge for my Computers in Management course, reading Hegel for Perspectives (a Philosophy/Theology course), and plowing through a chapter on "The Monetary System" for Macroeconomics. Get excited!

On top of that, I am also a member of the Business Board of The Heights and the Mentoring Leadership Program (a part of the Undergraduate Government of BC). We are currently planning a freshman dance (Glowfest, complete with black lights, neon paint, and glow sticks) and other exciting initiatives!

Now that I am acquainted with this blogging business, I will be posting as much as possible so tune in for my freshman year stories, being on The Heights, and MLP, and classes!

Until next time!

-Dara