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