Eagle's Eye View...a Boston College Student Blog on Management

Eagles

2011-04-12T13:31:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! Happy Tuesday! And what a beautiful Tuesday it is - the sun is shining, flowers are sprouting that spell out "BC" on the hills (MAGIC!), and birds are chirping. Speaking of birds, let me fill you in on the craze that is sweeping the nation - EagleCam.

You may think that when I say "EagleCam," I am referring to the webcams that allow you to see onto parts of the BC campus. This is not the case. I am referring instead to an eagle's nest in Decorah, Iowa. This EagleCam allows the viewer to watch a live feed of a mother eagle, a father eagle, and their three newly hatched baby bald eagles! It is so cool! Last Wednesday, I was procrastinating and watching some eagle eggs, and then one started to crack - it was hatching! How incredible is it that I saw a live hatching in Iowa from the dining hall at Boston College? The internet blows my mind sometimes.

Anyway, in conclusion, if you want to be an Eagle, you should also watch EagleCam. You don't have to watch it by any means, but it is strongly recommended - they are just that cute.

Amanda
penzaa@bc.edu

Homework is always better with good weather.

2011-04-10T01:48:00.003-04:00

Hi all! Right now I am blogging while sitting outside my dorm because the sun is out and it's wonderfully warm. Nearly everyone on Upper campus is outside playing basketball and frisbee. Unfortunately I had to write part of a research paper this morning, but I really didn't mind because the weather is so amazing. Thankfully, I also managed my time on this assignment, so the ten-page thing really wasn't intimidating.

As a college student you're bound to have a research paper assignment at some point. When that happens to you, the library will suddenly become your best friend. Here at BC we're incredibly lucky to have O'Neill library as a resource. When I first realized the diverse range of books in our library, I was a Steve Urkel on the nerd scale. For a few days I found an immensely dorky pleasure in checking out stacks of books. Of course, I didn't end up needing some of them, but it was fun while it lasted. Anyway, my point to all of this is that research shouldn't be impossible, and BC has any resources you might ever need, on any subject and in any language. Writing this research paper has given me a huge sense of accomplishment and I've learned so much. On a side note, if you ever end up in O'Neill library, make sure you check out the view of Boston on the top floor. It's pretty amazing.

To reward myself for completing my research paper, I'm going into Newton Center for dinner with friends, then going to an a cappella concert (second time in three weeks), then an improv comedy show. It should be really fun!

Stay tuned for my next post, which may or may not include another a cappella concert!

--Kristen

CSOM 2014

volinskk@bc.edu <---- email me with any questions you have about BC, CSOM, anything!

Trivia

2011-03-31T23:31:00.004-04:00

Every Thursday night, five of my friends and I gather on the second level of Lower Dining Hall at 9 pm for our favorite event of the week - Trivia, sponsored by Nights On The Heights. All week, we prepare by reading random wikipedia pages, figuring out which songs we want to request from the question asker/dj, and honing our skills at hilarity to come up with witty answers when we don't know the right one. It is, in short, awesome.

This week, we arrived early to secure our spot in the corner by the question asker, Mike. This is the best spot because we are close to the refreshments (pizza), speakers, and there is easy access to hand in the questions. The theme was "green" - all the questions were about going green in honor of Green Month at BC. Unfortunately, we had not prepared appropriately, but never fear! Being the super smart BC students that we are, we were able to recall information we had learned in the distant past (What is the biggest nuclear accident to date? Chernobyl.) and we managed to come in 3rd place. All in all, it was a very exciting night, and a great way to start our weekend (HOORAY no class on Fridays!). Next week, we will be back with a vengeance - our competitors had better be ready for a tough opponent!

Best,
Amanda

Weekend Activities

2011-03-30T13:21:00.008-04:00

I remember my college tours quite vividly, and I will never forget how, when the tour guides asked the prospective students for any questions, every parent in the group would inevitably begin their deluge of inquiries. These questions were, of course, important, and I will always be grateful for my parents' fearlessness when it came to asking the tour guides... well, everything.

One question that always sparked my curiosity was, "What do students do on weekends?" Coming from high school, you can't completely anticipate what it will be like to live full-time at school. Of course, now I can say that it's wonderful, but I was uncertain as a high school junior/senior. So, if you're wondering about the weekends on the BC campus like I was, here are a few of my own experiences as a freshman:

1. First of all, don't be nervous that campus will clear out on the weekends, just because Boston College is close to the city. Although Boston is a great resource that can be reached by T (train) in a short time, students here love staying on campus.

2. There is always something going on that you will be interested in. On Thursday nights, for example, the Chocolate Bar (a bakery/coffee shop in the Upper campus dining hall) hosts live musicians from the area. This week I bought a delicious milkshake and enjoyed the free show with a friend. The next few bullet points fall under this same category as well:

3. Sports games often take place on the weekends. Here at BC, games are huge events. We all wear our yellow Superfan shirts and show our school pride.

4. The undergraduate government hosts events on campus that are always incredible. This Friday, my friends and I went to Conte Forum (our hockey and basketball arena) for a hilarious live comedy show by Nick Swardson. Look him up - you won't be disappointed.

5. Clubs host their own events as well. Before the comedy show, we went to the a cappella concert of one of the student groups on campus, The Acoustics. They were all incredibly talented and, to tell you the truth, I felt embarrassed about my own lack of singing ability. Oh well; they provided an incredible few hours of entertainment (completely free, I might add).

6. For my last point I want to stress the importance of hanging out with friends on the weekends. It seems trivial, and you may have already started on the next blog post by now, but some of my best weekend nights are spent just watching movies in my dorm with friends, or ordering takeout and playing a game of night frisbee. At Boston College, you'll meet extremely friendly, caring people who you're sure to develop wonderful friendships with. You'll go to Boston with them, attend football games together, and do homework together in the afternoon. And it will be some of the greatest times of your college career.

Until next time,

--Kristen Volinski

CSOM 2014

volinskk@bc.edu

P.S. Here's a video from the show I went to:

http://www.youtube.com/bcacoustics

Study Abroad Excitement

2011-03-24T16:17:00.004-04:00

Now that spring break is over and midterms are upon us once again, it's nice to have something to look forward to. In February I applied to study abroad next semester in Parma, Italy and a few days before spring break I found out that I was accepted!! I spend my free time now filling out applications, reading course offerings, and looking up pictures of Italy. I have heard so many good things about people's experiences when they went abroad and I can't wait to experience it for myself!

Coming into BC, I thought I wanted to study abroad, but I didn't know definitely. I was nervous about being so far away from home and my family and friends. I don't know the Italian language well and I didn't want to be in a foreign country by myself. Eventually I decided that I was never going to have an opportunity like this again and that any initial anxiety would be worth it in the long run. I could not be happier with my choice. I am so excited for my trip. I already know some of the people that I'll be studying in Parma with so I won't be alone.

College is the time to push yourself towards opportunities that seem daunting at first. If you want something, go for it. I think you'll surprise yourself about how much you can handle.

First week back: BC Hockey and the North End

2011-03-20T12:57:00.008-04:00

It's nearly impossible to describe the joy I felt upon walking on BC turf again after break. I suppose it would be something like a child adopting a puppy (Yes, that kind of joy). All of the snow has melted and the freshman quad on Upper Campus has become a utopia for everyone; if anyone were to look outside their window on any given day this week, he would see people laying on the lawn studying, playing basketball, football and baseball, and even sitting in trees talking to friends (that would be me).

Saint Patrick's Day was also this week, and it was really fun to see over ninety percent of the campus - not an exaggeration - wearing green of some sort. The undergraduate government of BC, also known as UGBC, also hosted a dance for St. Patty's Day, with a "Lucky Charms" theme. In order to get into the dance, you had to track down the "charms" around campus. They were in the shape of the Lucky Charms cereal marshmallows, and they could be seen everywhere: hanging from trees, sitting on benches, etc. I didn't get a chance to go to the dance, but I heard very good reviews, which is typical of any UGBC event.

This week was also significant for BC Hockey. Our incredible team is going for #1 in the National Championships for the second year in a row. I attended the Hockey East tournament games against Northeastern and Merrimack College this weekend, witnessing two of the most stressful but exciting games of my life. When we took home the trophy, Superfans from all over rejoiced, and I cheered until I lost my voice. It was awesome.

In Boston, this week was Restaurant week, in which you can get a great deal on meals in the city in specific restaurants. I went with a group of friends to the North End (the Italian section of Boston near Faneuil Hall) and got a three-course lunch for just twenty bucks. This was one of the many times when I've been incredibly grateful to go to school just a T (Boston's train) ride from Boston. Spring break, we had some good times, but BC is the place to be.

Kristen

CSOM 2014

P.S. Here's a picture of the beautiful Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market at night:

Spring (Not Very Much Of A) Break

2011-03-18T12:09:00.005-04:00

Spring Break at BC is a very exciting time. Everyone wants to know where you're going to spend your nine-or-ten days of absolute freedom. Whether you'll be participating in an Appalachia Service Trip, spending your week at the beach, or heading home for the week, the week is highly anticipated and exciting.

After an anticlimactic visit home for spring break last year, I decided that I would really try to make this year's break the best ever. That is why, when the University Chorale announced that they would be headed to Ireland for a spring break singing and sightseeing tour, I was one of the first people to sign up! I had never been anywhere remotely exciting before last week (my family pretty much sticks to New England), and I was ready for an adventure with some of my closest friends.

We arrived in Ireland at 5:30 AM on Friday and immediately began touring the country. The first thing I noticed (aside from how scary it is to drive on the wrong side of the road!) was how truly GREEN everything was! Of course I had seen pictures, but nothing prepares you for that amount of green space and sheep. There are tons of ruined castles, monastic settlements, and homes that dot the landscape, and almost every road we traveled on was lined by farms. The cities were of course a little busier, but for the majority of the week, we were in rural areas. Over the course of our trip, we visited Galway, Killarney (pictured), and Dublin, and we got to perform in many spaces, including Galway Cathedral, and St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin (they were gorgeous). We visited the Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, and Blarney Castle - my friends and I even got to kiss the Blarney Stone! Our week was jam-packed with fun and friendship, so when I finally got back to BC on Saturday night, I was incredibly excited to see my roommates and my bed. Even though the week was exhausting, I know I will always look back on this spring break and be grateful for the opportunities it presented and the ninety new friends I spent it with!

Amanda

CSOM '12

Returning home!

2011-03-12T20:38:00.003-05:00

Well, spring break is finally coming to an end. It was incredibly relaxing to forget about assignments and research papers for a week, but I cannot wait to get back to campus, back to friends, back to my comfy bed. For the entirety of vacation I've been diligently catching myself before I say something like "I go back home the 13th", because it sort of terrifies my parents.

It's true, though. I've only been at BC for three quarters and I already can't imagine being anywhere else. I can't wait to go back to campus tomorrow, barrage the girls in my dorm with hugs, and maybe even throw a baseball around in the patches of grass that are just starting to emerge after the winter. BC was beautiful in the snow, but spring is going to be incredible. I guess it's still early and I shouldn't get too excited over a few sunny days, but regardless, I can hardly wait to go back home. Stay tuned!

Kristen

CSOM 2014

Escaping into Boston

2011-03-03T09:45:00.007-05:00

In all the "excitement" of midterms week(s) it's pretty easy to get caught up in the routine of staying on campus and just studying. My friend and I decided to take a break from all the stress and go out to breakfast in Boston on a Tuesday morning. One of the major reasons I chose to come to BC is because of it's location. I love having a home here on campus, but then being able to get to the amazing city of Boston so quickly. Being so close to Boston is what made it so easy to go in quickly to eat and escape campus on a weekday morning. I had actually never gone into Boston before class so I felt awesome having this new experience. We took the T (Boston's subway) into the North End and had breakfast at one of my favorite places in the whole city, Mike's Pastry. (If you ever want cannoli or any other Italian cookies/pastries, go to Mike's. They have the greatest tasting treats... they're delicious!!) We then walked back to the T and made it back in time for my class at noon. I don't think I've had a better morning at BC. What's great about BC is that we can explore Boston and all the opportunities it presents and then be able to come "home" to campus when we're done.

Alyssa

Boston College '13

Kairos

2011-03-01T14:24:00.002-05:00

At Boston College, as well as other Jesuit high schools and universities across the country, there exists a mythical retreat called Kairos. Students who sign up are randomly chosen at some point during their educational career and are whisked off for a weekend of secret magic and fun and joy and come back completely renewed and the happiest people on earth. They know something that they won't tell you, and every time you ask what happens on Kairos, they say "You have to go to find out." Sounds weird, right?

I was a nonbeliever in Kairos for a long time. I even went so far as to publicly express my rage at not knowing "the secret" of Kairos and not being a part of that group that seemed so elite. Those people with their joy and their smiles and their retreat experience, they didn't know what it was like to be a real student. They were so privileged and cool and I felt so...not. I wanted what they had and I wanted it now.

As a junior whose friends had almost all been called for Kairos, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to go. I would never be one of the elite and that was okay with me, I was finally starting to accept my fate. That is, until one day in the Rat (world's best dining hall) when I was checking my e-mail and had one from "kairos" that said I was called for retreat number 98!! I was psyched. I was finally going to find out all of the secrets of the Kairos world and, more importantly, I was finally going to be able to tell everyone I knew something they didn't! Things were great!

I finally went on Kairos this past weekend and had the time of my life. On this retreat, I learned two things. The first thing is that I hate wearing shoes (I am now the #1 fan of walking around in my socks), and the second thing...is a secret. :)

Amanda Penza
CSOM '12

Zynga Boston and An Entrepreneur for Others

2011-02-22T16:19:00.006-05:00

Hello prospective students! There are many things I love about being in the Carroll School of Management, but many times what distinguishes CSOM from other schools are the unique opportunities offered to students on a daily basis. This past week I attended two events, both with awesome speakers. In CSOM, many students are involved in the school’s management academies. These include the finance academy, marketing academy, accounting academy, and more. This past Friday I went on a field trip with the Information Systems Academy to Zynga Boston in Cambridge. Ever played Cityville or MafiaWars? These are just two of the hits created by this prominent gaming firm, which recently expanded into Boston. At the office we had the opportunity of speaking with Nabeel Hyatt, the new head honcho of the Boston branch. It was awesome networking with Nabeel and learning about the industry from an expert, as well as meeting other cool BC students with the same interests! Check out the photo above of Nabeel and us in front of the Zynga logo.

Another event I attended this week was a talk given by BC alum Michael Delponte. Mike shared his story of being a theology major at BC and then going on to create Sparkseed, “a global nonprofit organization that accelerates and invests in the most promising student entrepreneurs seeking to make social change.” His story was truly unique, and during the talk he inspired us with advice about college, life, and following your dreams towards a fulfilling career. Mike is just one example of a BC alum willing to help and reach out to students who are trying to pursue their passions. At the end of the talk he gave out his business card and invited the attendees to reach out to him if they ever were in need of advice or guidance. I would encourage any Boston College student to attend these types of events, as I have acquired so much meaningful advice from a variety of awesome speakers!

Thanks for Reading!

Sofia Papastamelos
papastam@bc.edu

Service Fair

2011-02-16T19:42:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! One of the things that really attracted me to Boston College was its spirit of community service and ideal of men and women for others. A large majority of BC students take part in some form of community service, whether its for a service trip, campus club, or the university’s PULSE program. Last week, I attended the Boston College service fair in the Fulton Honors Library. Here, a number of representatives from great programs, centers, and schools around Boston gathered to recruit BC students for their awesome service opportunities.

A lot of students at BC volunteer at Boston service centers for several hours each week, but seeing as I already have such a hectic schedule, I was worried about not having the time to participate in any of the programs offered. I always loved volunteering in high school but haven’t had the chance to help out on a weekly basis at BC. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of opportunities that were presented at the fair, many of them being manageable and easily accessible. I finally signed up to do a tutoring program with elementary school children for 1-2 hours a week that takes place on campus. I truly love that BC puts such an emphasis on service and am glad that I can give back to the Boston community in my own little way! I would highly recommend taking advantage of the service opportunities at BC, they are always such a great experience!

More to Come!

Sofia Papastamelos, Papastam@bc.edu

Relationships

2010-11-07T19:49:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-04T17:00:00.003-04:00

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

2010-11-03T22:37:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-11-03T18:07:00.004-04:00

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

2010-10-27T00:13:00.003-04:00

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

2010-10-23T17:36:00.007-04:00

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

2010-10-21T11:57:00.003-04:00

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

2010-10-21T03:10:00.004-04:00

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

2010-10-19T17:41:00.003-04:00

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

2010-10-19T14:45:00.002-04:00

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:

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....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

2010-10-12T23:49:00.007-04:00

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:

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/
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.
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!
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…
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.
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!
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.
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

2010-10-11T21:31:00.007-04:00

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!

2010-10-11T20:50:00.003-04:00

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

2010-10-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

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:

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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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

2010-10-01T10:48:00.004-04:00

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?

At last check, CSOM is at #9 for Best B-Schools in America, making it better than NYU Stern anyways.
We have our own library located at the heart of Fulton Hall. Such knowledge, emanating right out the aesthetic wooden doors
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
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.
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
Portico--an all-encompassing business school/ethics overview and the required core "fun class" of freshman year.
So many CSOM clubs and organizations....so little time. And since we love networking, most events include a presentation or meeting with important people.
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.
We love social media. We are all about the endless possibilities on Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and other innovative forms of technology.
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

2010-09-29T15:45:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-09-23T14:46:00.008-04:00

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!....

2010-04-26T16:17:00.003-04:00

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:

beauty (love the churches and Fulton Hall, the home of CSOM)
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)
great social life and school spirit, particularly during football season
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.
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

2010-04-19T22:47:00.005-04:00

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

2010-04-09T15:01:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-06T09:56:00.005-04:00

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

2010-03-25T00:39:00.006-04:00

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

Midterm Madness

2009-11-08T14:22:00.004-05:00

Hey guys,

These past couple weeks have been pretty crazy. It's been midterm time here at BC, and it feels really great to finally be done. In the past couple weeks, I have had tests in Math for Management, Financial Accounting, Chemistry and Society and Midterms in Asia in the World and Business Law on top of a few essays. Phew.

Things have been pretty hectic, but that has certainly made this past weekend a rewarding one. Students here at BC are very motivated and driven, but of course it is important to relax and have fun when possible. On Friday, my friends and I had a great dinner at UNOs to benefit the Carroll School of Management's Honors Program, which was a blast.

We didn't have a football game here Saturday, which sometimes is a nice change of pace because I could actually get things done! My friend Alex and I went around campus taking pictures for the SAP website (check out my pic) so be on the lookout for those to go online, and we bought materials for a poster for the Haley House Cookie Campaign mentioned in the previous post. Hopefully we can benefit the House significantly in the next couple of weeks.

Until next time,
Paul

Helping Haley House

2009-11-05T22:10:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone,

I thought I would let you know about something I have recently become involved in. Just a few weeks ago, I volunteered along with a group of five other students to help work on a marketing campaign for the Haley House Bakery Cafe. The Haley House, opened in 1966, offers food, shelter, and hospitality for Boston's underprivileged. Going beyond temporary relief, Haley House's mission is to help the less fortunate gain economic independence and lead meaningful lives.

The Haley House started selling chocolate chip cookies two years ago in the Boston College dining halls in order to raise proceeds to help the community. However, as the new classes of freshman have arrived at BC, the mission of the cookie has been lost and sales have been recently declining. My goal over the next few weeks will be to help run a marketing campaign to spread the word about the Haley House cookie through posters, samples, presentations, and an article in The Heights (the school newspaper). We just have to let people what a good cause they can support by doing something as simple and delicious as eating a cookie. This is just an example of how easy it is to get involved at BC and help a meaningful cause.

Talk to you soon,

Alex Mannherz
CSOM '12 Finance
mannhera@bc.edu

Some Advice on Advisors

2009-10-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

Hello Friends,

With registration for classes right around the corner I thought I would delve a little into advising and class selection for CSOM students. Like every student at Boston College, students in the Carroll School of Management have an academic advisor that is assigned to them. You are required to meet with your advisor to receive your degree audit and the access code needed to register for classes. Each of these advisors are great resources for students but you should never underestimate the value other professors can have for your experience here at BC.

Case in point. I recently declared my concentration so my official academic advisor switched from who I had last year. Although my advisor for this year is great and is in my department, I really liked Professor Clarke, who really helped me figure out what I wanted to do with education and time here at BC. So I went back to her. In fact, I’m meeting with her tomorrow and she’s introducing me to another professor who she promises I will absolutely love. By the end of tomorrow I may have 2 more academic advisors! It truly is the hallmark of a BC professor: someone who is truly dedicated to the undergraduates.

In terms of registering for classes, you’re going to want to find a balance between both the University Core Curriculum, which all students must complete in their years at BC, and the Management core. It’s nice to have a balance of liberal arts courses along with your more focused courses like economics or marketing principles. Feel free to shoot me an email if you’d like some recommendations on great classes to take.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Comedy and College GameDay

2009-10-04T17:41:00.011-04:00

Hey Guys!

My name is Paul Holder and I am a sophomore in the business school's honors program. This weekend was great- on Friday, the freshman honors class and various members of the other classes including myself went to the Improv Asylum in Boston's North End. The show consisted of a group of 5 improv artists who did various comedy sketches, and it was hilarious! Of course, one of the perks of being a BC student is being close to the North End, where a 40-minute T ride can take you to world famous restaurants and delicious dessert shops.

As Alex mentioned in the previous post, Gameday and the football game on Saturday were fantastic, and the tribute to cancer patient and BC football player Mark Herzlich was truly inspirational.

Tonight, however, I have to study for 3 tests in 2 days, so I should probably get started! If you have any questions about the honors program, Boston, or anything, feel free to contact me!

Take care,

Paul Holder
CSOM '12
paul.c.holder@gmail.com

Great Weekend!

2009-10-04T14:18:00.005-04:00

Hello,

My name is Alex Mannherz and I am a sophomore in the business school. I just wanted to let you guys know a little bit about my weekend at BC.

My weekend focused around the BC's football game against an ACC rival in Florida State. My friends and I woke up early Saturday morning to go to College Gameday; a football pregame show on the ESPN network. I was in the front row and it was crazy. The show focused around the inspirational story of Mark Herzlich's (a BC football player) battle with cancer. Following the show, I went to the actual football game at 3:30 in Alumni Stadium. The student section had a great turnout and the stadium was loud. I was lucky enough to go early and get seats in the second row. It was an exciting game and the BC Eagles were able to come out with a BIG WIN thanks to a long touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Saturday was an awesome day full of football and school pride!

If you have any questions about football or anything else about BC feel free to shoot me an email at mannhera@bc.edu. I look forward to hearing from you guys.

Talk to you soon,

Alex Mannherz
CSOM '12 Finance
mannhera@bc.edu

Read All About It!

2009-09-18T12:54:00.009-04:00

Hello Friends,

This may serve more as a shameless plug for myself and this blog, but I was interviewed by The Heights, the independent student newspaper of BC. Here's a link to the story. I always pick up a copy on Mondays and Thursdays. They do a pretty good job of keeping administration in check and letting the student body know of issues around campus. My favorite section is the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down section which falls under the Opinions page. If you have time definitely check them out. There are so many clubs and organizations on campus, never limit yourself to just walking the halls of Fulton as a CSOM student.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

As If There Was Any Doubt

2009-09-15T11:34:00.004-04:00

Hello Again,

So I know what you may have been thinking. Yeah yeah yeah ... first day of school and one company decided to show up as a favor to some wealthy alumni or connection. Well guess again. I snapped this photo walking through the Dustbowl of representatives from Ernst & Young. (I got a free Frisbee from them too!)

They weren't the only visitors to campus and CSOM recently either. Google stopped by for the day as well. Alums Jeffrey Wu and Tae Kim have worked for Google since before the IPO at HQ and in several of the firm's global locations. Students got the scoop on web search quality, fraud-fighting and Google's overall global efforts! All in all a pretty exciting week in CSOM, and it's only the second one.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Classes have started ... and so have the company visits

2009-09-08T12:32:00.005-04:00

Hello Again,

Well classes began today and the campus is electric again. After a long and sometimes painfully quiet summer, the Heights are abuzz with students running from class to class and eager freshman going to the wrong rooms or trying to find their way through the sea of students in the Quad and Dustbowl. I was walking into a class in Fulton and couldn't resist snapping this picture on my BlackBerry.

It's a table representing Deloitte and Touche a major international and accounting firm that is always around campus. They really know the caliber of students in the Carroll School of Management and have had countless students intern and go on to work with them. Just wanted to show that the companies are out early, and you should be too as prospective students. Look for these kinds of opportunities at all the great schools you are considering applying to.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Just Another Manic Monday?

2009-08-10T14:44:00.003-04:00

Hello Again,

Greetings from the penultimate week of tours and information sessions here at Boston College. I’ve just finished being on a panel for one of our Eagle Eye Information Sessions and felt like I could use a break and blog.

Although today is Monday (and I’m not happy about it after a great weekend spent at the beach) I’m certainly not going to simply stay in my room and pout. Instead I have a great night ahead of me. It’s Restaurant Week here in the Boston which means all of the best restaurants are offering three course meals for $33 (227 restaurants to be exact!). I actually went to Antico Forno last night in the north end and it was absolutely fantastic. I’m going to try to hit as many as possible this week. It truly is worth it. I’m also going to frequent what has become my regular Monday night hangout during the summer, Trivia at Applebee’s in Cleveland Circle. Myself along with a bunch of the summer staff love to compete with each other and other locals for gift certificates. As a group we have dominated as of late, capturing 3 of the top four places each of the last 5 weeks. I’m really looking forward to tonight because I got a good feeling it will finally be my team’s turn to break out of our slump and jump from fourth to first.

Granted it is Monday and there is work to be done, but this is typical of any weeknight at Boston College, a balance between work/academics and spending quality time with friends. It was this balancing act exhibited by the student body that attracted me to BC in the first place. You might want to consider those kinds of intangibles when are viewing colleges.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Google Map Search: Undergradute Research ... Results: 1 - Boston College

2009-08-04T10:09:00.005-04:00

The opportunity to become involved in research as an undergraduate is seemingly limited to the natural sciences. Thanks to the undergraduate focus of Boston College however, all the academic departments are keen to have undergraduates involved in research including all of the departments within the Carroll School of Management.

Professor Sam Ransbotham who taught my Computers in Management course recently won a grant from Google to conduct research on “consumer decision making in the context of visual search tools, such as Google Maps, and location-based advertising, such as Google Maps API ads layers.”

Earlier this summer he spotted me in the Eagle’s Nest (my favorite place for lunch on campus) and told me all about the research he was doing as well as talked about how each of our summers were going. He also offered me a position as a paid research assistant during the academic year with him to help conduct this research.

While BC does have several formal avenues for getting undergraduates involved in research such as the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program, the faculty really are phenomenal about engaging their students in the entire research process.

I guess undergraduate research opportunities was something I never considered when I was looking for schools because I really wanted to go to a school with a great undergraduate business program (and was under the impression there was no research going on in business). Nonetheless, having now been given opportunity to do so, I wouldn’t consider a business program that didn’t have its primary teaching and research focus centered upon undergraduate involvement.

Until next time friends …

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Getting Ready for Portico

2009-07-28T09:12:00.007-04:00

Hey readers,

My name is Greg Pidgeon ('11), and I'm going to be contributing to the blog along with Luke. As we get further into the summer (and finally get some sunshine around here), I wanted to talk a little about the Portico program we have for incoming freshman. Portico is a class all CSOM freshmen will take, focusing on an introduction to business ethics, as well as an introduction to CSOM and BC as a whole. It was a pilot program last year, but this year will be extended to the entire freshman class.

I'm really excited about the program because I will be a T.A. for Professor Sarah Cabral's 3 p.m. class next semester. The program gets its kick-off a little before school starts with an expedition into downtown Boston to get to know classmates and get the Portico experience going. After that I'll be doing the usual T.A. work of grading papers and helping out with assignments and projects, but for the most part, I'll be serving as a peer mentor for the students. I benefitted from a great peer mentor as a freshman so I'm definitely looking forward to being able to assist the freshman the way my mentor aided me. Through the Portico program, the Carroll School will continue its great tradition of facilitating relationships both in terms of advising and general friendships between its students, a tradition that I have found invaluable throughout my time here.

I think the peer mentor experience really sets BC and the Carroll School apart in that so many of our students love to pass down information to their fellow students. There exists a great sense of friendship and community between all students here and through that stems terrific inter-year relationships as well. I’ve never seen an upperclassmen treat freshmen or sophomores without a tremendous amount of respect and care. Whenever I have had questions about classes, internships, or just life in general, I’ve always been able to go to my mentor or just older students in general for advice. I’m really excited that as I get older and spend more time here I’ll be able to continue this tradition both in the formal sense as a Portico T.A. as well as through the informal ranks of just helping out my younger friends whenever they have questions.

So that’s just a little what’s going on right now as we all prepare to head back to school in another month and a half or so. As always leave me comments or feel free to email me at pidgeong@bc.edu if you have any questions.

Pino's Pizza & The Half-Blood Prince

2009-07-20T09:10:00.006-04:00

Hello Again,

This past week was an absolute whirlwind of activity. Highlights included a victory for the Undergraduate Admission Office Softball Team over University Advancement, the Stanley Cup visiting campus, and of course the midnight screening of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

The softball game was played on our Brighton campus which has a tremendous amount of green space available to all students. It was certainly a high scoring affair with our team punching out a 24-13 victory. We're looking forward to our biggest game of the year coming against Boston University in the world famous "Beancan."

But if you couldn't tell from the title of this blog, my favorite part of this past week was undoubtedly going to the opening of the newest Harry Potter movie with a number of the staff in the city. As a group we grabbed a bite to eat at Roggie's, a favorite among BC students located in Cleveland Circle. We then hopped onto the D-Line of the MBTA and headed into the Fenway stop and waited in line at the Regal 13 at Landmark Center for about three hours before the movie actually started. The movie itself was fantastic and the company was just as entertaining.

As we grabbed a cab back to campus we spotted that another BC favorite, Pino's Pizza, was still open. Pino's is a staple of many BC students' diets. Their pizza is great (I personally recommend the sausage pizza) as well as great subs and dinners. I may or may not be on a first name basis with the delivery guy.

If you ever take the journey to Chestnut Hill and want to grab a slice of BC culture, I thoroughly recommend Roggie's, Pino's, and the rest of Cleveland Circle as fantastic spots to taste the local flavor. While the food here on campus is great, you can't let yourself pass up the great dining and culture options along Cleveland Circle. Until next time friends.

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Independence Day

2009-07-07T11:07:00.009-04:00

Hello again,

The 4th of July has come and gone and the busy season of college visits is upon us here at BC. Boston is such a great city to be in to celebrate Independence Day, where the Revolution itself started. The largest attraction is the Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade, a waterfront park along the Charles River in Boston.

A number of the staff working here during the summer camped out for the day to get great seats, basking in what could be considered one of the best days of the year so far. Eventually the sun set, and at 10:30pm sharp the fireworks began. One of the staff members snapped the picture above. The fireworks display, when coordinated with the music of the Pops, is absolutely incredible and something everyone should experience at least once.

The easiest and most efficient way to get into Boston on the 4th, or any day for that matter, is by using the "T". The T is the nickname for our public transportation system, also called the MBTA. Boston College is located next to three branches of the Green Line of the subway: the Boston College B line runs right to the edge of campus, and BC provides shuttle buses to Cleveland Circle nearby, where you can find the end stop of the C line and one stop along the D line. BC is a fantastic school for its campus, but you can't forget the incredible city you have at your fingertips everyday. Until next time friends.

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

Admissions Softball

2009-07-02T10:50:00.007-04:00

Hey Prospective Students,

So it's the summer here in the Office of Undergraduate Admission, but that doesn't mean we aren't working hard. There's plenty to do and tons of visitors everyday. That, of course, doesn't stop us from having some fun as well! Our office began our softball season against other admissions offices in the area by making jerseys in the mail room. You can check out the picture of Julie and I ironing on the numbers. Then it was off to Brandeis!

The crew there put up a fair fight, but BC prevailed with a resounding victory. We have a pretty good schedule for the summer with some other Boston schools and I'll keep you posted on any new games scheduled and the results.

If this post doesn't tell you anything other than the fact that as a staff we take our job seriously, and love working together as well as having fun, that's fine by me, but maybe it can give you a sneak peek into the psyche of a "typical" BC student. Dedicated to their work and responsibilities, but by no means scared to have fun. Talk to you soon friends.

-Luke Lapointe
CSOM '12 Finance
A & S '12 Communications
Student Admission Program
International Coordinator

2009-03-17T11:57:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone!

It's has been awhile since I last blogged, so I will re-introduce myself. My name is Brian Palumbo and I am a freshman in CSOM. That is enough re-introducing for me.

This week is a big week coming up for Boston College, especially outside of the classroom. Our Eagles, led by the likes of Tyrese Rice and Rakim (Rak Attack) Sanders have made it to the NCAA tournament!! Yes, they are coming off a very tough loss to the Blue Devils, but having the opportunity to win a game against a team like Duke is at times a victory in and of itself. We all know that our Eagles are not satisfied with just being in the game, hopefully this translates into a winning streak in the NCAA tournament. Faced with a a difficult first round game against white-hot USC, Boston College has its hand full because even if they were to win that first game, a very good Michigan State team will likely be waiting in the second round. Who knows! Maybe BC will be playin in two weekends! The sky is the limit...

Enough with the sports though: this coming weekend is also the fun and crazy ALC Showdown '09. The showdown consists of cultural and dance groups from campus all coming together in one large show displaying all of their incredible talents. Ranging from Synergy to Sexual Chocolate, the crowd will certainly be pleased with exceptional performances by most. Showdown is a culmination of months of hard work and will not disappoint those who either go to see friends or to just go for sheer entertainment.

Ironically, the BC basketball game and Showdown are a direct conflict. It looks like some people are going to have to make a very tough game time decision.

Talk to all you soon.

Brian

Oh We're Half Way There

2009-03-02T23:02:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Spring break is finally here! I am writing to you from sunny Florida as I am relaxing from a busy spring semester thus far. Although I decided to come home for break, a lot of my friends have decided to spend their break volunteering as part of Boston College's Appalachia Volunteers Program. One of my friends is in New Orleans, rebuilding damaged homes and another friend is in a small town outside of Richmond, Virginia helping struggling families with miscellaneous duties.

This past week I went and declared my CSOM concentration. I have decided (for the time being) to be a Finance and Accounting double concentration with a Philosophy minor. One thing I would urge you to do is to not worry right now about what you want to do. Admissions does not expect that you have your life planned out already. It is perfectly fine to be undeclared. The CSOM core is a great way to sample all of the different business concentrations to see what you really want to pursue. My basic finance class with Professor Hayes has really intrigued me and led me to seek to continue down the finance concentration path.

Fun fact: Finance is the most popular major at BC!

Another thing to keep in mind is that once you come to BC, you are not limited to choosing one specific major within CSOM. I, being someone who did not come into BC with a lot of AP credit am still able to double concentrate in the school of management and pursue a minor in A&S. There are so many great opportunities to pursue outside of CSOM and I feel like a lot of CSOM students do take advantage of pursuing other disciplines.

Father Flannagan, a Jesuit at BC who team-teaches my Philosophy of Community class, always says that sure you will get a great education, but where you really learn a lot and will remember the most is what you do outside the classroom. I strongly agree with his comments. Sure, we are all going to get a nice big diploma come May of our graduation year, but it is what we all do outside of class that really can make your time at BC an amazing experience. As I look at my fellow classmates, that is one thing that I notice, is just how involved we all are. We all spread ourselves thin and spend more hours participating in extracurricular activities than we do in class. In my mind, this is just another defining characteristic of Boston College that makes it a truly great place to be at.

To finish off my post lets talk about some BC basketball! A few weeks ago, we upset a highly ranked Duke basketball team. It was the most exciting basketball game that I have ever been to. All of the students rushed the court at the end of the game (see awesome picture!). It was a scene I will never forget. As the season nears to an end, we are making our final push to make it into the tournament.

As always, GO EAGLES!!

Best,

Scott

Thursday before Spring Break!

2009-02-26T12:54:00.004-05:00

Hi again!

So today is the Thursday before we go on Spring Break! The campus libraries have been absolutely packed this past week because of midterms, and everyone is going crazy trying to complete all of their papers/exams before we go on Spring Break on Friday. I only had one midterm this week (in Managerial Accounting) and am looking forward to 3 when I return...ah!

For Spring Break, I'm going to Cancun with a few of my friends from BC. I'm really looking forward to relaxing and being in the sun for a change! It's been quite chilly up here in Boston this past week. For break, a lot of my friends are going on service trips with the Appalachia Volunteers, something that I participated in last year as a freshman. I went to Narrows, Virginia, and got to know the community very well while helping them with any construction/town-wide tasks that needed to be completed. It was an amazing experience and I am jealous of everyone going on Appalachia this year (especially the people going to Narrows)! I made wonderful friendships, had a blast, helped people in need, and learned a lot about myself through Appalachia; I definitely want to go on another trip before I graduate.

Well, that's all for now! Best,

Mary

An Ordinary Tuesday

2009-02-17T17:25:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

My name is Mary and I am a sophomore in the Carroll School of Management (CSOM for short) concentrating in Marketing and Finance.

To start off, I'm going to go through my day just to fill you in on what any other weekday is like for me at BC. I only have 2 classes on Tuesday/Thursday; my first is Managerial Accounting and after that I have Basic Finance. Basic Finance is really interesting and I am already starting to learn concepts that big-time financial people use every day at their jobs.

After my classes, I got lunch with some friends and then I babysat for people that live really close to BC, which is great because I can walk there in ten minutes and earn some extra ca$h! Then, I had a meeting for the marketing committee for the BC Arts Festival, which happens for 3 days every Spring and is really exciting and fun! Now, I'm in the computer lab working on a finance assignment...which I should get back to now! Talk to you soon!

-Mary

A Look into Next Fall

2009-02-10T17:00:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone,

Well it's my first update for the Carroll School of Management and there is certainly a lot going on in CSOM lately. But we won't begin with what is going on just this week, let's start with what is ahead for the incoming freshman (you guys) to the School of Management.

Next year, as I am sure all of you are well aware of, ALL freshman in CSOM have to take Portico, a sort of hybrid program that is going to replace the Ethics core in the school. Right now the the deans are interviewing potential candidates to teach the class. I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of the candidates today with a couple of fellow classmates and it seems that the deans are going to have their hands full trying to cut down the list of teachers. The man today was very excited about potentially teaching Portico and getting to interact with the students more than in his Ethics class.

Portico was the best class of the first semester. It not only taught ethics to rising freshman in the business, but also introduced all students in the class to the range of concentrations in CSOM. Researching, writing, and presenting assigned projects forced us to become more knowledgeable in the business aspect of our future learning. And the small class size let us form great relationships with each other, despite the heated debates that sometimes arose when dealing with difficult ethical issues. Overall Portico was an awesome class, and I would be very excited if I were a CSOM student of 2013 to be able to experience such a class.

I'll be talking to you guys soon,

Brian Palumbo

Heights Update

2008-11-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

It is crazy to think that the semester is almost over! It has really flown by.

Things have been going well these past few weeks. The beautiful fall weather has given way to some pretty cold temperatures, especially for a Floridian! I don't think my immune system can handle the drastic temperature changes, so as usual, I came down with a cold. One of the great things about BC is that we have our own infirmary right here on campus, housed in the Connell School of Nursing. It functions just like your normal doctors office and they took good care of me.

This past week, I also had the opportunity to go hear a lecture put on by our very own Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics. The Winston Center brought in Cynthia Cooper, the woman who unearthed the internal fraud of the Fortune 500 company, WorldCom. It was a great opportunity to hear her inspirational and amazing story.

I also had another really cool opportunity to go to another lecture this week by the founder of the popular Johnny Cupcakes clothing line, brought in by UGBC, Nights on the Heights, and the BC Entrepreneur Society. It was really interesting to see how this company grew from selling t-shirts with cupcakes on them out of a trunk behind a comic shop, to a multi million dollar company with stores in Boston and Los Angeles. (**The picture is from the Johnny Cupcakes lecture)

As you can see there are always a ton of things going on even during the week outside of the classroom. BC does a really good job of bringing in really engaging speakers that students flock to see.

My post here wouldn't be complete without filling you in on some BC sports action. I have been busy with Eagle Ops promoting our hockey games. In between periods, we usually hold some type of on ice competition where we take fans from the stands and put them in sumo suits and have them try to score a goal. It's a lot of fun and the crowd usually finds it pretty entertaining. Our football team just had a huge win tonight to keep our ACC Championship hopes alive. Next weekend we play Maryland and if we win, we will be heading to Tampa (my home!) to play in the ACC Championship game!

Lost your lucky charms?

2008-11-09T17:31:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone,

So things have been pretty crazy here on the Heights! These past 2 weeks for me have been filled with mid-terms and papers. It was a tough couple of weeks, trying to study during every free minute I had. Things went well with them and I had something amazing to look forward to once they were all done: Notre Dame weekend!!!

This past weekend was the weekend of my dreams. Boston College's biggest rivalry, Notre Dame, came to town not only for the re-match of the hockey national championship, but also an ESPN prime time night game for football. Although the hockey game didn't go so well, the football game made up for it with a 17-0 win! Notre Dame definitly lost their lucky charms!! Friday afternoon we also unveiled our Doug Flutie statue, forever commemorating his famous Hail Mary pass.

There is no greater atmosphere than a nationally televised night game vs. the Irish. It was simply amazing. After the game, nobody wanted to leave. All of the students stayed in the stands after the game, savoring the win.

So, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm busy trying to get some work done for the coming week. This weekend was definitely an awesome break from the busy workload of the past few weeks.

Registration for next semester begins in a week or so. It's exciting to look at all the possible classes to take for next semester and to try and work out the times to make an awesome schedule. This semester I am going to try and have Friday's off, which would be really nice.

Right now it looks like I will be taking Basic Finance, Managerial Accounting, Organizational Behavior, Business Law and a History class.

So long from the Heights!

GO BC!!!

Scott Landay

2008-10-23T18:20:00.004-04:00

So, if you cannot tell already, I am obsessed with BC! I think this is something that makes BC a special place; EVERYONE loves to be here. This past weekend we beat Virginia Tech on prime time television. The student section was going crazy the whole game. It was great revenge to last year's ACC Championship game.

Besides the excitement of football, it is midterms time. You will find a lot of students studying diligently all over campus. I have three tests next week and will spend a good amount of time studying for them. It is manageable though, and there are many opportunities to get help outside the classroom, whether it is during your professors office hours or in the Connors Family Learning Center, where you can get tutoring in any subject.

It's a very interesting time to be a student in the Carroll School of Management right now with the state of the economy and the financial industry. We spend a lot of time in my Financial Accounting class talking about what is going on right now. It is great to talk about real world issues in the classroom. I am going to a panel tonight about the financial crisis, put on by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), to learn more about what is going on from some of Boston College's best professors.

That's about all for this week!

As always, GO BC!!!

Scott Landay

CSOM 2011

Landays@bc.edu

Go Eagles!

2008-10-11T21:13:00.006-04:00

Hello Everyone,

This blog is designed to help you get an inside look at what life is like at Boston College. There is so much for you to learn about BC that takes you past the admissions statistics and truly gives you a look at what life is like at Boston College.

First, I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Scott Landay and I am a Sophomore in the Carroll School of Management, concentrating in Accounting and Finance with a minor in Philosophy. I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. Boston College is now the place I love to call my new home.

A few things that I am involved in here on campus are the PULSE Program and Eagle Ops. I took PULSE as a freshman. PULSE is a year long class that covers 12 credits (counting as 2 classes a semester), fulfilling the entire Theology and Philosophy core. The thing that makes PULSE unique is that it combines these two disciplines with a focus on social responsibility. As part of the class, you spend 10-12 hours serving at one of 53 different service placements in Boston. I did my placement at The Pine Street Inn, Boston's largest homeless shelter. I was able to take what I learned in the classroom and further that throughout my year of service. My PULSE experience is something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. This year, I am serving as a PULSE Council member in which I am advising this year's PULSE students throughout their service learning experience. Eagle Ops is a new program in which a small team of volunteers works closely with the Boston College Athletic Department to promote BC Athletics as well as helping to enhance the atmosphere at all BC sporting events.

Football season is well underway and so far we have a 4-1 record as we try to make it back to the ACC Championship Game. This weekend our hockey season began again as we defend our national championship year in which we beat Wisconsin 5-4.

Look out for more about life at BC and within the Carroll School of Management!

GO EAGLES!

Scott Landay

Carroll School of Management 2011

PULSE Council '08-'09

Eagle Ops '08-'09

Welcome!

2008-09-24T01:08:00.000-04:00

Thank you for visiting the Boston College Student Admission Program blogs! This blog is maintained by undergraduates in the Carroll School of Management who have or are interested in accounting or finance, information systems, marketing, human resources or general management concentrations.

If you are a prospective student who is interested in applying to BC's management program, 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.

These blogs can be as interactive as you make them. Want to hear about a certain aspect of college life? Curious as to how we survive without home-cooked meals and laundry done for us? Ask and you shall receive. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them! We'll respond in our next entry as soon as we can.

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