Harry

BC is an unreal place to be for the best four years of your life. There are tons of colleges, large and small, within a taxi ride away, so any time you want a different scene, you can get one. The best thing about BC is its location and the feel of a real college campus. 15 minutes from Fenway and the North End or Fanuiel Hall... yet you could think the campus was in the middle of a small town. A gorgeous campus with great architecture and layout. The worst part is probably the way housing works. Not that it's a life or death situation, but the housing lottery is a stressful time of year, and the sheer lack of space makes some living situations less enjoyable than others. I was stuck in "bad" freshmen housing, then "bad" sophomore housing, and then "bad" senior housing, but I loved every experience that came from each year. If you are good at making the best of situations, and not worrying about status or location of housing, you're going to have a great time wherever you are. The school spirit is not a real high-point of BC and its athletics. Everyone loves the college, but we travel TERRIBLY to away football games, and even have home games where the weather or too much tailgating takes away from the student section. Its sad when a big football game is on campus and there are empty seats around the stadium.

I am a Communication major, and love it. You have to take two classes that require a large research paper (25 pages), but other than that, its awesome. The Public Relations courses are great, as well as advertising and Public Speaking. I always felt comfortable seeking out teachers for help outside of class. If you combine the education opportunities at BC with the Career Center on campus, finding a decent job or internship out of college is not as tall of an order as you may think. No one ever really knows what they WANT to do, but there are so many avenues to go down as you age at BC. Studying is not all its cracked up to be...unless of course your parents still reward you for your GPA. Participating in class is always a good thing...it helps teachers distinguish you from the group. Go to class, ask questions, and turn stuff in on time. You're golden after that.

Unless you're a serious business school student, you wear whatever you want to class. At the beginning of the year, and then again once it starts to be nice out, do people noticeably dress nice for class. Other than that, it's sweats and baseball hats. While the majority of the student body sticks to its own group, if you are open and friendly, it is real easy to get along with just about anyone. The student body is predominantly white, middle to upper-class kids. Its the truth.

There is no greek life, but that is one of BC's strongest qualities. People are more apt to branch out and party with different groups or friends. The party scene is not as stellar as some colleges, but the Mods and athletes hold up their end of the deal with parties. Some of the best nights you can find yourself in a random Mod or other dorm room at 3am with 5 of your closest friends, 3 people you just met, and a bottle of Rubinoff Vodka with not a care in the world. The best nights are not planned in college, they just happen. Mary Ann's is by far and away the most popular bar in the area. Tuesday nights and then the weekends, you will most likely find it filled to the brim by midnight or earlier. Other bars in the area provide a change of pace, and if none of those suit your desires, then you can get all dresses up and go with your friends to one of the most interactive cities in America. Oh and by the way...Marathon Monday is without a doubt the best day of the year. Campus shuts down, along with the rest of the city, and kids are all together around the campus...usually everyone drunk by 10am. Every year for 4 years, my roomies and I have started drinking at 8am to our favorite power hour mix, and it always starts the day off right. Another fun ritual is during finals week, when the students that live in the designated Mod take an hour or so to provide a study break by stripping in the back yard. Anyone can show up...and usually about 300 people do.

You hear a lot about everyone being rich and in turn "snobby." Male athletes being jerks, and using their status to get girls...a lot. Kids in the School of Management get hit with not only the nerdy, book worm type; but they "think they are better than everyone else."

The rich and snobby is not true. There are certainly the rich, and there are certainly a few that know it...but in general, all the kids are friendly and open. The athlete stereotype is hurt by a select few. Again, most athletes are good kids, with a lot on their plate as far as time commitments go. If they want to let loose on a weekend and have a good time, its their choice. The school of management kids - I feel - do think they are better than your average Joe. They work their tails off in all those classes, so its natural for them to expect more out of their education than say a Communications major. I that is not a problem in my eyes. The problem I see often is when kids get so consumed with business and The Wall Street Journal and all that hoopla, that they get a bad case of tunnel-vision. It's too bad for them.

I honestly believe that you would be hard pressed to find a better overall opportunity than Boston College. If you're smart enough to get in, and you love the college atmosphere with the city right down the road, you cannot go wrong here. If you are a normal, warm-blooded human being, and you leave Boston College with regret or remorse, it's your own damn fault! Go to a Red Sox game, or a Beanpot hockey game downtown...take a weekend trip to Martha's Vineyard. Drink with your roommates until the sun comes up. Cut class and play mud football in the fall. Go watch the rowing team on the Charles River. Start drinking at an afternoon baseball game, then head directly to Roggies Happy Hour. Opportunities are endless.