Boston University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Honoria

I really like the urban feel of this school's location. Everything is at your convenience. There are late night school bus transportation and public transportation that runs through the city. I think the size of the school is just right, not too large or too small. Additionally, whenever I tell most people I attend this school; they are very proud and congratulate me. However, I do not think this school is diverse enough. The administration's aim to diversify the school is by means of admitting international students from many Asian countries. However, domestic diversity is minute. Most students complain about the science departments, especially the Chemistry department at this school. In addition, some students are upset about grade deflations conducted by some professors.

Taylor

Boston University is a wonderful university. Its students are academically driven and use the city of Boston as an excellent resource for internship, research, and job opportunities; at the same time, the univeristy fosters a fun and creative atmosphere. We're attending Red Sox games with our discount student tickets, exploring Faneuil Hall's marketplace, seeing Seth Meyers perform in our student union, and more. One of my favorite aspects of BU is its campus: Commonwealth Avenue is lined with Boston University colleges, laboratories, and dormitories, and I know so many people as I walk around the street. We've got a campus feel while being pracitically in the heart of Boston. If I could change one thing, it would perhaps be the weather. Sometimes it can get snowy and cold, but this means plenty of snowball fights! Overall, I have immensely enjoyed my time at Boston Univeristy.

Shaun

Just a 1 minute walk or t ride from being in boston. Perfect size. Boston in a college city. Great food. people complain about classes being hard or that they get tired of the food but what college doesn't have this.

Erica

Boston University, to be honest, was not my first choice of schools. However, once I went through orientation and got on campus, I fell in love with everything here. The academics can be tough, one of the commonest complaints is "grade deflation" - you really have to work for good grades. However, BU holds high standards for its professors and it shows. They pride themselves on having classes that are accessible to students over having top researchers who are simply obligated to teach. While BU is considered a large university it's hard to walk down Comm Ave without seeing someone you know. People tend to be open and inviting if you introduce yourself. It's never hard to find someone to study with or a group of friends to hang out with. BU is a great university.

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Ariel

I love how big the campus of Boston University is, but at the same time it feels small which is good. I feel safe at Boston University, even though it is in a large city.

Alyssa

Obviously, I LOVE BU. I've met a few people who have their bones to pick with it, but I always wonder how they can find any faults with it, because I couldn't imagine going to another school. There's not one best thing about BU. It's all great. It's got plenty of people, but somehow, out of the 16,000 students who go here, I manage to see people I know walking down the street every day. It's in Boston, but not in the city so much. It's right on the river, so you feel like you're where everything's happening, but it's much more of a calm environment as it also borders the residential towns of Allston and Brookline. There's Fenway Park on one end of our campus, and so much all throughout. And unlike some Boston campuses, our location allows us that united-campus feel. It's not broken up by the city. I love all of our local restaurants and pubs along campus. We've got a great shuttle bus to get us around our campus- for free!! Probably my absolute favorite part is that there are so many international students. It's entirely normal to be walking to class, or on the bus, or in the dining hall, and hear students speaking in a foreign language. I love getting to meet people from different cultures and learning about their livestyles. For instance, just from people on my floor freshman year, I became friends with people from India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. It's such a great experience. Dorm life is great fun; BU also makes an awesome effort at the beginning of the year to get freshman involved and having fun and feeling comfortable with exciting events. Our West campus is great because it's right on Nickerson Field, with the Fit Rec (an incredible gym), and Agganis Arena, where us Terriers cheer on our legendary men's hockey team. There's plenty of BU spirit to go around, that's for sure! When I tell people I go to BU, they always respond with "Oh, that's a good school!" - They have no idea just how true that is!

Arielle

Boston is a great city. although campus is not contained, everything is enough in the same area that you get a campusy feel without being too trapped. It is however very large and the setup can mean a logn journey to class. The biggest problem is what we call the BU bounce- it can be hard to get to the right office to solve a problem, and can be very frustrating

Amanda

Before having visited BU, I was completely turned off by the thought of such a large university and an open campus. Being from New York, I had something very NYU-esque in mind - buildings scattered all over the place and not very unified. This is not the case at all with BU. While it is an open campus, it is very unified. Almost all of the buildings you'll find from about 500 to 1000 Commonwealth Avenue are BU owned. While the size may be daunting, keep in mind that BU is a UNIVERSITY, meaning it is broken up into 18 different schools and colleges. I'm enrolled in the College of Engineering (ENG), which is sort of my home base at BU. There are about 1300 undergrads enrolled in ENG (less than ten percent of the undergrad student class), so we get all the benefits of a small college, while still being able to take advantage of a huge university. I find myself never being bored at BU. There is always something going on, and if I DO want to get away from campus, there's always the heart of the city of Boston a hop, skip and jump away. Boston is the ultimate college town. It's a college CITY. It feels almost like an extension of campus. It's not so big that it's overwhelming, and there's always a bunch of things going on. There are also quite a few other colleges in the Boston area, and you'll find yourself meeting and becoming friends with students from other schools. (Don't get me wrong, though - the city is still an escape from campus!)

Regina

Far and away, the best thing about BU is Boston itself. From sports, to music, to shopping, to just walking around, Boston really does provide a lot of the fun of going to BU. The trick is finding fun things to do at night before you're 21. Boston is known for being strict on carding, and unless you want to spend a lot of time in frat house basements, freshman year you're best off just exploring some on campus options and spending time with friends. There's usually always a party going on, or a play happening, or best of all a sporting event, particularly, hockey. Really, there's never a shortage of things to do, but you'll be surprised how much time you'll actually end up wanting to just hang out with friends in your room or in the dining hall.

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there are so many college students in boston itself, and being part of BU is great. The school is not too big, and its really easy to see your friends and teachers without getting lost in a crowd.

Kevin

The school has so much to work with and so much to offer. The dorms, if you are willing to pay for the nicer ones, are amazing. You are located in a nice section of the city with Brookline on one side, the river on another, and Kenmore Square at the end. Unless you love hockey or enjoy to watch basketball (even if not the best team) then you will find sports lacking. However, it's not too hard to become a hockey fan when your team is always nationally ranked. You also have a professional baseball, hockey, basketball all within a short distance and a pro football team outside the city. It defines college city with over 50 or 70 something other places of higher education in the greater Boston area. The university is also always building to make BU one of the best places to sleep, eat, and study at.

Lisa

I absolutely love Boston University and I will admit that I did not always feel that way. I went to a very small high school with about 250 students total so attending BU was a drastic change, to this day I can walk down Commonwealth Ave and see people I have never seen before. So at first this was scary to me, but you begin to make friends and you don't feel like a lost fish in a sea of people. Another thing that made me comfortable at a big school is that the professors are always willing to help you if you need it and that was emphasized at my high school so to have that at such a large school is amazing. When I tell people I attend Boston University everyone has heard of it and knows some fact about it, which is always a great conversation starter. One thing I would change is making the buildings look better, which they are actually in the process of doing throughout campus. Oh another thing I enjoy about BU is the amount of activities you can join, and if they don't already have it you can bring it to campus. BU is very open and diverse.

Eni

The best thing about BU is location. In a city but on a campus. People like to claim that BU doesn't really have a campus but those are the people who don't go to BU. We know how it feels and we love it. BU is way too large. Way too large to know everyone and to attend every event and to figure it all out quickly with little difficulty. But it's not too large to find a great group of friends inside and outside of your major. Nor is it too large to meet a massive variety of diverse groups of people from a load of backgrounds. BU as a whole is an amazingly cultured school. People generally confused BU with BC. Make no mistake, we are not BC and we don't want to be. Really, it all depends on your major and what your studying or where you want to go in life. We don't really care about other school, there's enough going on at BU to care about. There's tons of school pride where hockey is concerned. People here go all out

Catherine

The BEST thing about this university is the location. I am SO happy I went to a school that is in a city. I used to hate cities with passion, but there is ALWAYS something going on, and it's a great place to really expand your horizons. Public transportation makes it easy to get around. Plus, there's so much to DO at the university! With such a huge population you can find someone else who likes things that you do, anywhere from traditional activities like the arts, sports and cultural clubs to more obscure passions like fencing, or knitting club. If you like something and can find 10 other people who like to too, then you can make a club for yourself! Since being here I have taken a rock climbing class at the gym as well as ballroom dance and belly dance, and I've attended all sorts of events. The school is HUGE! I love the diversity - there is so many more opportunities to meet so many different types of people. I go to school in the College of Fine Arts, so I know many artsy people. But I take classes in the College of Arts and Sciences so I meet people form there too, and then I do different extra-curricular activities and make many more friends.People are intimidated by the size - but I think it works to everyone's advantage. You have many more opportunities to find yourself and a good group of friends. Even if you can't find a single person that you like out of the over 16,000 undergrads or so, you are living in Boston with over 100 more colleges in the area. The city is FULL of students! The one MAIN complaint form EVERYONE - it allll comes down to money. This school is ridiculously expensive, and costing more each year with the economy. I had scholarships to other school that almost paid for all my tuition, but I chose to come here and put myself and my family in tons of debt since we were hit hard by the recession. I chose to come here for the superior classes and faculty for my specific major, and I don't regret it. It's easy to look back with regret when looking at bank statements or after a rough day, but the benefits outweigh it all.

Anonymous

BU is a big school, and very urban, so if you're looking for a nice grassy homely campus, this isn't your Elysium. If you like an environment where there's a city hustle and always things to do, then this is your Metropolis. Dorm life has options, from single dorms to apartments to suites. The school is large, so incidentally, the classes are large. This can get cumbersome at times, especially in the Freshman intro classes like chem and physics, but can be helped by visiting professors during office hours. The best thing about BU in my experience has been one of the study abroad programs. I went on the Ecuador Tropical Ecology Program, and it has been one of the most significant experiences of my life.

Leanne

I like that when I say I go to BU, people know exactly where I go to school. BU has a great reputation throughout the country, but moreso throughout the world. Almost 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of our student population is international, so our name really does carry throughout the world. I think the school is a perfect size. With 16,000 undergraduates, you have the ability to make a name for yourself. Through getting involved with clubs and groups on campus, the community becomes so much smaller and more intimate. I love that I can walk down Commonwealth Avenue (the main street that runs down our campus) and see tons of college students, yet see five or six familiar faces on the way. Additionally, Boston is THE college town. We have sixty schools within a ten mile radius and college students make up 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Boston's population as a whole. The city definitely caters to our demographic.

Hannah

I absolutely love BU. I think there are a lot of opportunities. I do believe a student has to make an effort to take advantage of everything BU has to offer, but once a student begins looking for opportunities there are a lot of people, both students and administrators, who really want to make things easy for you. I've met so many amazing people at BU and have had so many cool opportunities from studying abroad, interning, volunteering, and things like that, that have made my time at BU so phenomenal.

Brian

The greatest four years of my life. I struggled with many challenges, and met scores of people. The faculty and professional staff were nonpareil. I wish more people realized that.

Alex

Best thing about BU? You're in boston. It's a lot of ladies! When you tell people you go to BU they're indifferent usually. Depends on which program you're in. Great acting school, great COM school, some schools like CGS really aren't fun though. A lot of parties, which is awesome because there are so many women everywhere. No sense of community really because it's such a city school.

Harper

The best thing about BU is that it is in Boston. The school is too big, even though it has a good reputation. I spend most of my time in the library, or in my room. There is absolutely no college town, or sense of community at all.

Jessie

There is always something to do in Boston. BU is a 5 minute walk from Fenway, and only a 15 minute ride or less by train to the middle of the city. Copley Square (where all the sports partying goes on) is a 5-10 minute walk, and every year the atmosphere for all the sports teams is amazing. There is a lot of pride for our hockey team. Most people attend at least a few games a year and you can get into every single sporting event by paying a one time $90 fee at the beginning of the year. Classes are usually no bigger than 150 people (depending on what your major is). BU may be one of the most expensive schools in the country, but they give a lot of financial aid and scholarships to help out. Whatever you pay is worth the experience of living on your own in one of the greatest cities in the country.

Rachel

BU is a college whose "campus" is spread along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. For me, it was the perfect mix of a college experience, and a city-integrated university. Having come from a smaller town, Boston was a great place to attend school. As a city, Boston is a comfortably sized, moderately populated, entertaining city that was fun and exciting to explore during my four years there. With the newly built Agganis Arena, many huge music acts as well as sports team land on the BU campus during their tours through the country, making it a great place spend a Friday night for BU students and Bostonians alike. The on- campus housing is impressively beautiful, particularly if one stays on campus until their junior or senior years, when one becomes eligible to live in the new high-rise of 10 Buick Street. I lived in 10 Buick for a year and still have yet to find another apartment that rivals it in terms of comfort and it's unmatched view of Boston along the Charles river. The largest complaint overall is the price of tuition. At $40,000 and rising, it can be an added burden that sometimes can raise question marks when places such as the Fine Arts Building or the College of General Studies suffer from long-overdue ned of renovation. However, that voice is being heard to some extent - on a recent trip back to BU, I saw changes being made not only within those colleges, but across campus. It is definitely a college for people wanting a more city-integrated experience within a large university.

Ryan

What's the best thing about BU? Being right in the middle of Boston Name one thing you'd change. The non-major course requirements. Is your school too large, too small, or just right? Just right How do people react when you tell them you go to BU? No big reaction, positive or negative Where do you spend most of your time on campus? School of Management and the BU Pub College town, or "what college town?" College town! What's your opinion of BU's administration? They're pretty cool What was the biggest recent controversy on campus? Losing the Beanpot. Is there a lot of school pride? Not a ton, but enough Is there anything unusual about BU? They film MIT movies here because we're just that good. What's one experience you'll always remember? the 2004 world series, obviously What are the most frequent student complaints? housing rules and financial aid

Xavier

I love being in the city. I would change the mascot, and perhaps the 'brothel rule', as I see that as unfair. Plus, I know that from where I come from (southern states) it's a blast to have fraternity and sorority houses co-mingling. People always seem to find BU to be quite prestigious when I tell them I go there, but at the same time, they find it strange that I didn't get into the University of Florida. This is the epitome of a college town, with far more of the city geared toward the college crowd than any other major city I can think of. BU's administration seems to be solid, and I certainly am no expert by any means, but the cost to benefit ratio seems astronomical. There is a $90 fee hidden in the meal plan to account for stolen food items? Who can steal $90 worth of food? There is a decent amount of school pride, but with no football program to speak of, and teams that receive a lot of money but don't put out many wins, it's hard to get a campus motivated. In a small town with a big campus, such as George Mason, BC, FSU, UF, etc. it's easy to get the campus to go to games, because there isn't much else. But Boston has so much to offer that there sports games aren't always the top priority of the student body.

Becca

Excellent faculty. Boston is an incredible city for students. Dean Elmore is a great Dean of students, President Brown is a figure head (with a mansion). Lots of red tape, EVERYTHING costs money. BU is more concerned with money (and hockey) than students. Best housing is the brownstones (specialty residences or otherwise). Recent controversies include girls being assaulted at night and kids signing in people they didn't know into large residences resulting in assault.

Tristan

Best thing about BU is the campus -- once the beautification project is done, it will be arguably the best urban campus in the US. The campus is what makes BU unusual. Worst thing is that we don't have football, so when the ice hockey team sucks (like it does this year), there's nothing to root for. BU's administration has taken great steps in recent years to be more in-tune with the student body -- they've added cable to dorms, added nice housing, built a fantastic gym, and revised the guest policy for dorms. Definitely on the up-swing.

Jason

Boston is (I'm not the first to say this) the perfect college town! That having been said, BU might be a bit too big--both in the size of the campus and the number of students that go here. The campus has 3 T stops (BU East, Central, and West), but the actually campus spreads out even farther. As an English major, as for most majors, almost all of my classes are in one building, so going from class to class is not really an issue. What it does mean, however, is that students in different programs are pretty much entirely cut off from each other. I'm in an a cappella group, so I have rehearsals in the College of Fine Arts building on occasion. If I didn't, though, I would never see much of West Campus at all.

Ryan

The best thing about BU is that almost every single good thing you will read about in the recruiting materials is true The one thing I would change is the level of outrageous unresponsiveness the administration often displays. The BU beurocracy is probably the one major reason why some people decide to transfer BU is probably one of the largest schools I have seen, but I find that really exciting. Having lived in big cities my whole life I probably would not want to be spending long winter months in a small, quiet village-like place. Besides, there are some dorms/part of campus that feel very cosy even in spite of BU's enourmous size. I think most people react very positively when I tell them I go to BU. In my experience, BU has a very good academic reputation, and my parents rarely miss an opportunity to mention that I go to Boston University. I think all students spend most of their time in the dorms, which is quite natural considering that's where you and your friends live. This is also a reason why choosing a good dorm is really crucial. Boston is definitely a college town, no doubt about it. One thing I will miss about it when I graduate is getting on the T filled 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} by people under 25. On the flip side of that, however, the fact that BU's campus is almost a "college town" in itself may mean that sometimes you have to make the effort to get out and explore other parts of the city. BU's administration is considered by many to be the most unpleasant aspect of the whole BU experience. Some shortcomings of the administration are due to the large size of the school, and one can only sympathize with them on that. But there is also a lot of neglect and what I think is a lack of true, genuine devotion to the BU community that is clear in many administrative policies. Hopefully, president Brown will be willing and able to change some of that, but so far we are still waiting. The biggest recent controversy on campus was probably the draconian guest policy, which was successfully modified to a much more sympathetic one last year. School pride at BU is somewhat hampered by the fact that hockey is the only really "big" sport on campus. I think there is a general consensus that more emphasis on developing good sports teams would elevate the school pride significantly. It is hard to pin point something that is unusual about BU for someone who is so much a part of this community - a true outsider would only be able to do that. BU is 'usual' to me, so I guess everything about it is. The only thing that is kind of strange to me is the art gallery at 800 Commonwealth that always has new art displays, but I do not know anyone who has ever seen any people within the actual gallery.

Erica

I personally love everything about BU except the price tag. I love living in Boston, the chance to live in ancient brownstones, being right on the Charles, all that. There's so many classes and activities to choose from, everyone can find a niche. Some people complain that there's no football team (no football is one reason I came to BU, I wanted a hockey school!) but no one went to the games when there was a football team, anyway. There's free stuff going on every weekend, and Boston has so much culture it's hard to be bored.

Greg

The best thing about BU is broomball, hands down. I would change the school by admitting fewer snobby kids and by increasing the quality of the academics. When I tell people I go to BU they tend to chuckle, act impressed, or both. I spend most of my time on campus in or near Kenmore square or in my dormitory. Boston is bascially the best college town ever and is probably one of the only reasons to attend BU. It doesn't feel like a huge party town but you're so isolated from people who are younger or older than you that makes it feel very safe and comfortable. I haven't had a lot of contact with BU's administration but I certainly hate their administrative offices. Good luck getting transferred to the right place... The last huge controversy on campus was when the city of Boston thought a light bright was a bomb and spent a ridiculous amount of money calling in the bomb squad to de-activate it. There isn't that much school pride because BU is where you go if you didn't get into your preferred ivy league. For most students BU is a second choice. BU is not that unusual - I've heard the BU, NYU, and Georgetown are all remarkably similar schools in very different cities. The one experience I will always remember is the BU bum. I loved that guy. He had the best flame-adorned Converse ever. The most frequent student complaints are that BU isn't the ivy league they wanted to get into and that BU is so large the social scene can be awkward.

Andrea

Not a college town, its a city. One of the Best Things has been Stage Troupe, amazingly large group, amazing people.

Ricky

Academics. If there was just one thing I would like to change I would name it, but there are too many: bureaucracy, in bed with corporations, don't care what students do or think, more condoms on campus. There are thousands of things. Probably it is too large, but it is fine for me. They don't react. I spend most of my time in the library. Allston is a college town. BU's administration would be best suited to resign and have anyone else take over. Biggest controversy is the terrible administration. What is school pride. Is there anything usual about anywhere. I remember everything. Most students hate the administration.

rachel

Best thing about BU is the diversity of the student body, but the worst part is how segregated it is. It is legitmately difficult to spend time meeting people when academics are supposed to be top priority. Also, getting anything done at BU requires murking through so much red tape that it often isn't worth doing. I spend most of my time on campus at Espresso Royale or at my house, the Co-op on Bay State Road, which was the best way I found a diverse and caring community within BU's campus.

Sarah

Boston is one the best things about BU. It is such an amazing city to be a student in. Also, BU is such a huge school that there is always stuff going on and there all a million and a half things to do. Because it is so big, though, there tends to be a lot of paperwork and beaurocratic drag. Things take a while to get through the system. I would deffinitly have less red tape, though I understand why it's there. On the flip side, BU does a great job of making such a big school seem small and personable. My advisor is awesome, and Dean Elmore is basically great all the time (case and point he just tap-danced in dinner theater). Hockey is where all the school pride is; Boston is a great college hockey town. Also, a lot of pride goes to Boston sports in general. Even if you're from California you'll probably get sucked into Red Sox fever.

Gene

The best thing about BU is definitely the people. I'd probably change the cost of school - $45K gets to be a bit much for the pockets. BU felt small for me, but I'm in a serious minority on that. Adding more students would cause chaos in Boston, not just for housing, but for the lines at the student union. When I say I went to BU, people gasp in excitement, and say, "Oh wow, that's so cool!" That is, until I say, "Yea, it was alright." I spent most of my time on campus at the GSU, and not in class. I guess Boston IS a 'college town' because I didn't see anybody over the age of 25 anywhere... I think BU's administration wastes money like it's their job - because it IS their job. Look no further than the Daniel Goldin debacle. I also think that they're behind the times. The biggest recent controversy (when I was there) was the Daniel Goldin thing, I think. That was after John Silber dismissed gays as a subspecies. A lot of school pride? Not really - because there's nothing to really rally behind. So, there's no collective school pride amongst students, but there is a personal feeling of "Wow, I go to BU." It's unusual that - for a school so diverse - there are so few Black students.

Chris

One thing I will never forget about BU happened last year during finals time. During finals, the Mugar Library is open 24/7, and many students take advantage of this time to get some actual studying done. For me, I can't study at home, especially now that I live off campus and I'm 21--far too many distractions. I was here until the early hours of the morning several times, and I started to notice a certain girl who was always in the same spot on the second floor. She always looked disheveled and nervous, flipping through notes frantically, making flashcards, highlighting textbooks, etc. It was on about my third night in the library during finals period that I noticed the smell. There was a cloud of odor around this poor girl that was like gym socks and wet hamster. As I left at around 2 that morning, I saw some purple fabric poking out from underneath the table where the smelly girl had formerly been sitting--she brought a sleeping bag, and spent literally 24 hours a day during study periods in the library! It wasn't like she had chosen a particularly inconspicuous spot, either; she was right in the middle of the main hallway! I understand trying to get some studying done, but is it really necessary to camp out in the library? BU is really not THAT academically challenging. At least she could've bathed...

KC

The best thing about BU is the campus. Of course, its big and its located right in Boston but its a great college town! My school is not so big at least not for me but just the right size. When I do tell people back home that I go to BU, they are often impressed and frankly I don't disagree. Boston University is a great university with divers majors and so many other opportunities. I love the BU administration here. I feel since I more involved in my school I know more administrators all of which have such a passion towards the students here. If you're walking down the street, they'll greet you and even though they might not know your name, those two seconds they take out of their day to say "hello" makes you feel good. Concerning school pride, I don't think we have a lot of it. We do brag about our hockey team but not that many or even the majority of BU students attend the games.

Regina

I'd say the best thing about being at BU is really just being in Boston and being surrounded by people who are your age and with your same lifestyle all the time. Mostly I'd just change some aspects of dorm life like the fact that we have to sign in guests and that you can't go into a building other than your own after 2am. I understand it's for safety, but it's really inconvenient. And with all the money coming into the school, it's amazing how little of it is coming into the living conditions and is pouring straight into new facilities. There is one really good dining hall on campus which has pretty good options, and there is a nice student central where a lot of people go to meet and spend time between classes. One thing I really like is being able to walk around campus and see a new face every day. There are something like 40,000 students at this school, and yet somehow, surrounded by all these complete strangers, I feel like I know everyone. The school really does shrink as soon as you settle in and meet people and get into the swing of things. I spend most of my time in my dorm in West Campus, which is like its own little community. I'm sure it's not the most proud school, but I really love seeing people really happy to be here and showing pride at sporting events and functions. Thus far, the things I'll remember most are the goofy things I've done with friends.

Reese

Best thing about BU is its size in the sense that you can really try out anything. I would do a complete overhaul of the classes that are designed to grade more on the format of an answer rather than the content. Certain classes are run where they clearly don't know how to utilize your time, or they don't really test you on material (they'll ask really stupid, trivial questions instead). The problem is they aren't isolated to one department. They're scattered and can even only be part of an otherwise decent class. I was expecting BU to feel too large, but it's actually not because of all the subdivisions within the entire massive community. People were more impressed than I was when I said I go to BU. I feel proud to attend BU, and people definitely respect the international relations and premedicine programs. If I'm on campus, I'm either in my dorm studying and relaxing or in class. Crunch times I go to Mugar Library, which instantly makes me buckle down and study like a demon. Boston is a college town because there are college students everywhere, but when you go into the city,it also doesn't feel like one because despite the kids your age, there are even more people who aren't and who are just going on with daily life. Charles River campus feels a lot more like a campus than a lot of people say, just because the majority of buildings are BU buildings and nobody else has business walking down those sidewalks besides BU students. It's technically open, but the sidewalks still fill with BU students going to class every half hour. I would change the way the administration is run. A lot of times it feels despite the ridiculous tuition that very little of the money comes back to the students (ex. my physiology lab required us to buy latex gloves for dissection days, which feels like giving your little brother a $20 to go get you ice cream and him coming back with 10 Pokemon cards and saying the $20 wasn't enough). That said, despite being bulky and slow and bureaucratic, stuff does get done. Eventually. We recently had a change in guest policy, which made the rules for having even other BU students over somewhat less psychotic compared to the guest policies of pretty much anywhere else. Biggest recent controversy probably was the change in guest policy. It was a big change, and it relaxed a lot of things. The students were more than overjoyed, but there were a couple instances of people being assaulted in dorms. Whether it was actually more frequent this year since the change went into effect, I doubt it. School pride depends on your social group. A lot are completely apathetic, some take pride in what they do through BU, others are fanatics, and these people tend to paint themselves red and go to hockey games. Our guest policy is still unusual. Our "campus" is unusual. The frat parties out in West I guess you could say are unusually crowded and sketchy and "dry up" quickly. Most frequent student complaints are usually to get more money to come back to the students. And because of the guest policy, there is a tangible air of distrust and hostility between a lot of students and the administration.

Ryan

I LOVE BU. It's not exactly in the heart of the city, but it's so close, which is nice because we have our own little area to call our's. People say we don't have a campus, but we really do! It's a segment of Commonwealth Avenue, and it's awesome! The school is damn big, which lends itself towards loads of student groups, clubs, organizations, etc... and lots of students from every walk of life imaginable. There is seriously something for everyone, from dance groups, to intramural and club sports, to theater groups, music groups, house parties, bars, volunteer organizations, heritage groups... you name it, we have a club for it. Living here has been a huge eye-opener. Just remember that it's all what you make of it, and the opportunities and possibilities are endless at BU.

Casey

i like the urban setting.

Brittany

The best thing about BU are the academics and the amount of resources available to the students. Although it is difficult to find out about all of the resources available to help students (school, job search, etc.) they are very helpful. The worst thing about BU is that there is not really a sense of community. There are a lot of students and a lot of girls. There are a lot of different people, so it could be difficult to find your "niche". When I tell people I go to BU, generally their response is "Wow, you must be really smart!" There is very little school pride. There is no football team, however BU hockey is very big. The most frequent student complaint is that there is not enough going on and people feel isolated.