klm1114

It's Boston!

I'm from a small town, and I couldn't wait to move into the city, because I've always loved Boston. That said, it was a crazy adjustment, and more difficult than I thought it would be. (People told me it would be a hard adjustment, and I'll admit I dismissed that.) There is never, ever a quiet moment, even in the dorms, and it can be exhausting. But once you get past it, if you're a city person, it's great. There's always, always something to do on the weekends, and the music scene is great. (Basement shows in Allston are one-of-a-kind.) There are countless other venues for live music, BU hockey games are great, the school's so international that there's always some sort of cultural activity going on... There's also quite the party scene if you're into that, since there are plenty of other schools in the area, and a lot of kids have fake IDs, though it's frowned upon. On top of that, we're in the nice part of the city, so for the most part I've always felt safe here. (There are certain places just off campus where you don't want to be when it's dark out, but it's completely doable.) Local attitude toward students is sort of indifferent, since BU is so big and so diverse. In general, I'd say that the school has a good reputation, and there is no "stereotypical" student due to the diversity.

Hockey.

Hockey at BU is serious, especially the Beanpot and games against Boston College. Our team tends to be pretty good, and the school spirit is great. Basketball might be a thing too, but people don't really go to any other games. In general I think I've heard that our teams do well. A sample of our school spirit: At all the hockey games, even when we aren't playing BC, BU kids always chant "BC SUCKS!". The rivalry is that deep. (I suppose it might not look that intelligent if you don't get where it's coming from, though.)

New England, but a Little Bit Warmer.

One of the perks of being on the coast is that we're maybe ten or twenty degrees warmer than inland through most of the fall. Still, when it's raining out, there are no indoor shortcuts to classes, and if there's even a little bit of wind, the entire campus (aka Comm Ave) becomes a terrible wind tunnel. It's doable. Bring a warm jacket. (And if you aren't from New England, brace yourself.)

Some Great Classes, but Grade Deflation Too.

Academics at BU can't be summed up easily. Some professors are great at what they do, love teaching, and explain things really well. Others are far more interested in their own research, and don't really know how to teach and/or can be condescending. Office hours range from great to incredibly frustrating, but that's probably to be expected at any large university. Unfortunately, grade deflation is a proven thing at BU, and though it doesn't happen in every class, when it does happen, it hits hard. BU has been proven to have the highest grade deflation in the country-- not a reason to not go here, but something to be aware of. Kids here are smart, and they work very hard, but even so, the average GPA at BU is considerably lower than that of kids at comparable schools. Reading this, there's not much to definitively take from it. Just know that if you do come here, you'll definitely experience some great classes with passionate professors (especially in your major) but that it will also be extremely challenging (perhaps more than necessary) to achieve a high grade in some classes.

Hodgepodge.

BU's campus is interesting in that it's grown over time, and the school has bought more and more buildings, so they don't really match. There's a mix from old, funky gothic buildings (which are pretty cool from the outside) to ugly brutalist architecture and some really incredible buildings that were only built recently. FitRec (the gym) is awesome, along with the Student Village buildings and the arena. Warren Towers and West are... functional. They're not so bad, but they're not that nice. Some of the old dorms were converted hotels, which means they're actually pretty luxurious (read: chandeliers in the lobbies, no cinderblock-prison feeling) Many core classes (freshman and sophomore year) are located in the CAS building, which looks a bit like Hogwarts from the outside... and a lot like an outdated high school on the inside. The library gets progressively creepier with each floor that you go up (there are actual cages on the higher floors?), and it's a bit of a stressful environment for studying. The School of Management is nicer than any hotel I've ever seen, and full of crazy marble floors and statues. COM is nice without being over-the-top. Regarding lab accessibility on campus, I'd recommend bringing your own laptop, definitely, because there don't seem to be that many available computers. Also, bringing a printer makes life much, much easier.

Everything Imaginable... It's Boston.

Partying in the dorms can be very easy or very difficult to get away with depending on where you live. BU has a very, very strict policy regarding alcohol and underage drinking, and they infamously send folks away in ambulances if they're caught being just a little bit drunk "to be on the safe side". It gets a bit carried away. BU Central is the "on campus nightlife destination", meaning that they hold free concerts, events, and parties for all students every weekend night (sans alcohol). The greek scene contributes; BU frats have parties, but the campus police crack down on them early and often. (BU frats are far off campus.) Aside from that, kids party at nearby Northeastern and MIT frats, and some BU girls like to go to Harvard final clubs. Allston is full of BU kids living off campus, and there's always something going on down there. The music scene is also pretty big-- lots of interesting basement shows in Allston, again, and of course there's plenty of great venues around the city: The Paradise, The Orpheum, House of Blues, BU's own arena, and in Cambridge (easy to get to) there's The Middle East and All Asia, where BU kids sometimes have their own bands play. I'm leaving lots of places out. There are also plenty of nightclubs in the area for different tastes. The bar scene is a big thing and lots of kids do have fake IDs, but there's also plenty to do on campus if you don't drink, really. The options are unlimited. You might get exhausted, but you'll never be bored.