<p>Mom here - CC is the reason that DD chose BU, and we look for ways to give back. With that in mind, I would like to ask both students and parents of upper classmen to give your best advice to the entering freshman class. </p>
<p>I’ll start with practical advice, much of which we learned from this board in 2011.
- Coming from further than driving distance and want to make your movein smooth and easy? First, BU is incredibly well organized. Really. Shockingly. They have done this every year, and have it down to a science. Dont. Worry.<br>
- Highly encourage students to participate in FYSOP. FYSOP students arrive about a week before the rest, move into their rooms, and report for a week long volunteer opportunity and fun time around the city. There are a number of choices of interest areas (e.g. kids, elderly, health, animals, etc.) Excellent opportunity to get settled early, and a great way to get started at BU with a small group of friends.<br>
- Highly encourage students to consider getting a checking account if needed during regular summer orientation vs on move-in. Lots less people - makes transition easier.<br>
- If you are moving in by plane, consider registering at Bed Bath and Beyond. What we did was go to our local BBB NOW and scan in the essential items she would need. It’s rather miraculous - unlike a wedding registry, BBB actually pulls the items off the Fenway Park BBB shelves the day you register for them. They put them in a biiig box in a Pod behind the store. When you get to Boston in August, you take the T to the BBB & give them your registry number. They come out with these big cardboard cartons that contain everything you thought that you might want in June. You dump it out, reshelve what you don’t need, pick out other things you forgot, and pay with a 20% off coupon. This process took us under an hour. We took the stuff back to our rented condo, took a taxi to target or Costco (nothing practical near the University) and were finished with everything she needed in half a day. We didn’t rent a car, didn’t pay for luggage overage, didn’t mess around with tempers flaring, and could relax. I figure we SAVED 20%. No, I do not work for BBB, but after watching their operation, I’m buying stock. Go and register now - you don’t pay until you pick up.
- For the summer orientation sessions, know that you will be separated from your student for the entire experience. A number of parents were upset because they thought it was “bonding time.” Nope - your student is there to make friends, register, get oriented, and have fun. Not to be with you. You get to meet your own new friends, learn about the University from a parent perspective, and get your own questions met. We had the luxury of staying one extra night in Boston in the dorms. It was fantastic to not rush home, go out for a nice dinner and breakfast the next morning, and talk about our experiences before returning home. THAT was quality time together that we both loved.
- Know that orientation involves a LOT of walking. Those cute shoes? Make sureyou can walk a couple of miles.<br>
- Do not buy a monthly T pass until your student determines how much they will need it. Most students get used to a lot of walking, and don’t typically get the value out of a pass unitl they do off campus internships. </p>
<p>Other student/parent suggestions? </p>
<p>One more suggestion: Rather than the huge costs of renting a car and parking it, we took the T everywhere except back from Target and BBB. For those trips, we used a taxi. When it came time to move in, we called an airport shuttle service so we could fit everything in one go. It was a total breeze - cost us $40. Of course, now there is Ubercar!!! Make sure your student has the receipts for their purchases - DD ended up returning to BBB after a few days and exchanging some items that didn’t work in her room. They get almost ZERO time during FYSOP to do this type of chore, so make sure they are done before FYSOP starts. </p>
<p>As a BU alum and a parent of a current BU student, the most important advice I would give to an incoming Freshmen is to get involved. BU has a student activities fair the week after school starts. For students, take advantage of going out and trying out new activities. It’s okay to try an activity and then decide it’s not for you. College is a time to try various activities. My son definitely thought he wanted to join a Fraternity, went to a get together and decided it wasn’t for him. However, he also tried the Outing Club and Frisbee and loved those activities. Tell your son or daughter, unless you’re sleeping or studying, leave your dorm room open while you are there. It shows that you are interested in meeting people. Also, roam the hallways of your floor and if there are dorms opened, knock and introduce yourself. You might meet a life long friend.</p>
<p>Discover Boston. There are many activities out there where BU students can get in free or reduced prices. In the winter- skate on the frog pond. Ride the swan boats. Pack a lunch and eat at the Public Gardens or on the Esplanade. Take in a sox game. My son found a deal where he could go during the week and get reduced prices. Walk along the Esplanade to Fanueil Hall. Discover Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the Arnold Arboretum</p>
<p>As the poster before said, both parents and students should take advantage of the Summer Orientation. Definitely participate in the ice breakers on the first Wednesday. BU does a fantastic job organizing the orientations for both students and parents. It’s filled with information and lots of fun.</p>
<p>One other advice that I thought of is for students who are from Massachusetts and are living at BU. For at least the first month, you should make the effort to try to stay at BU on the weekends- especially for the first month of school. You need to see and experience life in and around BU in a non academic setting . For many students- especially shy students or kids that are experiencing their first extended experience away from home, it is very easy to take the easy way out and hop on the train or bus and go home but you miss out and it is harder to make friends and adjust to college, if you take this route. </p>
<p>DD is graduating early next month after a fantastic experience in CGS and COM. One additional suggestion. BU has a policy that if you have an acceptable GPA you dont pay extra to overload. Because of this policy, DD took extra classes every semester, resulting in being fluent in French, going overseas twice, and still graduating a semester early thanks to her unit count and APs. Graduating early for her was the difference between a 10k loan and having some money left from college savings to start her new life. Hooray for extra units and graduating early!</p>
What are the housing options after freshman year? How expensive is it to live off-campus and in a safe area close to the university?
DD just graduated. She lived on campus (when she wasn’t abroad) for the first three years, and then moved off campus for her last semester. She is currently paying $750/month for an apt in Brookline about 4 blocks from the T and feels very fortunate. The street she is on is close to the College of Fine Arts if you look at a map - Brookline is right next to Boston. She lives in an old brownstone that is not fancy with three other students, and is happy, although her room is very small and all brownstones are by definition old and typically outdated - at least the student rented ones. She has access to two shared bathrooms, a good sized kitchen and living room. She feels very lucky with the location and price - her workmate pays much more and has a longer commute to work (she has now graduated and is living in her same apt in Boston). Based on her comments, housing is available all four years on a lottery system, and your lottery number goes up every year. I believe she found it on a website - she chose it signt unseen while she was living in London.