Hi guys! Happy decision day! This time last year I had just gotten my decision and it was something I’ve never heard of, the January Boston-London program in CGS. I knew nothing about it at first but after doing some research it’s where I ended up! I am now a freshman at BU and I will be leaving for London in 2 months. This thread is for anyone who was put into CGS or the London program and has questions about it! Congrats on your acceptance!
Hi! I just got accepted into the CGS January London program and I was wondering what it was like moving in a during January rather than September? I was also wondering if CGS is looked down upon because I have heard a few people say that and I am not sure. I was also just wondering how you are liking it thus far
@lauren123456 Hi! first of all congrats on your acceptance! it is weird moving in in January rather than September because everyone already knows their way around the school and they already have their friend groups but you get very close with the people in your program and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I really do love the friends I’ve mad here so far and I think the wait was definitely worth it. As for the CGS reputation, I have never had anyone say anything bad to me when I told them I am in CGS, actually, a ton of the people you will meet either are in CGS or were in it or have friends in it. The reputation is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. But overall I love it here and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. My professors have all been great and extremely passionate about what they are teaching. The wait until January was hard, but I think it was completely worth it.
Thank you for making this thread!!! What did you do during the fall semester? Can you take classes at BU during that semester if you’re living off campus?
@Hopefull16 Hi! During the fall semester I worked a lot to make money for London and I also took a class at a college near me to get credits for when I attended. Yes, I am pretty sure you are able to do that if you live close enough. If you choose to be in CGS your academic advisor will contact you sometime over the summer to talk about your plans for a future major and what classes you should take over the gap and where you should take them. BU does a really good job making sure you’re prepared!
Thank you so much!!
How hard was it for you to make friends when you arrived in January? I know there are 300 other students in the CGS London program but how was it introducing yourself to all the students that arrived in the fall? Also, did you move into a dorm with students that came in the fall or one with only students who came in January?
@paraffineatable a lot of the people I met at orientation were students who moved in in September and when I came in January a bunch of them texted me and asked if I wanted to hangout and meet their friends and that was how I met some of my friends who have been here all year! Everyone is extremely nice and inclusive and I never felt excluded because of coming in January. I am living in a dorm of students who came in the fall as well as in January. It’s mostly students who came in the fall living here but quite a few people from my program (including my roommate) live in this building. I actually really love living here, which I wasn’t expecting
The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone coming into this program is to do it with an open mind. I know it sucks that you’re coming a semester late and that housing is more difficult and you don’t get some of those first semester experiences but once you’re here none of that will matter. This was an awesome opportunity for me and I have met some of the most amazing people and now in 7 weeks I leave to go to London with my best friends. I couldn’t be more happy with my choice
@laurrodes Do you get very close with the people in the CGS London Program? Are you all staying together in the same building in London or is the housing scattered?
@paraffineatable you get extremely close with the kids in the program which is awesome because then you get to go to London with your best friends! and you all live together in London! there are I think 2 different options for housing but they’re right next to each other
hi. I just got accepted to cgs and was wondering about how it affected your major. I wanted to get a BS in mathematics and I feel as if the core curriculum of cgs would keep me from pursuing my major for the first 2 years.
@surfergrom during CGS you actually have the ability to take up to 4 electives that count toward your major over the course of 2 years which will typically keep you on track with the rest of your class.http://www.bu.edu/cgsnow/academics/pathways/ that link has all of the majors and what classes you will need to take during CGS to complete them on time
@laurrodes thanks for making this discussion! a few questions: which classes do you take in the CGS during fresh and soph year if it’s not specific to your major? also, in London, is there a lot of free time (for an example, do you get your weekends free) because I really want to be able to explore England as much as possible and maybe even travel to other places if possible while In Europe. Do you know if that’s a possibility?
@maxieman Hi! During your first 2 years at BU you take 3 CGS classes (rhetoric, humanities, social science, and natural science) and 1 elective of your choice (that will go towards your major). There is a set curriculum of what CGS classes you take and when you take them, but you can take whichever electives you want. During London you have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Traveling around Europe during your time there is strongly encouraged. Most classes will include many field trips to other places around the UK as well!
Thank you! can you describe what the classes consist of and what they’re about?
@maxieman your freshman year you will take rhetoric, social science, and humanities. rhetoric is a writing class so it’s all essays, no exams. social science is about the development of societies and involves some economics. humanities is about literature and art and is mostly reading things like the odyssey or Antigone. all of the courses are very reading and writing based
Thank you for posting this thread! I have a couple of questions about the BU London Program. When exactly do we move in? Is it during the winter break after the first semester or is it during the second semester? , is the semester in London a little more intense being that it’s only 6 weeks? Do we have the option of taking extra credits at BU during the gap semester? Thanks again.
@2016shayd this year I moved in on January 17th which was the last day of winter break. You move in during winter break right before the second semester starts. The professors make sure to give you a lighter workload in London. The whole point of going is to get an experience that you wouldn’t have been able to receive in Boston and they know that. They want you to be able to go out and explore. Yes you can take classes at BU during the gap. If you chose to attend, you will be assigned an academic advisor who will get in touch with you and together you will plan out what classes you should take over the gap and where you should take them.
hi, are there any options if you want to take classes in BU for the fall semester?