<p>I know I already posted about this on a new thread but what’s the reputation of healthy alternative living floor around campus? My parents are asking me to apply for it. I am not really into smoking and drinking but im not like scared of it and have to be away from people who do. I don’t wanna be isolated by people in regular housing… All I’m looking for is having a roommate who’s has same standards as me… I want to apply regular and then if i find that healthy alternative might be a better choice, I want to apply for it my sophomore year so that I get to know what regular is like before I jump into a strict housing.</p>
<p>@jalnaga21 Interesting predicament. Obviously if you are on a healthy alternative living, you won’t have “regular” housing kids on there, so it could be possible you will feel alienated. I think your best bet would be to apply regular and actively search out a roommate with your preference for no drinking/smoking. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I would still prefer to be on a regular floor to get the feeling of a “true” freshman year and maybe apply for it next year if it really doesn’t gel with you at all.</p>
<p>Hey bronovan I’m sure someone somewhere in this thread has asked this general question, but Im just going to ask again. Which campus are you living on (Newton or Upper)? What is ur opinion on the matter and What are some pros/cons of each campus? I know we don’t get to pick, but I’m asking because I’m thinking about emailing Reslife and requesting Newton (I’ve heard u normally get it if u ask).</p>
<p>@BC2016 Hey there, that’s alright, requestions are fine. I lived on Newton campus last year and ended up loving it, but most people eventually just end up loving where they were put after a year just because of the memories they made there and it becomes more sentimental rather than a conscience evaluation of what the “superior” experience is, if there is one.</p>
<p>Pros of Upper: Definitely more convenient. No bus between campus and your room. That’s 15-30 minutes of more sleep, time to get ready for the day, homework, etc. Parties on campus are just a walk back to your room…or someone else’s. Also, off campus parties and access to the transportation that takes you into Boston is also that much closer to you. You only need to take one bus rather than the two that Newton kids have to take. They have random events going on on Upper frequently so from my understanding, it comes down to convenience, but someone who actually lived on Upper may speak more fondly of it than I can!</p>
<p>I wrote this little blurb after the following paragraph. I realized it sounded really anti-Upper but I’m just speaking from the perspective of someone who lived on Newton. It WILL seem different to you if you live on Upper, and I’ve never heard someone from Upper make the points I do. Everyone generally enjoys where they live, with exceptions of course, but everything has exceptions. Anyways…</p>
<p>Cons of Upper: As a Newton student who only went to Upper a handful of times throughout the entire year, I would say that it all seems quite impersonal. Everything is just bigger. More buildings, more people, longer hallways, and so on. Upper also technically contains CoRo, where unlucky sophomores who didn’t get suite housing or 66 Comm Ave reside. All upper freshman and these hundreds and hundreds of sophomores pass by the same general area to get back to Upper. They also share the Mac dining hall. I went to dinner at dinner time in Mac once. Keyword: once. It felt jam packed and very hectic. Some people like the hustle and bustle feel of Upper though, it does feel like there’s always something going on with all the energy of so many people relatively close together.</p>
<p>Pros of Newton: Ah, Newton. When I got my housing assignment to a Newton dorm I was ****ed and felt very unlucky, almost screwed over. 8 months or so later, and there’s a part of me that wishes I could stay there another year and maintain that dynamic that Newton had. Newton is basically Upper’s opposite. It’s all very very green, plenty of lawns and trees, right next to some nice woods, etc. Dorms are more spread out, dining hall is never really over flowing. It’s definitely a more chill, laid-back, slow-paced type feel. On weekends its as crazy as any where else, but the greenery, less kids, and space each dorm has to itself I always found refreshing. Hallways are also significantly shorter. By the end of the year you will absolutely know the name of everyone on your floor, or at the very least recognize their face. I’ve talked to kids on Upper who have no idea who half the people on their floor are, so Newton just seems more tight-knit and together to me. Newton also has the soccer field and the field hockey/ lacrosse field. We had a great men’s varsity soccer team last year, so I got to go to a couple good games literally one minute walking from my room.</p>
<p>Cons of Newton: Inconvenient, in a word. Going to class? Bus. Football games? Bus. Going into Boston/off campus? Two buses. Not much fun, especially when you miss that one bus you HAD to get on to make it somewhere on time. That would be my biggest complaint, I seriously can’t comment beyond that. Everything else just fit together just right for me. The bus is also a pro for some people though. It makes Newton feel like more of an escape from the stresses of school sometimes. it can also make you feel distant and disconnected from school sometimes though. Practically all events go on on Main campus obviously, so Newton made it hard for me to get involved beyond my student job.</p>
<p>Bottom line: I loved Newton, and it really shouldn’t be something to be afraid of. It has a great dynamic that I grew to love. Upper is also great in its own ways, particularly convenience. Anyone can grow to love either one. It is the people you meet and memories you make that will define your first year of college.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for the very detailed response. What you said seems to go along with a lot of other opinions about Newton that I’ve read (from people who lived there).</p>
<p>Honestly, aside from location/the shuttle, Newton sounds more appealing to me with the green space, smaller dorms, Stuart, and personal feel that you mentioned. I think I’ll be happy either way :).</p>
<p>Hey! I am a rising freshman at BC in the fall and I just finished my orientation and signed up for fall classes… I am in CSOM and signed up for MT100 calculus which meets mwf… However I noticed it also meets on Tuesday for discussion and a girl told me that Calc discussion is three hours long… Is this true because if so then Calc wouldn’t fit in my schedule. So basically, how long are classes including those “discussion” classes? I’m so worried. Thanks!</p>
<p>@eaglebc regular mwf classes are 50 min long and regular tth classes are an hour and 15 min. your discussion for calc will only be 50 min though. only actual classes that meet once a week are 3 hours long</p>
<p>Bro - What time do the busses to Newton stop running on weekends? What do you do if you find yourself at Upper after the last bus has left, e.g. party or date ran longer than expected?</p>
<p>last bus is at 2:00am and it’s usually packed with people heading back to newton. Most newton kids just have to leave parties a little before then to catch the bus. I guess you could stay with friends on upper overnight as a last resort. You might be able to call eagle escort too, but that might not be the best idea if you’ve been drinking</p>
<p>I’ll throw out there that if you live on Newton and want to go to Boston, it’s usually more convenient to walk to the Newton Center stop rather than taking two buses to the Reservoir stop.</p>
<p>Agree with walking to Newton Center from Newton to take the T, much more convenient. Also, if you really have to, walking from Main to Newton isn’t really that bad. Every time I’ve done it it’s been an experience, haha.</p>
<p>Hi Bronovan, I have just been offered an interview for the Shaw Program. Can you tell me whether it is an interview that is offered to all applicants or only just a selected few? Moreover, can you tell me what the questions are like? I have absolutely no idea what type of questions they are going to ask me.</p>
<p>Hey bronovan, I know minimum wage in Mass is high, but do you honestly think that BC’s admissions office is paying you enough to do their work? I mean, the dean of admissions is paid >$100,000 annually. Anyway, you’re doing god’s work, son.</p>
<p>Quick orientation question. I have a dental appointment (wisdom teeth pulling) on the final day of orientation. And I permitted to leave early? Or will I be missing crucial course and professor registration sessions?</p>
<p>The final day of orientation is when you actually schedule your classes for the fall. I would try to talk to someone in the Office of First Year Experience to see if they can make a special arrangement for you. Otherwise, definitely reschedule the surgery.</p>
<p>@eaglebc Discussions are definitely not 3 hours long haha if its a mwf class it’s just 50 minutes.</p>
<p>@stanford78 Like other people have mentioned, you’ll either have to crash on upper or walk back to newton, did it only once, alone at 3am. Not fun.</p>
<p>@VL1178 I can’t say I know anything about the Shaw program, sorry I can’t help you there =/</p>
<p>@supersonicrocket Not sure if you mean my campus job or if you think I’m being paid to do this… But at this point everyone on this forum is going to BC as it is past the deadlines, so that’s irrelevant. Not trying to convince anyone of anything…</p>
<p>@askjeeves Seriously consider rescheduling it, you’re not going to want to leave orientation early for many reasons that you’ll hopefully see afterwards. Having a complete orientation experience made all the difference for me in terms of being as mentally prepared for college as I could be at the time.</p>
<p>And I do realize the D stop makes much more sense haha, but regardless, two buses or a walk down centre street, not the most convenient thing either way.</p>
<p>Bro - Should my D bring her own printer?</p>
<p>Do you know anyone who is in the pre-dental program? How intensive is it? Pre-med and other health professions are all obviously loaded with science courses. Are there lots of resources for help? How competitive are the students? I plan to take that track if I get accepted to Boston College and wasn’t sure if the kids are constantly studying or what not.</p>
<p>Is there any way to know before I sign up for 48 Hours where the trip will be going? (even just the town, not necessarily the exact destination(s)) Not a big deal either way, just curious.</p>