<p>how liberal or conservative is bc?
how catholic?</p>
<p>Like most universities, BC tends to lean left, though not as liberal as schools like Brown. There is a good balance. And it’s as Catholic as you want it to be; not as Catholic as other Catholic schools (like Notre Dame). Some people make BC’s Catholicness a huge part of their undergraduate experience, and others are able to stay completely away from it. It’s up to you.</p>
<p>Q: are season tickets as a freshman for football a good investment?
A: for freshmen, yes! it’s a good bonding experience and definitely introduces you to BC’s athletic scene. </p>
<p>As for lila4’s questions, couldn’t have responded better than nrg21b. I’ve also answered these questions previously in the thread (and thoroughly) if you wanna check it out! :)</p>
<p>I’m going to be a Freshman at BC next year and I’m a Psychology B.S. major on the Pre-Med track hoping to take the MCATs my junior year. This is the schedule that I have made during orientation, do you think that it is sufficient enough or is it too much for me as a Freshman?
Intro to Psych. as a Natural Science
General Chemistry 1
Chem. Lab
Calculus 1
First Year Writing Seminar
Biology (Molecules and Cells)
___________________________ =
17 credits.</p>
<p>Would you say there is a great sense of competition between students? Like, are they seriously competitive in classes?</p>
<p>sudaflower24: Nope! I think it’s very balanced. That seems to be the usual track for pre med students: gen chem, chem lab, bio (molecules & cells/the other one…i forget what it’s called), bio lab, calc1, another class. So, yes. you should be fine with this. It doesn’t seem like too much, but maybe see how it goes for the first two weeks of class and if it seems too much, drop something. but it’s definitely doable. Both my roommates had this schedule and they slept at reasonable hours (midnight-8am) </p>
<p>Q: Would you say there is a great sense of competition between students? Like, are they seriously competitive in classes?
A: Not outwardly competitive. They definitely are competitive in the sense that they’re ambitious. So they’ll go out of their way to go to office hours, talk to students about paper ideas, etc. BC students will help each other with homework, papers, etc, but no one will go as far as to let someone else ‘copy their work’ or give them too much advice—this being in a good way. In class, some kids answer questions more than others so it may seem like they’re more competitive, but it’s not that. They tend to be more outgoing. But really, there is no way to be competitive, since college is pretty much just papers and exams. (pre-med—labs, but everyone helps everyone else on labs because they’re a pain and time consuming, it just works out to be more efficient that way.)</p>
<p>At orientation I talked to a current polisci major, and he told me that political science (my intended major) has one of the lowest average gpa’s per major in the school and that teachers rarely give A’s. Have you anything about this or is it just more his opinion?</p>
<p>^Another polisci question… can you tell me anything about the quality/strength of the polisci department as a whole? I looked at the course selection and a lot of the classes seem really interesting, but you can only tell so much from reading course descriptions. If you’ve heard anything about how current polisci majors feel about the program or what kind of a reputation it has on or off campus, I’d really like to know. Thanks!</p>
<p>What’s it like for a Psych. major at BC? Just like the question about Polisci, can you tell anything about the quality/strength?</p>
<p>Q: At orientation I talked to a current polisci major, and he told me that political science (my intended major) has one of the lowest average gpa’s per major in the school and that teachers rarely give A’s. Have you anything about this or is it just more his opinion?
A: I wouldnt be surprised if this was true that polisci majors have one of the lowest average gpas. It’s a really difficult major and it’s very popular, so there’s also a lot of competition that comes with it. The courses in the major are very intense, even the fundamentals courses are time consuming, there’s a lot of reading, lots of discussions, etc. I wouldn’t say though that the professors rarely give out As, though. They make you earn your A, unlike some of the other majors at BC. It also sucks being a polisci major as a freshman because when it comes to picking classes, the juniors, and sophomores get first pick over you so you get stuck with leftovers and leftover professors. but you also can stalk BC UIS during winter break/summer and in most cases the classes will open up. Yeah, it’s difficult. but it also depends on whether you’re a good test taker. one of my friends is a polisci major and he has a 3.9 gpa. Another one of my friends is struggling to maintain a 3.4 (this being after the first year of classes). **but the classes are SO INTERESTING, i’d say it’s worth it. </p>
<p>Q:Another polisci question… can you tell me anything about the quality/strength of the polisci department as a whole?
A: I would think it’s very very good. The fact that it has one of the lower average gpas is testament to the idea that it’s a difficult major, and therefore more reputable. the classes are awesome. they’re difficult and some classes you’ll feel like you’re a law school student, but it makes you grow that much more and you learn that much more. Im not sure as to what the reputation is outside of BC, but polisci is pretty popular at BC. and yes, the classes are soooo interesting, but just because theyre interesting doesnt mean you’ll be interested and therefore get better grades because it’s interesting. it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. the great thing about being a polisci major is that there are tons of opportunities to intern/work during the school year or during the summer. you can intern at sen. scott brown’s office or sen. john kerry’s, a rep’s office, the Mass State House… but people in the poli sci major love their major because its something theyre passionate about. and i think they feel that it’s getting them ready for law school. </p>
<p>Q:What’s it like for a Psych. major at BC? Just like the question about Polisci, can you tell anything about the quality/strength?
A: there is no ‘easy’ major at BC, but i heard that psych is a lot easier than most majors, aside from maybe comm, english, sociology… but i could be wrong. A lot of their intro classes are lectures and you definitely should go to all the classes and shy away from skipping because their tests are sometimes lecture based. my roommate took a psych class and she thought it was the easiest thing in the world. two other of my friends took psych and one got a C in the class cuz he skipped a lot of classes and the other got an A without taking notes and just listening. both just studied the night before the final and both got an A- on the final. The upper level psych classes are probably more difficult. but as a freshman, you shouldnt have any problems. I feel like psych and sociology seem to be popular majors because they’re ‘easier’. Idk. maybe some people have a true interest in psychology. Definitely not as easy as the comm major, though. I’m not sure about the quality… most people i know who took psych classes took it to get rid of some core(?) or to just have an easy class. sorry!</p>
<p>OP, here are a few questions:</p>
<p>1) Are there many international students at BC? If so, where do most of them come from? Are there many American kids who grew up overseas? Do the international and overseas American kids seem to settle in well?</p>
<p>2) How large were most of your classes freshman year? Have you had any classes with over 50 students in them?</p>
<p>3) Was it hard to get the classes and housing options that you wanted for freshman and sophomore years?</p>
<p>Thanks, Jackuk</p>
<p>Q: Are there many international students at BC? If so, where do most of them come from? Are there many American kids who grew up overseas? Do the international and overseas American kids seem to settle in well?
A: Yeah, there are! I met a British kid in my Spanish class, there was a girl from South Korea across the hall, there’s a girl from Ecuador in another class, girl from Paris in another class, one from Germany, another one from Taiwan. Pretty internationally diverse. I would say most come from Europe and some from Asia, mainly. Yes! the international kids are definitely welcomed… I think a lot of people find them interesting because they’re from a different country, which is always exciting. They assimilate in just fine. A lot of kids also reach out to the international kids to have them spend long weekends/holidays at their house if they’re not going home, so that’s never a problem either. </p>
<p>Q: How large were most of your classes freshman year? Have you had any classes with over 50 students in them?
A: Language classes are usually 15-20 students. Intro classes were bigger @ 250 (Econ). Biology elective class was 50. Honors was 15. As you progress, your classes get a lot smaller. For example, my classes next year will be 15, 20, 15, and 25. Most intro classes are about 100-250 kids (except for fundamentals of politics). This includes, Econ, Comm, Bio/Chem, psych, sociology. It’s just the way it is. Usually if it is a core class, it’ll also be over 200. The smaller classes like English classes, labs, honors, history electives, most electives, will be less, definitely under 50. </p>
<p>Q:Was it hard to get the classes and housing options that you wanted for freshman and sophomore years?
A: Housing is random for freshman year. Unless you opt to live on Newton voluntarily, or if you do honors housing, or if you do the Leadership program…you get housed in Shaw. Sophomore year housing is a disaster. It’s really unfair the way they do it now, and it’s hard to explain over the computer especially if you dont know what I’m talking about yet. You’ll find out how miserable it is. haha. As for classes, freshman year, I got all the classes I wanted, except for one for Spring semester. For this upcoming fall, I recently changed my major to international studies, so I needed to change all my classes and still, I got most of the classes I wanted, but not most of the professors I wanted. You’ll find that it’ll be difficult to get the classes you want because the system to pick classes is based on seniority. so seniors pick first, the juniors, then sophomores, then freshmen. So, the most popular classes are usually full by then. You can also ask for an override though. You’ll find that you’ll get the class you want, but not necessarily the TIME nor the PROFESSOR. You also get assigned time slots for classes in the Spring Semester in which you pick your classes. so you can be 10am on the first day for freshmen to pick classes or you could be 5pm on the second day of classes for freshmen. But dont worry too much because you have a lot of time to stalk BC UIS.</p>
<p>Just an outsiders comment about Sophomore housing…in general, many/most? colleges gives Sophomores last choice, as they run a lottery by class. (Freshmen rooms are blocked in Frosh Housing.) Seniors get first dibs, then Juniors with four years of guarantee housing, and what is left over goes to Sophs. Thus, while BC may have a rather complex room allocation, Sophs with low/early lottery numbers can be extremely happy with the result. OTOH, Sophs will high/late lottery numbers can mean slim pickings, but that is true at other colleges too.</p>
<p>while I agree with you, it’s still slightly different at BC compared to other colleges. At BC, they do it by class, as a whole. So, within the senior class, each group will get a lottery number and will have the choice of certain dorms only for seniors (aside from edmond’s). Juniors get to pick housing by lottery, in certain dorms only for juniors. Sophomores are different because there’s housing for them on Upper Campus (on CoRo) and on Lower Campus. most sophs want lower because that’s where the majority of upperclassmen live, whereas on upper that’s primarily freshmen dorms. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t agree by saying sophs get what’s left over. Each dorm pretty much is inhabited by a certain class (except for edmond’s). So, no, it’s not really like other colleges because sophomores at other colleges dont have the chance of being possibly living on upper campus in traditional dorms, compared to the suite styled dorms on lower. Upper. Lower. Big difference.</p>
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<p>Exactly, the Sophs enter their requests into the system, the majic computer whirrrs and whirrrss and then spit out results (based on some algorithm). If requested rooms are not available (on Lower?), those Sophs can be assigned elsewhere from what is available. A lottery is just that, and Sophs have the lowest chances. Not much different than many/most colleges. </p>
<p>As a result of physical limitations (and City requirements), ~20% of Sophs cannot live on Lower since there is not enough space. And, don’t forget, that gender plays a role in availability.</p>
<p>Of course, none of this will be an issue in a couple of years once BC obtains final approval to build out the new dorms.</p>
<p>Yes. The point I’m trying to make is that for sophomores, living on Upper isn’t a first choice. It’s not like half of the class is on upper and half is on lower. </p>
<p>The thing I was disputing was “Just an outsiders comment about Sophomore housing…in general, many/most? colleges gives Sophomores last choice, as they run a lottery by class.”</p>
<p>Most colleges dont split up their sophomore class 20/80-30/70, one part on one end of campus, the rest on a completely different part of campus. That being said, CoRo isn’t that bad! But don’t worry about housing for sophomore year until the time comes. :)</p>
<p>Going to back to the recent questions on the strength of different majors at BC, how are economics and history? And are there any notoriously easy/ “GPA inflator” majors? I assume the sciences take up most of the more difficult classes.</p>
<p>what freshman dorms are the most desirable? are any considered bad? how are the rooms themselves? do you know anyone who was in a forced triple? was it cramped?</p>
<p>im thinking of being a premed and econ or polisci major. Do you anyone who is doing this? Does they seems like good combos? As of right now i cant chose due to lack of classes taken. Any input welcome, thanks.</p>
<p>Q: Going to back to the recent questions on the strength of different majors at BC, how are economics and history? And are there any notoriously easy/ “GPA inflator” majors?
A: The easy major is communication. It’s also very popular… Econ is average. The intro classes are pretty basic if you took AP Econ (macro/micr0) but the classes do get harder, as they should. The thing with econ is that the best professors are the hardest professors. Which I think is a good thing, because even though your GPA may suffer for it, you learn so much! History is pretty average as well. Not too hard, not too easy. Some complain that there isn’t enough of a ‘selection’, but whatever. that’s their opinion! </p>
<p>Q: what freshman dorms are the most desirable? are any considered bad? how are the rooms themselves? do you know anyone who was in a forced triple? was it cramped?
A: They’re all pretty much the same. I think Gonzaga/Fitz were the ones recently renovated like 6 years ago or something. None are bad… They’re all different because they house different numbers of students, placed in different parts of campus. Apply for the leadership program and try to get the shaw house, that’s really nice. I would probably say the most ‘run down’ dorm would be kostka. There really isn’t a huge difference, but if I had to choose, Kostka is the least desirable. Yep! I knew tons of people in forced triples. They’re not bad AT ALL! They make it seem bad because its a room made for two, but squeeze in three, but it’s actually a lot roomier than people think. Also after the first semester, sometimes roommates transfer to a different school, different dorm, etc so you have the chance of getting the forced triple being turned into a double. The nice thing is, if you get a forced, no matter what dorm/room you get for sophomore year, it’s an upgrade! haha</p>
<p>Q:im thinking of being a premed and econ or polisci major. Do you anyone who is doing this? Does they seems like good combos?
A: Whoa. That’s going to be a lot of work. I would be careful with this, just because freshman year premed labs are 4 hours. but soph/junior year I think they’re 10 hours worth/week. And econ and polisci arent necessarily the easiest majors, either. Both are a lot of reading and very time consuming. I’d say polisci and econ as a double major are doable, but premed and econ/polisci…ehh, I’d think about it. I know some premed kids double majoring in like bio & theology or chem & psychology. but havent heard of anyone doing premed/polisci/econ. good luck! :)</p>