Hello!
I’m an incoming Freshmen in the Arts&Science department at Boston College. I will be spending about 7 weeks over the summer (June 18-Aug 4) on campus, so I feel fairly confident that I will have established a network of friends and become familiarized with the campus by the time the program ends. I really want to spend time with close friends before college (they start in September) and I don’t feel like the 3 weeks in between will be enough time. How important is Welcome Week? What are the benefits? Would I be okay not going?
One choice is looking forward and the other is looking back.
Welcome Week not only helps you feel more informed about what to expect (from people who will be allocating time to inform you and to answer questions), but perhaps more important, it’s also a time when many freshman begin to build friendships.
What will you be doing with your 7 weeks on campus?
What leads you to believe your 7 weeks will duplicate what Welcome Week provides?
jpm50,
I will be apart of the OTE program, so essentially I will be taking 3 courses over the summer whilst living on Upper in the freshmen dorms. In a double or tripple, I will share a room with other girls in the program. Along with this, we will be exposed to the resources and some of teachers at Boston. Everything except for getting to know my dorm floor is something I will be exposed to over the summer.
Simply put, I just do not see any reason to go. And I want to know why I should, like what unique oppurnity is presented during Welcome Week that I cant get during the 7 weeks I’m there.
You should know that many Welcome Week events are mandatory to attend with your hall/floor. For example: floor meetings where you meet your RA and floormates, an important presentation/improv show about consent and relationships, and a talk about diversity. Attendance is taken at these events using your ID card.
Besides these events being mandatory and important, Welcome Week is when I made my closest friends at BC. You will meet the people you will be living in the same hall with for the entire year and will go with them to these mandatory events. They’re actually really good events, too - not boring, I promise! And there are fun things to do that aren’t mandatory, like guided trips to Boston or a class movie night (they hand out free blankets at this!).
I have a feeling that regardless of what anyone says here you will not attend Welcome Week. Do as you please and deal with any consequences later, if you can.
TomSrOfBoston,
Not really? If I asked the question it means that I want to here the other side of the argument.
tiva_mcabby5,
thanks for the advice!! That all actually sounds pretty fun. I guess I’m just bumbed out that I will be missing an important family event during the 7 weeks that I’m already there that I really don’t want to miss out on anything else :\ Thank you though, I’m probably going to go now - it’ll be worth it.
@yodiemagical Glad to hear it. I don’t think you’ll regret going at all! If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me. And congrats on deciding to go to BC – you have an awesome four years ahead of you!
Welcome Week is when freshmen are required to be on campus. Simple as that. The program you are doing in the summer sounds great but you don’t want to be absent for the official first week of your college career. I like what someone posted above about looking forward vs looking back…this is a good analogy. You have 3 weeks with your friends and family to enjoy. Then you get to enjoy Welcome week before classes start and you are bogged down with work. Also, you will want to get to know your RA during the mandatory meetings so you know what you’re dealing with for the year. Look at the your summer program and the start of the semester as two separate events.