Boston University - What my BU Degree has Done for Me!
Written: Jul 30 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of opportunities to learn and grow
Cons: Very expensive private university
The Bottom Line: I am a proud Boston University Terrier!
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| mmcphee's Full Review: Boston University |
I graduated from Boston University in 1993. Before you dismiss my experience as irrelevant in 2009, let me offer up that I can share not only what my time was like at BU some 15 years ago but also how my Boston University education continues to influence my life and career today.
General Information
Some things never change. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts; most of the main campus runs between Commonwealth Avenue and the Charles River, with the Boston University Medical Campus to the south, along Massachusetts Ave and Washington St.
Boston University is divided into 17 schools and colleges offering 250 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees: College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication, College of Fine Arts, College of General Studies, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Metropolitan College, School of Education, School of Hospitality Administration, School of Law, School of Management, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, School of Social Work, School of Theology, and the College of Engineering that I graduated from.
Tuition
Current tuition, room, board and fees (depending on dormitory and meal plan) run $50,000 per year. Plan on at least another $3,000 for books, personal expenses plus travel to and from school and you are pushing a quarter of a million dollars for 4 years at Boston University. Financial Aid and Merit Scholarships are available, with financial aid distributed based on need and academic performance. For example, 96% of students in the top 1 - 5% of their graduating class with over 2000 on their SATs and family incomes of less than $120,000 received financial aid typically ranging from ½ to full coverage of tuition, room and board.
Campus Living
Boston University offers a number of living arrangements for its large student population. There are large and small traditional dormitory style buildings, where students live in doubles, triple and quads sharing a common single sex bathroom. There are some single sex floors but most dormitories are coed. For upperclassman there is the opportunity for suite style housing which is typically 1-6 students sharing multiple bedrooms, a single bathroom and sometimes a common area. There are smaller brownstone style apartment buildings available as well. Specialty housing for students enrolled in the same school or college are also available. Approximately ¾ of Boston University students live in on-campus housing.
As a freshman I lived in West Campus, surrounding the outdoor arena; Nickerson Field. Do not call it the "football field" for Boston University disbanded their football program in 1997. Ice Hockey is the sport of choice at BU. Deciding that West Campus was just a little too far from many of my Engineering Classes, I moved to the opposite end of campus, living in Myles Standish Hall for the next 3 years; first in a suite with 3 other women and then by myself in a private suite with my own bathroom. While some may say that you miss out by not having roommates, I say you gain a lot by being able to sleep and wake when you want without worrying about disturbing anyone else. With 700 other students in the building, I don't think you could ever really consider yourself living alone.
The food was decent when I attended, and hasn't changed much in my visits over the years. There are plenty of options, with several entrees to pick from, plus sandwich bars, pasta bars, salad bars, and in true college form, cereal bars. No, it definitely isn't home cooking, but you won't starve either. With a rather large Jewish population (approximately 15%) there is a separate Kosher dining hall open to all students.
There is no excuse for being alone at Boston University; you just have to put yourself out there and find other students with similar interests. With over 30,000 other students, there are clubs, sports, service organizations and social groups (including fraternities and sororities) for everyone; you just have to look and want to get involved. All of the clubs are looking for new members at the beginning of the year; take that opportunity to find a group of friends beyond your roommate. Boston University is the 4th largest private university in the US and it can be easy to feel lost so finding your place is important.
Boston University is an urban campus, and with that goes the joys and perils of city life. The T (Boston's public transportation system) runs through campus. The Green Line trolleys run both above and below ground, running above ground from the east end of campus out to the suburbs. This makes getting around the city easy, but students must be aware that they are in a city. There is no need to be fearful, just aware and use common sense. Don't walk home after dark by yourself, stay in well lighted area, and know where the emergency call boxes are. Larger dorms are staffed and require ID cards for entry; smaller dorms are locked and need key access.
Academics
As I look through the list of professors teaching in the College of Engineering there are several that I was fortunate to study under. Over the course of four years I only had one class taught by a graduate student; a calculus class. I only had one professor who seemed far more interested in his research than teaching the engineers of tomorrow. Funny, how I can't remember his name, but I could pick him out of the faculty picture!
Many of the engineering professors I had were teaching as a second career. They had already built a career in private industry and after retiring went on to teach. They were by far the best instructors; able to combine their real world experiences with the theory students need to learn. Those were the classes that have stuck with me the most over the years. I was pleased to see many of those wonderful instructors still teaching.
I never had any difficulty getting the classes I needed when I needed them. I liked being able to get early morning classes, but often Engineering classes were only offered at one time. If you needed it, you took it when it was offered and worked other classes around it. Not that there were many other classes to work in. One of the reasons I selected BU was the focus on Engineering classes, with only a handful of humanities required and no foreign language requirement; although some may argue engineers speak their own language! Still I managed to fit in the study of the bible as literature, geography, economics, and group piano lessons.
I found my classes to be quite challenging, certainly more than I expected upon leaving high school. I graduated in the top 5% of my high school class with college credit for 4 classes. I struggled with many of my classes. Fortunately professors were always available during office hours to help as were the graduate students assigned to the classes. I appreciated having two resources for my questions, when one couldn't adequately answer my questions there was always someone else available with a different approach to help.
My First Job
I credit my first engineering job out of college to my Boston University degree. It was an entry level job and the person who hired me told me it was in large part due to his past experience with co-ops and interns from Boston University. He always found them well prepared to work hard, ask questions and learn and figured I would do the same. I worked at that company for 7 years, moving through several different positions with increasing responsibility. And it all started thanks in large part to my BU diploma.
As time goes on, my work experience certainly counts more than where I graduated from 15 years ago. But much of my experience is due to my degree. I find from time to time that I still draw on the knowledge I gained at BU, although I am not currently working as an engineer. In meetings sometimes my engineering hat goes on and I have to add my 2 cents on the engineering issues before I put my material manager hat back on.
And now I am on the receiving end of summer interns and co-ops. Perhaps I am a bit biased, but the best interns we get come from Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Some of the interns that come to us from Connecticut engineering schools make me worried for the future of our country. Should I really have to explain why Facebook and Twitter are blocked websites so they should probably stop trying to get on?
Alumni
I try to stay involved as a Boston University alumni; unfortunately my local group isn't really local. Still I try to make it up at least once a year to visit the campus, take in a hockey game and just absorb some of the atmosphere. I work for a large company and I often run into other BU graduates to reminisce with. There is an alumni website with information about other graduates, career links and the activities available to alumni.
Final Thoughts
I spent a wonderful 4 years at Boston University and I loved every minute of it. I loved living in a city and all of the opportunities it offered. I made wonderful friends and learned more than I expected, not only academically but about myself. I grew a lot during my college years. The variety of opportunities available to students made it possible for me to be myself and pursue my interests with other likeminded students.
Boston University is not for everyone. If you want to the sense that the entire student body is part of one community, you won't get that at BU. The open campus and large number of students just doesn't foster that feeling. However if you are prepared to find your own place you will feel that sense of community. My degree from Boston University has taken me far, where will yours take you?
Recommended:
Yes
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mmcphee
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Member: Mary Ellen
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