The Class of 2011 Looks Back and Moves Forward

Four years is a long time to sum up in one article.  Most days, I feel lucky if I can remember the momentous occasions that happened in the last two years (and not because I was blackout).  BC is, if anything, a huge condoner of self-reflection and self-realization.  Throughout my senior year, and especially towards the end of it, I have found myself – and many of my friends have found themselves too – internalizing these teachings and reflecting on the last four years (sometimes sober, sometimes not).

For many of us, I have found one theme to be true; if you had asked any of us four years ago where we thought we’d be in May of 2011, we could never have predicted where we are now.  Mostly, that’s a good thing.  In honor of our time at BC, I asked a few of them to offer their insights and advice for all the underclassmen who are lucky enough to still have time on campus.
 
 
On general BC life:
 
“Skip class every now and then and have “me” time.”
 
“Definitely get involved with anything and everything you think might be of interest of you. Don’t limit yourself with activities, classes or friends- take as many as you can and make as many friends as you can.”
 
“I used to think that I wouldn’t change, or at least that I didn’t want to. Boston College taught me that I was wrong. I was able to change for the better. There were ups and downs with grades, heartbreaks and even friends but the fluctuations are what make you ultimately better. Don’t be scared to go out there and make yourself known. The words you hold back can only hurt you.”
 
“Listen up.  I know BC has one of the most extensive undercurrents of Country Music fandome, so I am sure most of you have heard the song “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney.  If not, go listen to it and heed that advice.  College is seriously a blur, IT GOES BY SO QUICKLY.  I honestly think I have grown more in the past 4 years than in any other 4 year period.”
 

On friendships and relationships:
 
“Cut the drama.”
 
“I’ve learned that no matter what it’s your roommates that stick by your countless tears, and that spring breaks to Punta Cana should be an annual tradition.” 
 
“Spend as much time with friends as possible. After graduation, things change, people move, and you no longer have the luxury of seeing  the people that you love every day.”
 
“If you lose your virginity in the bathroom, you’ll still be okay and it will be funny later.  But maybe plan ahead a little more on that one.”
 
“Spend time with your roommates – It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived with these girls since the first day of your Boston College career or met for the first time rearranging Mod furniture, know that some of the best memories you will have will be made sitting around doing nothing.
 
“Support your friends…Maybe I just caught on to this one a little late, but recognize how  incredibly talented your friends at BC are and support them as they pursue their interests. It means so much to them, and you’ll become more cultured in the process.”
 
 
On academics:
 
“Major in what you love.  Change majors multiple times.  Change minors even more times.”
 
“Don’t limit yourself with classes…take as many as you can… Work hard, but also reward yourself and don’t be afraid to take a risk. Be confident that you deserve success here and make every effort possible to take advantage of all that BC can offer you.”
 
“I’ve learned that business was not for me… and then that economics was not for me…and that painting was certainly not for me.  I’ve learned that I love to write, and no one can take that away from me.”
 
“College is about experimenting with new majors, new interests, new ideas, etc.  Try all of these.  Pull an all-nighter just to see if you can.  Take a class based solely on Peps.  Read books about social justice, feminism, economics and psychology. And most importantly, find your niche.  I, quite honestly, didn’t find mine (well all of it) until Senior year.  I took a Magazine Editing class (if your an English major, by all means take it!  Ricco is a-freakin-mazing) and found a passion for writing that had lain dormant.  So yours may not be writing, but maybe join Shovelhead, or form a band and compete in the Battle of the Bands…Just try new things.”
 
“Take enough classes as underclassmen that you’ll only have to take 4 senior year– no one wants to be the senior stuck with 5 (or even worse, 6) classes.”
 
 
On studying abroad:
 
“Go abroad. It was easily the best 5 months of my life and I would give anything to go back. It is time that allows you to grow and find out who you truly want to be, and let’s be real– when else will you get a half of a year designated purely to having fun and getting drunk (go to Dublin and you can rule out any fear of having to do work)?”
 
“Study abroad. Seriously, you’re an idiot if you don’t. If the school year doesn’t work for you, study abroad during the summer – expose yourself to worlds you’ve never experienced before.”
 
“Study Abroad. (Its worth it, I swear.)”
 
 
On the social scene:
 
“Go to Moogy’s! Casually drinking with your friends (or maybe not-so-casually drinking if you’re me and my friends) while playing some of your favorite childhood boardgames is possibly one of the best afternoon activities around. The combination of great food, good beer and some of your best friends is an automatic recipe for an all-in-all good time.”
 
“I don’t care how swanky of a bar you want me to go to downtown, nothing beats a $1.75 Busch Light Draft from Mary Ann’s…followed by a game of Hoop Fever. “
 
“Be nice to BCPD.”
 
“Find a drink of choice (G+T, Franzia) because it’s fun to bond with people who share your favorite slash it’s fun to get a little wobbly from time to time.”
 
“Walk around the Boston Common. (It’s seriously beautiful)  Get a cannoli at Mike’s Pastries.  Attend ArtsFest.  Cheer at Marathon Monday. Walk around Harvard Square.”
 
“Save up plenty of money for your senior year- You might be able to get $1.75 Busch Light at MAs, but hopefully you spend enough time there that it adds up… Drink Rubinoff while you still can. ”
 
 
On the future:
 
“Take advantage of all the free food, plex classes, counseling services, and other stuff BC has to offer.  The real world gets pricey… Stop stressing, you’ll get a job eventually. “
 
“There are fears that come with graduation. I still don’t have a job, I’m moving back home, and the biggest for me is probably what if I’m lonely? Communal living is most certainly the thing I will miss the most; friends being only a doorway away.”
 
“Graduation is exciting and understand that it signifies the potential for you to make a life for yourself whichever way YOU choose to do it.”
 

When Kathryn and I met as freshmen in Keyes South 208, we never could have imagined that we would start Her Campus BC our senior year, meet such amazing people through it, offer others an invaluable resource for their futures in writing and have so much fun in the process.  I think the biggest lesson that is echoed through everyone’s experiences is this:  take advantage of everything you are offered here.  Never again will you have the opportunity to explore different countries, see the people you love every day, learn so many different things and, most importantly, have the time to learn about yourself.  I think we would all agree that no matter where our lives go from here, we wouldn’t trade our experiences at BC for anything.
 
Of course, you might want to talk to us after Senior Week.
 
 
Photo source:
http://fordhamgraded.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html