Monday, April 26, 2010

Boston

Hello again!

Many students are worried that since BC is located in Chestnut Hill and at the end of the Green Line of the T (one of four colored lines of the public transportation train system of Boston which costs $2 each way) that Boston is not very accessible/it is a hassle to get in and out of the city. This, however, is a false statement.

BC is lucky and has FOUR stops of the T that run close to campus. One is of course the "Boston College" stop at the end of the B line. Although it is very convenient to jump on this line without worrying about a longer walk or catching the shuttle bus, it takes about twice the time to get into Boston. This is why many prospective students think that Boston is inaccessible. Fortunately, BC is also closely situated near the D line. There are three stops on this line that are easily accessed by a quick 10 minute shuttle ride to Cleveland Circle, a short walk from Upper campus, or a short walk into Newton Center from Newton campus. By taking the D line you can easily get into downtown Boston in about 25-30 minutes.

Campus itself is always busy and there are plenty of things to do on the weekends. Most students love to take advantage of the a Capella or comedy shows or other various events held by several different clubs on campus. Sometimes, however, it is refreshing to get off campus and go shopping, go out to dinner, see a movie or attend a sporting event. Personally, I have been to several Bruins and Celtics games this season and just went to my first Red Sox game of the year on Friday! We won!! For birthdays, we usually find a restaurant in the city and go out to dinner and some Saturdays we wake up early and go shopping for the day.

The T is also important to us nurses for clinical. Sometimes, you luck out and have a member of your clinical group who has a car on campus, but most of the time you must rely on the T. With so many different choices of lines to choose from it is virtually hassle free to catch the T. The close access and quick service into the city makes waking up early and getting to the hospitals on time very easy.

The T, and Boston, is also home to Logan International Airport along with South Station which is where most buses and trains out of state depart from. Instead of paying a minimum of $50 to get to the airport or South Station by cab, you can plan ahead and take the T instead. Another activity that could cause a lot of stress and anxiety that is alleviated by the T.

Finally, as a Jesuit University, we have many different service opportunities on campus. One of the main groups, 4Boston, is a service group that devotes about 4 hours per week at a variety of locations in Boston. A class opportunity, PULSE (a Philosophy and Theology based class) has a 7-10 hour service component that primarily takes place in Boston. All locations should be accessible by the train or bus system.

As you can see, Boston is something that is and should be taken advantage of once arriving on campus, and it is easy to do so!

As always, email me with questions! (thomannl@bc.edu)
Lindsay

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