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

Next Semester!

Hello friends,

As November begins (yikes!) it is time to start thinking about next semester and new classes. As nurses, we have many classes chosen for us which, trust me, makes this time of the semester much less stressful. Next semester I am taking Pathophysiology and Adult Health Assessment with a simulation lab. I've heard that Patho is a lot of work but it's when we finally start learning things we will need to apply in life - diseases! The Clinical Simulation Lab has a simulated hospital room which allows us to practice what we will need to do during our clinical experiences, it allows us to get comfortable with the procedures before we have to perform them on actual patients.

Along with my nursing classes, I'm taking my final two Core requirement classes. This means that beginning junior year, aside from my nursing classes, I can choose any class I'd like as an elective. As clinicals begin our schedules get very busy so I'm glad I will have my schedule free to pick classes that don't have too much work.

The football team beat Central Michigan this past weekend at home! We, unfortunately, only have one more home game this season. :( The hockey and basketball seasons are now starting though, so we always have a fantastic sports team to cheer on!

Email me with any questions you have! (thomannl@bc.edu)

Lindsay

Nursing at BC

Hey Everyone!

I'm Djerica and I'm a sophomore in the school of nursing here at BC. I'm originally from North Attleboro Massachusetts, which is about 45 minutes south of BC.

I'll tell you a little more about the nursing program at BC. Last year as a freshman I took the basic science classes and labs that all nurses have to take and 1 nursing theory course and also some core classes. It was a great year but very different from high school. This year (which in my opinion is a little more exciting) I am in my first clinical lab! This is a 4 hour lab in the simulation lab of the top floor of the nursing school. It looks just like any hospital room looks. I have been learning how to take blood pressure, listen to heart and lung sounds, and much more hands-on stuff. By the end of the semester I will be able to give a complete physical! Next semester I will go into the Boston hospitals and put all of the things that I've learned into action with real patients. Some of the hospitals that we go to in the Boston area are MassGeneral, Brigham and Women's, Beth Israel, and Children's Hospital Boston. I am really excited for this opportunity and I'm counting the days till my first clinical placement!

Something that I'm involved with this year on campus is the Nursing Senate. This is a student government for the nursing school and each class has its own set of representatives. My class officers and I all have different duties but we mostly work together and plan events for our class. It could be a volunteer opportunity nearby or a social event. I am also on the Student Advisory Board for the Council for Women at Boston College. It is a great way to meet women in different career fields that graduated from BC and network with them.

So that was a little bit about my life here at BC. I hope you all enjoyed it and got more insight into the nursing program.

Djerica