Besides the “Sound Room” does BC have a recording/music studio?

Besides the "Sound Room" does BC have a recording/music studio? If so, when is it available and to whom? If not, where can I find one?
Besides the “Sound Room” does BC have a recording/music studio? If so, when is it available and to whom? If not, where can I find one?

As far as I know, the only alternative at BC is the recording studio at the Center for Teaching Excellence; however, that’s dedicated to faculty & grad students developing instructional content. Check with the music department? bit.ly/bc-music-dept. Were you a guest of a Northeastern student, you might get access to their state-of-the-art sound-recording facilities in Snell Library.

How many Italians on campus?

How many Italians on campus?
How many Italians on campus?

According to my friend the BC Factbook there are 41 undergraduate and graduate students at BC from Italy. http://bit.ly/BC-FactBook. I don’t have similar numbers for faculty and staff, but there are at least a few, and there are LOTS of Italian-Americans. Why not stop by the Italian Club (Il Circolo Italiano) and ask around? http://bit.ly/bc-italian-club

Are freshmen able to do undergraduate research? If so, who can I contact to learn more?

Are freshmen able to do undergraduate research? If so, who can I contact to learn more?
Are freshmen able to do undergraduate research? If so, who can I contact to learn more?

Yes. At least, there’s no explicit prohibition on it. However, most faculty advisors will want to be very sure that you have a concrete understanding of the subject matter before allowing you to do research under them (that’s also true for all undergrads and even grad students). Chances are that you’re better off working as an assistant in a lab or asking a faculty member for some additional reading material in that field to get up to date. You could reach out directly (via email) – most faculty are thrilled when undergraduates express a sincere interest in the subject matter. Good luck and welcome to BC!

Hi! I am an exchange student from HK! How can I travel to Niagara Falls from Boston? Can I skip lesson for traveling?

Hi! I am an exchange student from HK! How can I travel to Niagara Falls from Boston? Can I skip lesson for traveling?
Hi! I am an exchange student from HK! How can I travel to Niagara Falls from Boston? Can I skip lesson for traveling?

Welcome! Niagara Falls is truly a wondrous sight. It’s a pretty long trip by car (about 8 hours each way), longer by bus or train (12 or more hours). Flying into Buffalo NY and renting a car or taking a bus there may be the quickest route. Skipping class is really not ideal. You can get a better sense of how harmful it might be by reading what the class syllabus says about attendance and class participation.

When is OISS Walk in Hours?

When is OISS Walk in Hours?
When is OISS Walk in Hours?

Update:

Hours have changed since and most recent hours can be found at bit.ly/OISSHours

Original Answer: Monday 2pm-4pm, Tuesday 10am-12pm, Wednesday 2pm-4pm, Thursday 10am-12pm, and Friday 10am-12pm. And if those don’t work for you, call for an appointment at (617) 552-8005. For more info, see: bit.ly/OISSStuff.

What is the purpose of living?

What is the purpose of living? What goal do we need to achieve in order to truly be human?
What is the purpose of living? What goal do we need to achieve in order to truly be human?

According to Anais Nin, “there is not one big cosmic meaning for all; there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” Following this concept, I believe that striving for self-fulfimment would be a good start.

Is this library?

Is this library?
Is this library?

This is totally library! As are our other 7 libraries: Bapst (arts), Theology and Ministry Library (TML) on the Brighton campus, Law on the Newton campus, Educational Resource Center (ERC) in Campion, Social Work Library in McGuinn, Burns (special collections and archives), and the Catherine O’Connor Library at Weston Observatory (seismology). Also, our online presence, library.bc.edu is very library.

Is water wet?

Is water wet?
Is water wet?

According to the University of Santa Barbara, water isn’t actually wet! “Wetness” is actually the ability of a liquid to stick to the surface of a material, so when we say something is “wet” it means it has a liquid stuck to it.

What campus resources should new students know about?

What campus resources should new students know about?
What campus resources should new students know about?

So many! Campus Life has a great web page with links to health and wellness resources, lists of student groups and sports and recreation opportunities, and to info about arts programming and practice around campus. http://bit.ly/bc-new-student-resources. Here’s a list of everything you can do or borrow at the libraries: http://bit.ly/bc-ug-library. (Hint: watch for therapy dogs around the libraries during exam periods).

I think I fall in love with Boston College. What should I do? (I am so exciting now)

I think I fall in love with Boston College. What should I do? (I am so exciting now)

Are you a student here? There’s nothing wrong with being in love with your school. Or are you applying now? Then I hope that you are accepted and can come show BC all the love. Or are you someone who likes to hang out on campus, but don’t attend or plan to attend? That’s great too. There are many opportunities for members of the larger community to experience the joy of BC and show BC their love!

How to find a girlfriend during international student orientation. Serious question!

How to find a girlfriend during international student orientation. Serious question!
How to find a girlfriend during international student orientation. Serious question!

What’s the rush? If you don’t find a GF that week, there is always the next week. Regardless of when it happens, finding a significant other almost always starts with introducing yourself then saying something complimentary to the person. If they are interested, they will say something nice back. If they don’t, respect them by backing off. An even better approach is to change your goal to finding some friends. With luck, one of those friendships will grow into a deeper relationship.

What do you guys really do at your desks?

What do you guys really do at your desks? (besides working)
What do you guys really do at your desks? (besides working)

I think it’s unclear to non-librarians exactly how many spreadsheets are involved in library work. One of my helpers used to work in an accounting department and libraries have that beat. There’s also more tea than you’d think. Everyone’s office is decorated a little differently, and people have an incredible array of interests. Stop by and say hello, and tell them The Wall sent you.

Is “parameterization” or “parametrization” correct when describing which parameters describe a statistical model?

Is "parameterization" or "parametrization" correct when describing which parameters describe a statistical model?
Is “parameterization” or “parametrization” correct when describing which parameters describe a statistical model?

The Oxford English Dictionary recognizes both as options (and even parameterisation, imagine that!), so you can choose the one you like. I ran a Google Trends search to see usage of the 3 spellings over the past 15 years (bit.ly/Paramewhat); “parameterization” was the clear winner.

Can someone explain to me why it is SO hard to find a therapist? This is not a complain to BC as I know UCS & The Dean of Students Office provides good referrals & follow-up.

A research simulate patients calling psychiatrist in Boston area found only 18% success rate in booking an appointment. doi.org/110.1176/appi.ps,201400051. Another research shows students of color are less likely to connect with off campus referrals when referred by counseling. doi.org/10.1300/J035vZZn02_03. Another research shows that generally SES & race difference correlates with appointment offer rates - certain SES/identity are less likely to get therapy appointment doi.org/10.1177/0022146516647o98. Just trying to show intersectional factors + effect on seeking mental health resource & How Hard it is to find. And some community center has a 5 month waitlist...can someone explain to me wy it is SO hard to find a therapist? This is not a complain to BC as I know UCS & The Dean of Students Office provides good referrals & follow-up.
A research simulate patients calling psychiatrist in Boston area found only 18% success rate in booking an appointment. doi.org/110.1176/appi.ps,201400051. Another research shows students of color are less likely to connect with off campus referrals when referred by counseling. doi.org/10.1300/J035vZZn02_03. Another research shows that generally SES & race difference correlates with appointment offer rates – certain SES/identity are less likely to get therapy appointment doi.org/10.1177/0022146516647o98. Just trying to show intersectional factors + effect on seeking mental health resource & How Hard it is to find. And some community center has a 5 month waitlist…can someone explain to me why it is SO hard to find a therapist? This is not a complain to BC as I know UCS & The Dean of Students Office provides good referrals & follow-up.

Thank you for sharing those articles! I’m sure many people would welcome an answer to this question. Finding a good therapist can be very difficult. To be honest, finding all kinds of medical specialists can be very difficult. But because of the complexity of mental health issues and the wide variety of approaches to mental health treatment, it can be very hard to find a specialist who is a) a good match for one’s needs, b) available, and c) covered “in-network” in one’s insurance plan. Layer cultural differences on top of these complexities, and it’s clear that making productive appointments is what engineers would call a non-trivial problem.

Out of curiosity….who’s on the Behavioral Evaluation Team?

Out of curiosity....who's on the Behavioral Evaluation Team? Like what are their roles/positions?
Out of curiosity….who’s on the Behavioral Evaluation Team? Like what are their roles/positions?

The Dean of Students Office is responsible for the group; there is representation from across campus departments, including UHS, Residential Life, Campus Ministry, BCPD, University Counseling Services, Conduct Office, Office of Outreach and Support, the Provost’s office and others. Find more info at the website (bit.ly/BC-BET) or by contacting Caroline Davis at the Dean of Students office.

Is a double major worthwhile?

Is a double major worthwhile?
Is a double major worthwhile?

I think it depends on what you want out of it, and how you like to work. Two majors equals two sets of required courses, so you might have fewer choices about what classes to take, or it might take more time to get all of them done. Two majors would give you the chance to go fairly deep on two interests; one major might give you the chance to go deeper on one of them. Some people double major to give themselves more job options. If you’re feeling indecisive think carefully about whether two sets of requirements and work are what you want–it can sometimes be easier to change majors than to do two. Talk to your advisor, and to professors in both of the programs you’re interested in and they can give you a better idea of what’s involved and what makes sense for you.