Choosing a university to attend can be a grueling process; there are so many options, but ultimately you can only choose one. The decision impacts your life for the next four years, and possibly your entire future. So how do you make it?
Honestly, my decision boiled down to the very last second. I was afraid that I would make the wrong choice and bind myself to a school I ended up despising. I spent hours researching, but every college seemed the same; each one had similar classes, similar clubs, similar dorm rooms, and so on. Finally, I put away my laptop, shut my eyes, and thought: where do I belong? Somehow, I ended up here at Boston College.
In the end, it took me all of one week to realize that my decision to attend this school had been a good one. Yes, the school offers a multitude of clubs and organizations as a way for students to get involved. Yes, the school has artistic buildings and a beautiful campus. Yes, the school has stellar education programs and outstanding academics. And while, yes, lots of schools have those things, what drew me into Boston College was its emphasis on becoming decent people; from the first day, Boston College’s motto of being men and women for others stuck to me. Getting a job after graduation and becoming “successful” financially are important, but Boston College also wants its students to place special focus on what type of people they are going to be. Service trips, volunteer organizations, and retreats are made available to students across campus, as well as special programs that revolve around assisting those less fortunate.
For the first week of freshman year, we were pretty much forced to get to know each other through a series of mandatory orientation events. While it was a bit awkward at first, this method turned out to have rewarding results, as I met some of who would become my best friends in college that very first week. Each one of us has done a volunteer program of some sort, and not one of us has found the experience anything less than fulfilling. Sure, the freshman dorm rooms may be cramped, and the dining hall food simply cannot compare with a fresh home-cooked meal, but there’s no denying that I’m happy here at Boston College.
