If challenged with summing up his experience as a part of the Boston University Class of 2006, John Donnelly admits he would fail at the task.

“Too many things have happened to able to sum it up … some are good and some are bad,” the School of Management senior said. “But for the most part, it’s all an experience that you learn from.”

A native of Patterson, N.Y., Donnelly has been an active member within the university since his freshmen year. He graduates this month with concentrations in finance, technology management and accounting and operations.

He was recently admitted to BU’s School of Law, where he plans to study corporate law in the fall.

“I’m very excited because it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid,” he said. “It’s going to be challenging and I really look forward to applying myself.”

Donnelly said he decided to attend BU after discussing SMG’s academic resources with students enrolled in the school. That early guidance proved useful when he arrived on campus, as he recalls little anxiety about beginning college life.

“I felt very comfortable when I first came to BU,” he said. “I talked to my [BU] friends so often, I knew what they were going through and I knew what to expect.”

Still, Donnelly was initially naive about the university’s coursework. He said that quickly changed once he finished his first semester.

“I was one of those kids in high school that never actually tried … I didn’t really study too hard and I kind of transitioned into college with that attitude,” he said. “It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t do as well as I wanted to freshmen year … it was the kick I needed to put a little more effort.”

Since that first semester, Donnelly has immersed himself in extracurricular activities and academia. He is a member of National Honor Societies Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma, co-manager and organizer of the B-School Beanpot – the annual forum for competitive business case analysis – a tutor for LOCK Honorary Service Society and the Education Resource Center, work study at Student Health Services and an SMG Dean’s Host.

“The more involved you get, the more connected you feel to the overall BU community,” he said. “It feels like you get more out of college.”

Donnelly said despite enjoying his extracurricular activities being a Dean Host was his most rewarding experience.

“It wasn’t when you talked to a student and they said, ‘I’m coming to BU,’ that you necessarily felt good,” he said. “It’s when you talked to a student and you just helped them realize that BU was or wasn’t the school for them … if us talking to them helped them realize where they wanted to go, than that felt pretty good.”

Donnelly said his fondest memory at BU took place during his CORE semester, a program every SMG student participates in during their junior year. Placed into teams, students design and create a business plan for a new product that they market and distribute. His teammates’ efforts into the project and paper are a memory he said will stay with him forever.

SMG senior Dimitra Theodoropulos was a member of Donnelly’s CORE team.

“He wanted us to get the A on the core project,” she said. “Considering there were many teams in our class and only one A was given, he defnitely pushed the team. Our team actually ended up getting the A, and we all agreed it was because of John’s high expectations that no one wanted to disappoint.”

Theodoropulos said she saw Donnelly’s character and morals even while working extremely hard to get the project done and do well.

“John is a very unique person,” she said. “He is very ethical, always trying to do right thing … SMG students are known to be all about greed and money, but John stands out and gives hope that there are people in business that want to do things ‘right’ and for the better of society.”

Donnelly said although the experience was exhausting, it was satisfying to complete.

“I had an amazing team … by the end we were so tired … but we had a great time in total, the stress of the project notwithstanding,” he said. “You can either take a lot out of it, or you can not; it depends in part on your teammates and also how much you’re willing to put into it yourself.”

Donnelly said this work ethic can be applied not only to the SMG experience, but also to how someone may work with people in general.

“In part, everything you do in life is going to be affected by the people around you,” he said. “But it’s also how much effort you want to put.”

Looking back, Donnelly said he has no regrets about how his spent his time, although he would have enjoyed taking a semester to travel abroad.

“I made the decision that in order to get the concentrations I wanted, I couldn’t do that,” he said. “I think I made the right decision.”

Donnelly said one of the most vital things current undergraduate students can do is look for internships and employment opportunities as soon as possible.

“Don’t wait for someone to hand you a job offer,” he said. “Even if you have to work for free or can only put two or three hours a week … do that,” he continued. “Get your foot in the door.”

In the end, Donnelly said it is important for students to enjoy their time at BU and not overwork themselves.

“Definitely make time to hang out with your friends,” he said. “Enjoy your time here and don’t work too hard … although anyone who knows me would laugh and say that I worked too hard.”