Telling it like it is to BU pre-frosh

It’s that time of year again! Freshman Fridays are causing campus clogs and BU students are hosting their newly accepted friends and siblings so they can make an educated decision about where to spend the next four years.

Ahh, it brings me back. When I stayed here for my Freshman Friday, I was dazzled by BU’s urban campus and Boston itself. I couldn’t wait to exchange my boring suburban life for an urban college thrill ride of independence and fun. So innocent I was.

A few weeks ago, I received an inquiring e-mail from by brother’s girlfriend, who had just been accepted to none other than Boston University. She wanted to know more than the usual “I like it,” which is my stock answer for anyone from back home that asks.

I stared at her e-mail for a long time, not knowing how to answer questions such as “Does it feel like you don’t have a campus?” or “Is there a lack of school spirit?” and my personal favorite, “What was it like living in Warren Towers?”

The ingenious plan I came up with to avoid assessing how much I really like it at BU was to simply not reply to her e-mail. The easy way out! I felt that if I tried to just sell this school, I could potentially mess up this girl’s entire future. I’ve had to defend BU’s size and lack of a campus to curious outsiders for years; I am used to automatically ignoring the less than positive aspects.

However, I can’t dodge my brother’s girlfriend any longer; she is staying with me this weekend. I am forced to scrutinize my “college experience” which is now officially winding down, marked by the filing of my graduation application. Looking back, I have different, more realistic attitudes about this school than I did when I sent in my first deposit.

To begin with, I have conflicting opinions about living in Warren. On one hand there are the dastardly conditions of the C Tower elevators and the post-drunken barf in the bathrooms. Still, I enjoyed my social freshman year. In Warren, I could have a cigarette at 2 a.m., and there would be other interesting people to chat with in the lounge. There were people everywhere, and that was a good thing — sometimes. These contradictions are hard to explain to an excited pre-frosh looking to fall in love with a school.

I realized love is definitely blind; when I decided to come here I knew there was no cable and the guest policy was a mess, but I was so enthralled with the school I didn’t care. I didn’t realize independence isn’t really achieved when an institution is controlling the guests you bring home and the television you can watch.

At BU, if you are a self-starter and keep your ears and eyes open, all kinds of opportunities are there, though they might be hard to find out about. Things aren’t handed to us here — the most motivated go-getters reap the best the school has to offer, just like in the real world. Personally, I learned I had to get off my butt to take advantage of what BU offers, but it’s a lesson I would’ve had to learn anyway.

After much reflection, I decided that I will speak to my brother’s girlfriend honestly about all of the experiences — good and bad — I’ve had here. I will show her the glamorous Student Village, but I will also take her on a tour inside the sorry excuse for a dorm that is Danielsen Hall.

I’ll tell her if she is motivated to meet people and find things to do, she will be happy. I’ll make sure she understands that not everyone is rich, though some of the fashion plates that strut their stuff down Commonwealth Avenue make it seem that way.

I will warn her about the infamous student “ratio,” but assure her she doesn’t have to marry my brother — there is hope of finding someone here. However, I must also inform her that if that someone is female, there is no anti-discrimination policy clause regarding homosexuality to protect her rights.

I will tell her while scholarships abound, and the school accepts many AP credits, BU often seems too much like a well-oiled moneymaking machine, and everything from books to food is ridiculously expensive.

I’ll tell her about the amazing Elie Wiesel lectures I attended, and the accessibility of gyms to work out in. I will take her to the dining hall, and tell her about how much fun it is to go to hockey games, where the fans really care about the team.

Overall, my experience here has been very positive, despite the usual complaints about lack of school spirit and a traditional grassy campus. Hopefully, this year’s crop of pre-frosh will be guided by their BU acquaintances in ditching any pre-frosh-colored glasses and instead see BU with 20/20 vision.