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Boston College is a remarkable institution with a world-renowned faculty, an incredibly personable staff and state-of-the-art facilities. But more often than not, expectations of college life on this campus will miss the mark. Reality is not always as endearing as the romanticized vision of college that students may create in their minds. Check out these expectations vs. realities of BC:
Photo courtesy of BC Campus Recreation / Facebook
Expectation: “Plans for getting that summer beach bod may have fallen through, but now that I’m at BC I’m going to work out EVERYDAY at the Plex! Anyways, my classmates will pressure me into being active.”
Reality: “I’m pretty sure sleep is more important than working out, and walking to the Plex is basically a workout in and of itself…”
Expectation: “We will rage on Shea during football season.”
Reality: “Now I’m stuck waiting desperately in the dugout for a wristband.”
Expectation: “Just check TransLoc so we can time our trip correctly! That way we can assure that we will be right on time for our important event!”
Reality: “Well, TransLoc says the Comm. Ave bus is at the Reservoir stop, but I’m sitting on the only one running, and I’m currently on Lower…”
Expectation: “I’m determined to be a successful pre-med student.”
Reality: “Who needs doctors anyway?” (The stats don’t lie. People’s eyes are just bigger than their stomachs.)
Freshman Expectation: “Woo! The infamous Mods. Time to really throw down and meet some loving, inclusive upperclassmen.”
Photo courtesy of Anthony Golden / Gavel Media
Reality: “Wow, this is incredibly awkward, and why do girls keep asking me who I know here?”
Expectation: “Let’s chow down on some delicious entrees at Lower.”
Reality: “I guess I can just make a salad from soggy lettuce and freezer-burned 'chicken' cubes, because the lines are far too long to get anything else.”
Expectation: “Girls/guys are pretty here, so I will be pretty!”
Reality: “Oh God, everyone must think I’m hideous walking next to these beautiful kids. Is attractiveness as important as SAT grades to admissions? It definitely seems like it.”
Expectation: “My dorm will look perfectly spotless, like those Target ads.”
Reality: “One week into school and I don’t think I can see a single square inch of carpet under this laundry and trash.”
Expectation: “I will follow this simple, yet effective, schedule for laundry each and every week.”
Reality: “Laundry?…..pffffttt, maybe if I have time.”
Expectation: “This is 'Bahston.' Everyone will have a Boston accent.”
Reality: "Wait, you mean no one actually says 'pahk the cah in Hahvahd yahd'?"
Expectation: “It’s a Friday afternoon with no classes, so I’m going to get ahead on homework.”
Reality: “Watching hours of Netflix instead of doing homework might pay off in the future…”
Photo courtesy of J. McPherskesen / Flickr
Expectation: “So many parents seemed to have met at BC, so I’m going to find that BC spouse in college.”
Reality: “This hookup culture might force me to wait until those alumni/reunion events.”
Expectation: “My bros and I are going to get so much closer sharing this apartment off campus.”
Reality: “Living with these guys has made me thoroughly despise them.”
Expectation: “The Jesuit tradition is so integral to the Boston College experience so many of the students must be Catholic.”
Reality: “I wrote ‘Religious affiliation: Catholic’ on my application because I thought that would help me get in.”
Expectation: “I will have my whole wardrobe laid out for each class, so I can be fashionable and impress my fellow classmates and professors.”
Photo courtesy of the Gavel Media
Reality: “It’s 8:52 a.m. and I haven’t gotten out of bed for my 9 o'clock class yet, so I think I’ll go with sweatpants, moccasins and a baggy BC sweater.”
As you can see, some aspects of life at Boston College clearly don't measure up to students' expectations. That being said, most BC students can agree that it is still a wonderful place to live that provides a truly memorable college experience.
