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Hey everyone, welcome to the spring 2021 semester.
My name is Joshua Pei.
I'm a senior at BU studying computer science.
And it goes without saying that last semester and 2020 in general was a crazy
time and I think we just all want to put that behind us.
Focusing on now I'm just super hyped for the new semester.
With everything that's going on a ton of students are coming back to
campus right now, just like you.
Whether you're a transfer student coming to BU for the first time, or
if you're someone who decided to take last semester from somewhere else, and
of course all the people with different circumstances in between.
I personally was lucky enough to be here last semester on campus so
I kind of got a feel out how you know being on campus during the pandemic was.
There are definitely a few things that I wish I knew before I started the semester
that I eventually learned at the end, so that's kind of what this video is for.
So let's do it.
Take your classes seriously but not too seriously.
So obviously if you're student here that means you put a certain amount of
importance on academics, classes and academics.
Well hopefully, should be your biggest if not biggest priorities on campus.
You're probably used to zoom classes by now and hopefully
now that that you just got started you're kind of used to in person classes too.
But let me just say even though it's really important to put academic
responsibility on yourself, and I know that if you're here at BU you probably do.
You got to take some time for yourself too, especially now.
It's okay to struggle a little bit.
It's okay to feel worn out.
And you know if you did your best so if COVID threw you a curveball,
don't be afraid to tell your professor what happened.
At the end of the day they're humans too and
they're really here because they wanted to be professors.
So hopefully they really want to see you succeed at the end of the day.
And on the note of them being humans too.
They know the impacts of COVID and
how it can really ruin someone's day ruin someone's situation.
There's so many different factors that are in play.
So if you just talk to them more often than not,
they're going to be understanding.
So yeah, draw that healthy boundary between classes and
taking care of yourself.
You know what you need to succeed you know if you did your best.
Okay, we've gotten classes out of the way.
So now let's talk about the real important stuff, finding your people.
On the same wavelength that taking care of yourself, let's talk friends and
socializing.
You know yourself best at the end of the day, and
you know what level of socialization you need to feel comfortable.
If you're someone who's been secretly thriving in isolation and
having your own space then all the more power to you.
But if you're someone like me, and you kind of thrive
off of being around people and love the energy that people give off,
it can be really tough navigating this COVID pandemic.
In the first few weeks you're here if this is your first time here it's really
valuable to put yourself out there and take that extra step.
So join clubs, organizations, different groups on campus.
If you're looking for clubs in specific make sure you use SAO's website which
the Student Activities Organization to figure out what clubs are of
interest to you.
They should have a list of almost everything on there and
it really helps if you missed out on say like Splash 2.0.
I'm a part of a couple groups on campus.
Clubs, organizations, I can tell you 100% that we want you to join our groups.
You have no reason to be intimidated.
Find, what makes you come alive.
And I guarantee there are other people at BU that have that same passion.
Think of it as, it's really five seconds of freaking out over that DM you just sent
versus the potential friendships and memories you'll make over four years.
So put yourself out there.
But disclaimer, remember that we are still in a pandemic.
Whether you're coming back to campus and meeting up with old friends or
if this is your first time here and making new friends, don't be selfish.
Don't put your personal want to hang out with people over someone's life.
Yeah, I wanna hang out my friends as much as I can, but
I'm gonna do it in a safe way.
'm going to follow the BU guidelines, I'm gonna follow the Massachusetts guidelines.
I'm going to hang out over zoom, socially distanced or outside, something like that,
so that you don't ruin the experience for everyone else.
You wanted to be on campus so
badly, don't ruin it for the next people who want to be here.
Taking care of you.
We're talking a lot about self care, but
I honestly think that's the most important thing that got me through the pandemic.
As much as you might be socializing over zoom or
socializing In a safe space away from people.
It's undeniable that during the pandemic you're gonna be alone for more than usual.
Take time for your hobbies or find new hobbies.
I don't play video games but I recently started playing Call of Duty just so
I can hang out with my friends without actually being with them in person.
Sometimes I play so much that I'd kinda rather meet people on Call of Duty than in
person now, but you know.
That just means it's doing its job.
But that's besides the point.
Basically, invest in your hobbies, invest in yourself.
Don't be worried to splurge a little bit on what you want to do.
Sometimes as a college student personally, I cut so
many corners trying to get a better life for
myself in the future that I forget right now is also part of the experience.
These are memories you're gonna have for the rest of your life and again,
a healthy balance is the word here.
Go ahead and decorate that space, get that plant that ties the whole room together.
You're going to be in there for a while.
Light up your space.
Seasonal depression is a real thing.
And don't forget to eat.
I know that for me personally, this pandemic has thrown all sense of time,
weeks, days, whatever hours out the window and a lot of times I find myself so
caught up or stressed about something that I forget to eat.
I always think to myself Why am I so tired?
Why is my acne breaking out?
Why am I so stressed all the time?
Well, Josh is probably because you didn't eat well for the last like four days and
when you did eat you were eating totally at the wrong time or
eating the wrong food.
If you have a dining plan, make sure you take advantage of it.
I heard they don't even really keep track of how much food you take...so.
Remember that BU dining has some really great resources to help you figure out
what food is going to be in the dining hall.
What kind of foods fit your dietary needs, it's super awesome and
make sure you utilize those resources.
So once you use that swipe, you're not wasting it.
And if you're off campus or you have your own apartment,
find some new recipes to make.
If you have a recipe for example, for me, I really like making Asian food that isn't
readily accessible at like a Western market.
There are a lot of other markets that are easily commutable or walkable.
So yeah, if you're not eating well make sure you take care of that because at
the end of the day that really can affect your mood and everything going forward.
So long story short, it's been a crazy time.
We've been in a crazy time for so long.
Please America, get it together.
But yeah, we've been in crazy time for so
long that you forget you're in such a crazy time.
It's so easy to say like, I should be doing this and
utilizing my time better there.
And although it's important, keep yourself accountable.
You have to remember the circumstances that we're under.
It's a new year.
It's new semester.
I remember my excitement for coming to BU for the first time, and
I'm just really excited for all of you to have that experience too.
I know it's really different given COVID so it's not fair for
me to compare them but hopefully these tips helped you a little bit to prep for
the year coming forward.
If you want more videos and tips on how to take your tests, how to schedule classes,
use the gym.
Drop a comment below because BU is always listening.
But besides that, hopefully this video was helpful.
Be safe, invest in yourself, take time for yourself, and
go have the best semester that you can have.
Welcome and hope you have a great time.
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