​My year at BU will now be a professional advantage on my resume and as an experience overall. Not everybody has the chance to study in one of the top 50 best universities in the world! Studying abroad, living away from home and taking classes with awesome professors must be mentioned on a resume or during a job interview. It could land you the internship of your dreams!
 
If your goal is to get an internship or summer job, you have several opportunities at your reach. First off, students and teachers! Having older college students in your class who are already working but still taking classes to improve their skills is very common in the US. Through group projects or just by making friends, it’s easy to ask them in what field they are working or if they have a spot for a student in their firm, office, or organization.
 
Teachers are also here to help. Most of the time, they are professionals still in business or retired and they have an interesting network. To give you an example, my “American Institutions” teacher was a former Dean, my “International Marketing” teacher works between the US and Asia and my “Advertising” teacher used to be a valuable employee at Procter & Gamble, working on different commercials. It never hurts to network. You never know until you actually ask for help. It’s not seen as weird and needy - on the contrary, it shows that you are interested in the class, your future, and your professional career.
 
Finally, Boston University regularly organizes job fairs and meetings where people can socialize and grow their network. I attended a Career Fair back in February, and even though it was mostly for American students, there were a few firms interested in international students. Also, it’s a great way to train on how to introduce yourself to professionals and see if your resume is applicable to them. All kinds of businesses were present, from start-ups to huge companies like Macy’s. Even the FBI was looking for interns! I know it can be intimidating and a bit overwhelming to face so many people in one day, but once it’s done, you won’t have any regrets and a business could call you back!
 
Here is a sneak peek into what you could expect at a job fair at Boston University:

Boston University also encourages students to attend conferences of all kinds. These are also ways to grow your network and sharpen your professional career. I recently attended a conference day called “Play It Forward” about racism, gender issues, and the future of sports journalism. Several conferences were happening during the day, and in between you could meet the different guests.  Let me tell you, it was memorable because the guests were at the top of their game (pun intended). Among them, I listened to:

• Devin McCourty (two-time Super Bowl champion for the New England Patriots)
• Dave Dombrowski (President of Baseball operations at Boston Red Sox)
• Jemele Hill (Sports Journalist at ESPN)
  
• Kevin Merida (Senior Vice President at ESPN)
• Ezra Edelman (2016 Oscar Winner for his documentary “OJ: Made in America”)

This gives you an idea why studying at BU can be good for your professional career. By attending BU, you will engage conversations and grow your network through classes and different events. Don’t be afraid to go for it because at the end of your semester, you want to have professional stories and experiences to tell during interviews.
 
Next September, I will start my Master in Marketing and business strategies through a work-and-study program. I would advise you to use your experience at MET International at BU because I think your resume will stand out from others. As I said at the very beginning of this post, not everybody had a studying experience abroad and you should not be afraid to use this to your advantage.

​Finals Week sounds stressful and scary wherever you are in the world, but at Boston University Metropolitan College, you will be more than fine. Teachers make sure that you will be comfortable during exams and they will not hand out surprise tests or questions that you have never seen during class. My final exams were just fine, as I managed to go through them without major difficulties.
 
The great thing about American universities in general is that they offer huge libraries where you can see other students putting their social life on hold for a week to study. 

​Back in France, public universities have beautiful and often historical libraries, but in my business school there is not that type of building, so I usually study at home.  I mostly used the BU libraries for group projects, considered as final exams for some classes. At the George Sherman Union library on campus, there are many study rooms where people can write stuff on boards and discuss their project without disturbing the rest of the building. The advantage of the GSU library is the food court where you can eat lunch at Panda Express or grab lunch at Starbucks to just take a break and forget about finals for a minute.
 
As I said, there were a few group projects considered as finals in some of my classes. You can expect to have very exciting and intriguing subjects – in a good way of course. My project management teacher told us right from the beginning that our main project would be to set up a food truck using the tools we have learned in class. In the end, it was a great experience – as many students came from different countries, the food trucks all had their own twists and special foods that one would not particularly expect in a food truck! People were also getting creative and bringing their country’s touch into the name of their food truck. Ours was called “Péché Mignon” – “guilty pleasure” in French - as most of our team was French:
 

Another very interesting project was during our International Marketing class where we had to choose a country and the teacher would then choose for us a product that is not sold there for religious, political, legal issues, etc. For example, selling alcohol in a Muslim country or tanning beds in an African country. You could either go for it, or explain why you would not sell this product. This exercise was not easy because we had to really dig deep and look for precise pieces of information in order to be clear and not make any mistakes.
 
Those group projects were also an occasion to work with other foreign students. Presenting in English is not easy, but I always feel more comfortable in this language as my classes in France have been in English for two years, and all of the presentations I did there were in English, as well. However, it is an exercise that demands a lot of concentration because you have to think about making grammatically correct sentences, but also present the content of your project as clearly as possible! I also worked on my body language in an effort to engage with the audience. Language is a barrier inside the team project, but also outside. You have to make yourself understandable, and body language helps a lot and will help capture people’s attention.
 
To sum up, do not stress over finals because you will be well-prepared during classes and you won’t find unexpected tricky questions.

​A year or two from now, I will definitely have memories that will not fade away. I’m glad to write about my second semester on this blog because it will make me realize that I have done so much. I will be able to go back to it to cure a moment of nostalgia or read about stuff I forgot. I know that when I fly back to France, I will be proud to say that I was a Terrier for a year.
 
It might sound silly, but the way I go to class is probably what I will miss the most. The streets are so different from where I live that it’s impossible for me to forget them. The feeling of waking up, taking the T to the university, and just looking at the buildings, the people, and having conversations with my roommates are simple moments that will make me think of Boston University the most.
 
The Agganis Arena, in which I talked about in my post called “Put on that gear and cheer,” is also a place I will always remember. In France, universities or private schools do not have such amazing stadiums and sports are not considered as much as they are here. Also, the different shirts, jersey, and cap I have acquired this year will help me remember my time spent at the different sports games or concerts I have been to. By just wearing them, a part of me will still feel like a true Bostonian student. Obviously, the FitRec center is also a place that I will think about a lot, as it is very hard to find such a nice indoor exercise facility in France to practice sports.
 
My different trips throughout the US and Canada are also strong memories that I will remember ten years from now. If I can give you one piece of advice for your time at Boston University, it is to TRAVEL. You will bond with people and see amazing landscapes and cities. The fact that I was able to travel to amazing places (New York, Cape Cod, Montreal…) quickly and for cheap is what enhanced my year here. It is so easy and there is no doubt that I will look back to those moments as happy and adventurous ones.
 
Montreal’s skyline from the Jean Drapeau Park:

​The different events set up by the MET staff made the year enjoyable as well. Between the hockey and baseball games, the Ice Cream Socials, and the ice skating sessions and cooking events, there are many opportunities to meet people who go through the same semester as you and who are looking to socialize. It can be really hard to adapt to a new culture and lifestyle for a long period of time, but MET makes sure to help you out with their events!
 
You can’t leave Boston without ice-skating at the Frog Pond Pavilion:

​I attended a Cooking Event (picture below) and had a great time. Students gathered around international meals cooked by international students to discover new tastes and socialize.
Take a look at the different events offered by MET, you might find friends for life and bond really well with other students!
 
Cooking Event of Spring Semester 2017:

Patriot’s Day is an official state holiday that happens on the third Monday of April.  It celebrates the first battles of the American Revolutionary War and results in a three-day long weekend. The biggest celebration of Patriot’s Day is the Boston Marathon, run by thousands of people since 1897.  It is one of the most respected marathons in the world, and since the Boston Bombing of 2013, people see the Marathon as a symbol of liberty and patriotism more than ever.
 
I decided to go encourage runners near Chestnut Hill as they were running toward their 22nd mile.

​It was a great atmosphere.  Everyone was happy to be there, cheering and holding very creative signs to try to get the attention of their champion! As we watched the race, we realized that if people came unprepared, they would suffer. Many people were in pain, stopping to catch their breath or avoid fainting/vomiting. Some were just hoping to get to the finish line by walking and others were running as if it was just a walk in the park – the latter was a minority though. Those men and women who took part in the Boston Marathon were very impressive to me and I don’t think I could ever run more than 3 hours. Whatever the running level, I have much respect for everyone who signed up for the race.
 
This is a short video to illustrate the intensity the Boston Marathon really presents. It is a different story when you watch it in real life rather than on TV:

​This year’s marathon was also a historical moment because Kathrine Switzer, the first woman who ever ran the Boston Marathon in 1967, did it again, 50 years later! At the time, she completed the all-male race but was attacked by an official who tried to pull her off the course. The crazy thing is that this year, she ran under the same number, 261, and crossed the finish line just under 25 minutes slower than her first time with 4:44:31. This is an amazing example of how an event can rally communities and make people proud to be part of something important.
 
Another event happening at the same time as the Boston Marathon was Mar’Mon, or Marathon Monday. I was not aware of this at all and found it quite amusing. Mar’Mon is pretty much an excuse for students to heavily celebrate the end of their year and their approaching finals on the same day as the Boston Marathon. I saw frat houses partying all day everywhere in Brighton and Allston. I found it very paradoxical to do that on the Boston Marathon Day, an event promoting, I assume, a healthy lifestyle rather than a “you only live once” student-party thing. But at this point in the semester, every student is tired and needs to let all the stress go, so, I guess this three-day long weekend is perfect to relieve any stressed or negative feelings.
 
​One thing that is nice to do - not only during this special weekend, but anytime – is to go to Haymarket. It is Boston’s historic outdoor market where you can find the best deals EVER. Here is what I’m talking about:

• 4 potatoes for $1? Sold.
• 3lbs of bananas for $1.50? I’ll take them please thank you.
• A whole box of mangos for $4? Feels like Christmas!

You will pay 3 to 4 times less than at the supermarket and the environment is amazing. 

It is located in the historic heart of Boston near Boston Public Market and Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Going to Haymarket is also a way to feel even more included and connected to American culture. It is open only on Fridays and Saturdays and I would really encourage you to go because you will save a lot of money.

​The going-out experience in Boston is very different from the one in Europe, especially France. The bars here close early (around 2am) and sometimes, they transform into nightclubs. I have never seen this in my life, and I was a bit confused at first. But there are many ways to spend a nice evening in Boston and discover its nightlife.
 
One thing that you have to try here are open mic nights. These are events that take place in many bars and restaurants in Boston where people can express themselves with music, poems, or comedy. It is also a great way to meet new people and be even closer to the American culture. Meeting artists is so easy and it is really fun to chat and hang out at a live event! Below is a short video of the evening I spent at Devlin’s Restaurant in Brighton. They host an open mic scene every Monday. It was close to my home and I witnessed great musicians who were mostly playing country and typical American songs. I think it is something you should definitely do once during your time here in Boston.

​Another great way to meet other students and enjoy your time after class is the BU Pub. It is open to any BU student, staff, and alumni over 21, and it offers a large selection of foods, snacks, and alcohol. Sometimes, different colleges organize competitions where students can win prizes by answering questions. One of my roommates attended this type of event with the BU’s College of Engineering and had a blast. Even though the questions asked were a bit difficult because it was not his field of study, he had a great time and recommends it!
 
When it comes to sports, as I wrote in a previous post, Americans are not joking around. Huge screens and many TVs are displayed in bars to follow the games. This is another way to spend your evening a bit differently and support a sports team with your friends. For instance, watching the Super Bowl is an excellent way to blend in with the community and feel like a real American.
 
Finally, thanks to the BUddy program at MET International, I had a great night at Lucky Strike Bowling close to Fenway Park. It was all fun and games and a nice way to meet other MET students at the very beginning of the year! The building was huge and also had pool tables, a great bar, and a typical American atmosphere, from the music to the design. It is also a nice place to just come and relax with your friends around great cocktails or an American beer if you are over 21.

​Overall, Boston offers a lot of options when it comes to going out, and I’m sure one year is not enough to cover them all. If you have the opportunity to spend an evening differently than the usual, then do it! This year or semester you will experience here is the perfect opportunity to go out, make new friends, and shake up your routine. Who knows, maybe you will discover the new “place to be” in the city!

When the rain is pouring and there is stormy weather, it is best to spend some time at a museum or a concert. Boston has many options to offer for an afternoon of knowledge and an evening of fun. So far, I have visited two museums that I really enjoyed:

• The MFA (Museum of Fine Arts): FREE after 4pm for students (and always free with your BU ID!)
• The Museum of Science: $10 to visit the planetarium.

 
The Museum of Fine Arts has permanent collections and room reconstitutions of old American art that will make you dive into history. It is interesting to visit an American museum, because as a French citizen, I have always been used to seeing typical old French furniture and paintings. But seeing things that are not from my country and that have been sitting here for a few centuries gives you a fresh feeling, because it is like acknowledging another culture and realizing that even though the US is a young country, it has its own history and its own culture. It is looking further from what you have always known and what or who you have been surrounded by. I think that European Museums do not have that much of American furniture collections. They mostly display Native American items and arts - the collection at the British Museum in London is amazing by the way - which are also largely showed here in American Museums – the MET in New York for instance has a great collection of Native American items as well. The MFA also exhibits an interesting contemporary exhibit that you will enjoy, because it makes you think and search for what the artists really meant. Below are two pieces of art from the contemporary collection.

Another great museum is the Museum of Science, and more specifically the Charles Hayden Planetarium. Located on the Monsignor Obrien Highway on the Charles River, you can take beautiful pictures of the view before visiting it. The planetarium - $10 for students – offers a visual and musical experience, which engages the visitor in a sensory journey. Today’s most popular artists such as Beyoncé, Radiohead, Lady Gaga or Prince are mixed with innovative images that will send you into another world. After attending one show, I felt relaxed and filled with positivity. The planetarium also has space shows that are interesting and impressive. As a technological and scientific hub, I think that visiting the Museum of Science’s planetarium is a must.
 
Here is myself in front of the planetarium and the dinosaur guarding the entrance of the building. 

​I am also a big music fan, so attending a concert in Boston, whether it was big or more intimate, was on my list. It is very easy, since there are a lot of venues.  However, a lot of them have a bar inside so they require people to bring IDs at the entrance. The state of Massachusetts is very strict on the “no alcohol served to people below 21” rule so if you go to a concert, make sure you bring your ID or passport with you. If you are below 21, you will get access to the venue but the staff will make sure you do not touch any alcohol and trust me, if you can drink in your country below 21 and think that’s a good idea to try it here, they will let you know in a split second that it’s not.
But enough about regulations.  At the House of Blues, close to Fenway Park, you will experience a great sound and warm show! The rapper Post Malone did a concert there and the venue was fantastic! The atmosphere is really artistic, and as you can see in the video below, the stage is visually accessible from pretty much everywhere.

​The Royal is also a nice, but smaller, venue. Most of the time it is a nightclub, but developing artists are coming to this venue to get closer to the public. During her tour, the singer Kehlani did a show at the Royal and even said, “this show is the best one so far!” Finally, the TD Garden is the biggest venue and the first one that I have been to in Boston. I saw Kanye West – yes he did a full show and it was the best I have experienced so far – and the stage was one of a kind! It was a platform moving in the air thanks to cables attached to the ceiling. Therefore, anyone from the back to the front crowd could see the show as clear as crystal. Another band I really enjoyed there was Pentatonix.  They are an acapella group and the sound in the whole stadium was magnificent.

​This picture was taken during Kanye West’s concert at TD Garden:

​One application that I have been using many times is called GAMETIME. It lists all of the shows and sports games happening in Boston with tickets available at reasonable prices. I would advise you to get it as soon as you land at Logan International Airport to start planning your entertainment here in Boston!

​I knew that the US was the land of sports before setting foot on it. They are killing it at the Olympics and many players in the NFL, NHL, or NBA earn millions of dollars by signing contracts with their teams! They make people dream and are considered as true heroes.
 
When I arrived in Boston, one of the first things I wanted to do was to attend an NBA game because it’s not only a sports game, it’s a real show! From the venue (TD Garden) to the atmosphere, it was a fantastic experience. There were dancers, performers, and up-beat music during the whole game to cheer the team. I really recommend it to everybody, even if you don’t know much about basketball. Since September, I have been to many games and the latest one was very emotional because a legendary player of the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, hit the floor for the very last time before retiring. The TD Garden made a tribute video and people gave him a well-deserved standing ovation. He started his career and played ten years for the Boston Celtics, so you could feel that people identified with him and respected his long career - even though he played for different teams in the last few years and was playing for the Clippers that night.
 
This is a picture of the venue from my seat (Boston Celtics V. Los Angeles Clippers):

​What surprised me was the alcohol sold at different selling spots of the stadium. In France, alcoholic beverages are prohibited in soccer stadiums because it used to trigger dangerous behaviors toward other sports fans, and also towards the teams. Now, stadiums only sell non-alcoholic beers and other beverages for safety reasons. On another note, one positive aspect of attending a basketball game is that wherever you are sitting, you will see the court perfectly because the seats are highly placed in the venue! Of course it’s better to have seats close to the floor, but the balcony seats are fine as well.
 
I also attended a Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park during the first semester. I didn’t know anything about baseball, and the only game I had been to before was in Chicago to see the White Sox a long time ago. The atmosphere was different because the game lasted almost three hours, and compared to American football or basketball, there’s not a lot of action. I’m not going to lie, at the end of the game I was really tired because I didn’t understand anything and it was late at night.  However, then they played songs, and it cheered the crowd up.  One song in particular brought the supporters together: “Sweet Caroline.” It’s the anthem of the Boston Red Sox and I loved it when people sang their hearts out on it! If you like baseball and if you know a little bit about the rules, I would say go for it, but eat before going there because the food is extremely expensive ($10 for a hot dog).
 
The French squad, ready to cheer for the Boston Red Sox team:

​Sports are also really big in high schools and universities. Boston University by itself has a whole football field, two hockey arenas, one swimming pool, and several basketball courts! They take university sports teams way more seriously than in France where university sports are not so present, mostly because we don’t have the facilities. By attending several hockey games at Agganis Arena, I really connected with the sport! I fell in love with it so much that I bought a Boston Terrier Hockey jersey. Sitting at the game while wearing it made me feel proud to be a BU student and support the team. All of the other supporters were wearing their red gear as well. The band was there to cheer everyone and the atmosphere was very family-friendly. Going to the Agganis Arena to watch players slide on the ice is also less expensive than going to a Bruins game at the TD Garden. Plus, Metropolitan International offers tickets at reasonable prices for students from time to time, so you should definitely check that out!
 
Here is the venue from the last seats:

​To the very front one (if you want to see all of the action, that’s where you want to seat):

​I also attended a football game at Boston College. It was the Boston Eagles vs. the Louisville Cardinals. First of all, I was shocked by how the players were stars in their universities; there were billboards close to the venue with pictures of the current but also old players. When we arrived on campus, everybody was wearing jerseys and the atmosphere was really festive. People were offering food, beverages, and barbeques on the parking lot. This tradition (called tailgating) usually takes place three hours prior to the game so that people can get together and get excited for the game. Once we arrived in the stadium, we definitely experienced a true American sports event. From the crowd standing up for the American national anthem, to cheerleaders doing their best to motivate the crowd, to the marching band playing famous songs throughout the whole game and also during the halftime show with Star Wars theme songs (see picture below).

​This is a closer look at the football field in Boston College:

​Sports in the US seemed to be very much associated with the military because it has the same fighting spirit. From time to time, the speaker was paying tribute to former soldiers, asking them to stand up so that people could applaud and show respect. This is truly an American form of patriotism that would never happen in France because it could be misinterpreted.
Overall, I really enjoyed the different sports games and advise every BU student to go if they have the opportunity.

​Spring Break is one of the favorite holidays of students at Boston University because it happens generally after midterms and feels like a well-deserved break. Usually, Terriers go home or spend it in a warmer place outside of Boston. If you live in dorms, most students will leave, so if you want to do something, it is the perfect time to travel. It is a great opportunity to see what Massachusetts or other places have to offer outside of Boston.
 
I spent my Spring Break in Cape Code with two friends. The weather was sunny, but it was still a bit cold to swim. We rented an Airbnb in Yarmouth and a car for the week with the company Enterprise to drive around and discover natural beaches. There is also an application called Turo, which is basically the Airbnb of cars, where you can rent cars for very affordable prices. You have to check if the country that issued your driving license is listed as authorized in the application though (France wasn’t but if I could have used it, I would have because it is really cheap).
 
I am originally from Brittany, in the Northwest of France, and I have to say that the landscapes of Cape Code were very similar to where I live. I almost felt like I was at home. The houses were mostly made with wood which, was a big change from the redbrick houses of Boston. Many people walked on the beach with their family, their dogs, or just by themselves. I met a man at Ridgevale Beach who told me that he used to come here to play and relax with his family when he was five years old. I felt it was a beautiful thing to do to come back and still have the same warm and family-friendly feeling Cape Code gives to its visitors.
 
This is Ridgeval Beach with beautiful wooden houses in the back: 

​We also drove along the sand dunes to Provincetown to visit the harbor and seashore, and to get a sense of the culture here. If you love art and good food, this is a great place to visit.  The streets are packed with art galleries and restaurants where you can taste the best lobster rolls. At this time of the year though, not everything was open, but still, we felt that Provincetown had a cosmopolitan population with many LGBTQ cafés, restaurants, and a familial atmosphere around Commercial Street - the main street of the town. Provincetown is a must-do because, after all, it was the land where Pilgrims first touched ground at the beginning of the 17th century and you can feel the history covering the walls of the different houses and monuments.
 
We stopped at The Canteen, a small restaurant with an amazing décor, to eat a little snack before heading back to the house: 

​Spring Break can also be the occasion to go on a trip to New York. The easiest and cheapest way to get there is by bus with companies like Greyhound or Peter Pan. It usually costs around $60 or $70 for a round-trip. You can also rent a car because it’s just a 4-hour drive from Boston, but you will have to pay to park once you arrive in the Big Apple and it does not come cheap, especially if you stay for a few days. For accommodations, I would recommend an Airbnb in the Queens or Brooklyn neighborhoods with an easy access to the subway, because then you can stay in a calm environment with not a lot of traffic or people and still easily get to Time Square in 15-20 minutes. Before going to New York, I would also advise you to get familiar with a map of the city, just to get a sense of how the streets are displayed. New York is not like a “regular” city with small and crooked streets. They are extremely long and it can take hours to walk from the beginning to the end of one of them. So be aware of time and space of the city while you plan your days there. Also, prepare a budget for the subway. One ticket is an expensive $3! But you can buy a card and add on it the value you want.
 
I went to New York for Christmas and here is a list of some of the to-do-things we did that you can try:

• Take a picture in Time Square (free)
• Walk through the Winter Village (free) and do some Ice skating ($20) at Bryant Park
• Visit the MET museum (you actually choose the price you want to pay since it is a foundation, I would advise you to pay between $8 and $12) and Central Park (free)
• Admire the view at the top of the Rockefeller Center ($30)
• Walk along The High Line
• Visit Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Wall Street and the 9/11 Tribute Center (free)

 
This is my friend Pauline and I at the top of the red stairs in Time Square! 

You can also travel outside of the US. I have been to Montreal several times because some of my French friends study there and a good friend of mine is also from there. It is an 8-hour bus drive from Boston, so take music, movies, or books for entertainment because it is quite long. Prepare for the border patrol with all of your official documents. It can either take 20 minutes or last 2 hours… I experienced both and I hope you don’t go through the latter. Montreal is a mix of France and the US and it is probably one of my favorite cities right now! You have to taste a real Canadian poutine, walk through the old city, and visit the Mont Royal Park. If you can afford it, try to attend a real Canadian Hockey Game because it is the official sport and it is quite spectacular, but the prices are very expensive.
 
I took this picture from the Mont Royal Park back in October:

​Studying at Metropolitan College at Boston University gave me the opportunity to plan some travels because my schedule allowed 3-day weekends. Whatever the destination you choose to study, you should take this chance to explore different cities in your spare time. Even if it’s just a one-day journey, get out of your comfort zone and be an adventurer!
 
Spring Break or other holidays are the perfect times to live new experiences and bond with your friends while traveling!

In my last post, I wrote a little bit about living off-campus, but I didn’t go into great details. So if this is something you consider when coming to BU, keep on reading!
 
With two other students from my business school, we decided to live together for the whole year off-campus because we wanted to feel like real Americans. Having my own room and my own kitchen is something I’m really attached to, and also seeing familiar faces when you come back from class is quite nice.
 
Before choosing your apartment we had to determine a budget. I would advise you to watch the renting market and see what the prices are. Take a look at the different neighborhoods that could interest you. Allston is filled with students from many different colleges and universities. Brighton is a bit quieter, but still has many students living there. I live in the latter, and many students live in my building. Think about how many people you could live with. Some like to live in a house with 6 to 8 people, others prefer to share an apartment with 2 or 3 others. The options are really open and up to you. Most leases last 1 year but it is possible to find others of 6 months. A common practice that happens if you won’t make it to the end of your lease is to look for new roommates who could fill the last 2 or 3 months left you could have.
 
You have to be very active on your research of apartments a few months before your arrival. For instance, if you start next September, you should find something by July. I did my searches on the internet, but don’t underestimate social media! Facebook is a great source of rentals; there are many groups dedicated to that issue. When you find an apartment that interests you, don’t hesitate to contact the landlord or current occupant and ask for a visit through Skype! We avoided places that didn’t look like the pictures we saw thanks to this. Whatever country you are from, there are many groups of people who help each other on Facebook.  For example, French people can ask questions or share experiences on a group called “Boston French Connection,” which has more than 5,000 members. You should look into that and not hesitate to say you are looking for an apartment. People genuinely like to help people from their home country.
 
When my roommates and I arrived in the apartment, we were not disappointed and expected to look just like it did thanks to a Skype visit. We now had to start putting in some furniture. A common practice that I was not aware of and seemed really odd to me was that on September 1st, people leave all kinds of stuff and furniture in the street because they feel like they won’t use it anymore. Then, arriving students take this opportunity to find lamps, tables, chairs, and sometimes even couches and beds for free! But I would advise you to buy your own bed because finding a bed in the street is probably not the most hygienic thing. In France, most people just go to Ikea during moving days because finding something in the street and picking it up is seen as nasty even if it’s in good shape and free.
 
 
When it came to filling up our fridge, there were 3 different options around our location:

• Star Market:   $
• Target:            $$
• Whole Foods: $$$

​Whole Foods has the best organic products, but it is really expensive. If you have the budget go for it, but in the long-term, as a student it’s really hard to go grocery shopping there on a daily basis. Target has the largest choice of products, from foods to clothes and furniture. When Black Friday came in November, we bought some of our furniture there at extremely low prices! Finally, Star Market is a great option for students. It’s also the closest to our apartment, so the choice was easy for daily groceries. I found it very funny that American supermarkets do not joke around with holiday themed decorations. Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl or Easter, whole aisles are filled with the relevant products weeks before it actually happens - if not months! So going grocery shopping in the states can be really fun and entertaining! The pictures below were taken at Target at the end of February… This year, Easter won’t be until April 16th.

​But sometimes, it gets tiring to cook for yourself and you don’t want to lose time between classes. The GSU Dining hall is an amazing place to find Asian, Italian, and American food on-campus at affordable prices. They have a large and healthy choice of different cuisines that you can comfortably eat there. You can also spend time at Starbucks to study or just meet friends while sipping your hot coffee.
 
Getting ready for and living off-campus is really easy at Boston University. 

Before diving into how I felt when I arrived in Boston, here is a little something about why I chose this city among so many others offered by my business school back in Paris.
 
I have always been fascinated with the American Dream and the American way of life. It’s something that has always intrigued me and growing up, I always took the opportunity to visit the country of Uncle Sam whenever I could. I had the chance to visit the West Coast with my parents (San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon…) a few years ago; I also went to Chicago for a month, and improved my English at UCLA for two months. As you can tell, I’m a traveler and am also already familiar with American Culture… but only of the West Coast! When I saw that Boston was on the list of destinations where I could study for a year, I did not hesitate and went for it. The East and West Coasts are truly two different places to experience, and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. If you have to choose an international destination, Boston is the place to be.
 
When I first stepped out of the plane at the airport, this feeling of finally living my dream took over! When you think about it, you can take the bus and visit Harvard, Cambridge, or MIT just a few miles away from the BU Campus. I was excited and ready to explore BU but also the apartment I was going to live in. I chose to live off-campus with roommates because I wanted to challenge myself. Could I be able to live with two other people for a whole year? Will I be excluding myself from campus activities? Am I going to be homesick? Those questions were also running through my head as I was unpacking my luggage.
Flash-forward to today, and I couldn’t be happier. I am only 20-25 minutes away from my classes, I go to hockey games and other on-campus events when I can (especially the free food ones, who doesn’t want free food?), and I go 4 to 5 times a week to the Fitness and Recreation center, which is huge. I have never seen such a building! They have a pool (see picture below) where competitions frequently happen, hundreds of machines and equipment, basketball and volleyball courts, and a running track! You have access to all of this with your BU ID, which you get at the beginning of the year and makes you a true Terrier. It gives you access to dining halls, reductions at the theater, museums and Barnes & Noble book discounts. To me, the gym facility is probably the place I will miss the most when I will fly back to Paris…

​When I went through Boston streets for the first time, I was surprised to see so many people running in parks or around the city! I was amazed by the energy people have. Boston’s Public Garden is filled with families, runners, musicians, and yoga lovers. Now that I’ve been here for six months, I definitely feel that sports are something Bostonians take very seriously. I regularly see groups of students running together up and down Commonwealth Avenue, or Comm. Ave. as locals call it here. This avenue is THE LONGEST. The Champs Elysée is nothing compared to this (in terms of distance). Boston University and all of its colleges are located on it. I remember the first week I arrived, my roommates and I wanted to explore the University. We walked down the whole of Comm. Ave. on a beautiful and sunny day, but we also underestimated the distances. The Boston T (Trolley or Train) is a mean of transportation we were not aware of, and if you live off-campus, you will need a Link Pass allowing you to take the bus and the T to your classes. Every time I take the T, I feel like I’m in a cute little wagon in a small town because it is not very fast, but it gets you to most of the places you want to go in Boston. If you live on-campus in dorms, you can take a free bus driving up and down Comm. Ave. by showing your BU Card, which is very convenient. Below is a picture I took of Comm. Ave. and Agganis Arena:

​The most impressive day on campus was orientation day, hands down. I felt a little bit emotional because I felt part of a community and seeing all these people loving their university and others just getting started like me, it made me realized how much positive impact this adventure will have in my life. As you can tell by the little video clip below, it was a blast! It took place in Agganis Arena, the BU Terriers’ Hockey Stadium, which has more than 7,000 seats. The university band was amazing, and the dean and other renowned professors gave incredible speeches. During that day, BU students also took us around campus and showed us where to eat, study and have fun on campus. There was also time to speak with international students and make friends. There were so many international people that day, it almost felt like every country on earth was represented on campus! Orientation day made me realized I was not alone and I recommend it to anyone attending BU. At that point, I felt at home and ready to live my studying-abroad American dream.