While urban campuses aren’t for everyone, we here at HCBU love that our campus is right in the heart of Boston. The energy of the city is infectious. Even just walking to class reminds me why I chose a city campus when I applied to college. There are so many adventures to be had when you have a whole city at your fingertips. However, this is obviously not the stereotypical college experience, so here are some unique and #relatable things that only students who go to school in the city will understand:
1. You have to factor in crossing the street when timing the walk to class
I always give myself a little extra time to get to class, even when it’s right across the street. You never know when a traffic light might decide to take forever to turn red so you can cross! If you don’t want to take a risk and jaywalk to make it to class on time, it’s best to leave a little early and give yourself time to get where you need to go.
2. You can never be bored
There’s never a dull weekend when you live in a city. There are always concerts to attend, museums to visit, and tons of seasonal events, like Boston’s annual Halloween pet parade/costume contest, to indulge in. Even just exploring can be so fun; you might find a new favorite coffee shop or a cute public garden.
3. It’s super expensive
There are so many food options and cute boutiques nearby when you go to school in a city, but that makes it even harder to stay on budget. Not to mention the fact that everything is more expensive in cities than it would be elsewhere. That’s the price you have to pay (no pun intended) for the convenience and choices that a city offers.
4. When you aren’t cheering for your school, there are plenty of major league sports games to go to
Rallying around a professional sports team can be a great way to start to feel at home in a new city. At BU, as with many other schools in major cities, we have plenty of teams to cheer on. From the Patriots to the Bruins and of course our favorite World Series winners, the Boston Red Sox, there’s always a game to be excited about.
5. You have a love/hate relationship with public transportation, but in the end you’re so glad to have it
The whole city is within reach when you can hop on a subway and get anywhere you need to go. I’ll admit that I’m guilty of taking a train just to get from one end of campus to the other. With public transportation so easily accessible, you could go all 4 years of school without having to pay the hefty price to park a car on campus.
6. Skyline views
There are so many Insta-worthy places to explore when you live in a city, and students can get amazing views right from their dorm! You can also scope out the study spots with the best views on campus, which is fun to do and motovational too. Even your classrooms might overlook a bustling city street or plaza… just be careful not to get too distracted!
There are pros and cons to living on all the different kinds of campuses, but we wouldn’t trade living in the city for anything else.
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