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Life > Experiences

Lessons From My Perfectly Imperfect First Day At BU

Mikaela Lim
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

In mid-September, the temperature reached excruciating highs, and the lack of air conditioning in Warren Towers did nothing to stop the sweating and discomfort. 

Unfortunately, this day marked my first day of school at Boston University. 

My mind was in shambles as I tried to pack my bag, fix my bed, and get ready for the day all within a couple of minutes before my first class. By the time I finished, I was able to spare 10 minutes before class – a miracle. 

As I headed to my class, I didn’t take into consideration the long wait times for the elevator, or the stoplights. Immediately, my extra 10 minutes had run out, and I was late. 

This leads me to my first tip: Don’t. Leave. 10. Minutes. Before. Class. 

I thought that living in the center of campus meant more time to snooze my alarm, but I was wrong. Always take into account the commute to class because going to school on a city campus means having to cross multiple intersections. 

student carrying books
Photo by Javier Trueba from Unsplash

Also, leaving for class much earlier than you think is necessary could give you time before class starts to settle down.

From my experience, arriving late means interrupting the class with the noise of pulling out my desk in the auditorium or opening my backpack. If you don’t want to draw more attention to yourself, go early! 

Unfortunately, it also didn’t help that I had no idea where some of my classes were, which led me to be even more late. Therefore, I recommend mapping out your classes before the first day of school.

Knowing where your classes are ahead of time will give you a feel for how long your commute will be and reduce any room number confusion. 

If you have no idea where to go, always use Google Maps. If that doesn’t help, ask your classmates. 

Students at table
Photo by Brooke Cagle from Unsplash

To continue recounting my first day, I arrived at the building but needed to find room B01. What did all these numbers and letters mean?

My class was in the basement, but I didn’t understand what the letter meant in the room code until I went inside the elevator and saw that B meant basement. 

Don’t be confused when you see these numbers on your schedule. The first number is the floor, and the next few numbers are the room number. This will save you a lot of time and less walking. 

At the end of the day, I may not have had the perfect first day but it was a learning experience. If you should remember one thing from this article, it’s that everyone makes mistakes. A lot of us are doing university for the first time, so cut yourself some slack. Give yourself grace and always remember that you are in a new environment, so it’s not always easy. 

Hopefully, some of these tips will help you on your first day of class.

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Hi! My name is Mikaela, member of the HER Campus Team in BU. I am currently a freshman studying Economics. In the organization, I am a member of the Events Team! Mikaela Lim is a member of the events team at Her Campus in Boston University. The committee focuses on initiating and planning events for the organization that align with the club’s advocacy. Lim is from the Philippines and decided to major in Economics with a minor in Business Administration. Before starting university, Mikaela is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization “SariCycle”. The main mission of the organization is to tackle social issues specifically unemployment and poverty in the Philippines. The organization fulfills this advocacy by creating neighborhood convenience stores across the Philippines. As of 2023, the organization has been able to open 50 stores but has plans to open more in the future. Aside from the organization, Mikaela has been involved in various positions in different organizations during her time in high school. Some clubs include TedX and the student council. Although Mikaela is a freshman, she plans to be more involved during her time at Boston University. In her free time, Mikaela enjoys pilates, visiting restaurants, and participating in social outreaches. Mikaela is ecstatic to work with the HerCampus organization as she believes that it's a perfect platform to work with women who share the same drive and passion.