Thumbs Up

Holy War: The Holy War is over, and yes, we lost. But we didn’t go down without a fight. For the first time in a long time, the stands were full of fans, and the game was exciting enough to keep them there, at least until the fourth quarter. Boston College’s tailgates are always a good time, but we’ve been lacking the game experience that should follow the three-hour pregame festivities. Maybe the Holy War attendance is the beginning of a new pattern—even if half the fans were there for Notre Dame. It’s not too late to turn it around!

Break from Midterms: We’ve finally finished midterms—at least, the first round of them. Students have been able to slow down, relax, and prepare for Halloween festivities. During this brief breath of fresh air, being a BC student feels a lot lighter. You can return to the Plex, hang out in your common room, or even take a few minutes to attend Deans and Donuts. During the stress and chaos of midterm season, it’s sometimes easy to envy friends at other schools who seem to have all the time in the world. But don’t forget all of the special opportunities BC has to offer—when there’s time for it.

Thumbs Down

Visa Applications: This may be niche—but don’t underestimate its importance. BC juniors going abroad in the spring have been fighting an uphill battle, gathering visa materials on top of their usual workload. Notary appointments, hours spent printing documents, and frantic OGE emails have plagued juniors while they deal with this near impossible, unskippable process in the study abroad journey. OK, that’s dramatic. And everyone abroad right now was successful with their applications and BC’s international student community has navigated this process for years. But, still—sophomores, take heed. Here’s to the visa pages, forms, and copies being accepted at each consulate without a hitch!

Daylight Savings: Yay, we got an extra hour of sleep! But you might not have thought about the imminent consequence—it’s going to get dark at 5 p.m. As the sun begins setting before we finish class, it’s much harder to motivate yourself to do anything. Why go to O’Neill when you could just go to bed? It may be getting colder and darker, but BC, I am urging you to keep your pre-daylight savings routine. Don’t let the colder weather and early dusk stop your late-night Rat meals and Plex visits. And hey, at least you got better sleep last night!