Education

Back-to-school guide: Suffolk University

August 30, 2015

5 minutes to read

We asked current students and recent graduates to give us the inside scoop on their colleges before the school year begins. Here, Caroline Reilly, Wyatt Costello, Courtney Colaluca and Andrew Bourque tell us the best and worst things about Suffolk, and also give advice to incoming freshmen.

Click here for a full-sized version of the cheat sheet

Tell us about three things you think are “right’’ with your school:

1. The work-load: In my time at Suffolk, I was always busy and working hard, but I was never so overworked that I felt like I couldn’t take on new challenges or projects. I had time to write a senior thesis and do a killer internship that lead to a great job, and I was tired and stressed for all of it, yes, but it was manageable. Suffolk really is what you make of it, and if you do the minimum you’ll be fine – but with so much great stuff happening on campus and around the city, there really is no excuse not to go above and beyond.

2. The Professors: In my time at Suffolk, I never once had a class taught by a teacher’s aide. My largest class was a Communications 101 seminar. There were no more than 100 kids in it, and the professor was familiar with all of them. I can’t say enough great things about the quality and accessibility of the professors at Suffolk – whether I needed them in office hours, or after hours by email. They were also immensely supportive. While I applied for law school in my senior year, I had advisors and professors all willing to offer their support and advice. I could never have succeeded without their guidance.

3. The location: You’re going to hear it at least 100 times over the course of your time at Suffolk – but its spot in the middle of downtown Boston is really invaluable. It makes it so easy to connect with professionals in whatever field you’re interested in – or pick up a fun part-time job near campus. Don’t underestimate the people you’ll meet or the opportunities that will arise just from getting off campus. Whether it’s landing a job that will be the first in a series of inevitable steps to your dream job, or finding that sweet spot in the public garden that you can go to when you’re feeling overwhelmed – you can do it all in a 10 minute walk from 73.

Tell us about three things that you think are “wrong’’ with your school:

1. Commuting inconveniences: I commuted for the entire time I was at Suffolk from where I live on the Northshore, and while I found my professors to be understanding in inclement weather, there were days, especially this past winter, when classes were held that it was nearly impossible to get to school by public transit.

2. I would say that some of the facilities could be improved. As a journalism major I spent a lot of time in the Ridgeway building which, like some of the other buildings felt like it needed some updating, like parts of Sawyer and Donahue, and had pretty unpredictable temperature control. That being said, Suffolk is selling a few of their older buildings and building some new facilities, so I’m jealous definitely jealous of the incoming students.

3. Wyatt Costello led a campaign to suspend campus blood drives to raise awareness of the fact that gay men could not donate. He has taken issue with how students are identified on class rosters if they are trans or gender-nonconforming. But he says he thinks the university may be improving. He said he also faced roadblocks from administrators when he campaigned to raise awareness about the blood drives.

What advice, specific to your school and campus, would you lend an incoming freshman?

I started my time at Suffolk like a lot of students do – as a transfer student. I was a recovering music major in my second semester of freshman year, starved for gen-ed courses. I was content to be away from the conservatory track and without any real idea what I wanted to do. At orientation I lucked out – I was paired with David Gallant from undergraduate advising, to help navigate the open water of being undeclared.

So, this is where my first piece of advice comes in: Use the undergraduate advising center. When I started, it was just two counselors in a basement office. Now it’s a well-oiled machine that sends you email alerts before your appointment. And while I’m sure all the counselors are great, in my time there I never took an appointment with anyone but David. His no-nonsense approach carried me through years of over-achieving, changing of my major, and applying for law school. Find that person, or people; your support group, your circle of trust, who you can turn to for everything from picking your classes and major to talking about internships and what comes after graduation.

When I started at Suffolk, my mother told me, “College is a menu, try whatever looks good.’’ It remains the best advice I’ve ever received. I went from being a communications major to a print journalism major to a print journalism major with a minor in philosophy to a dual major in print journalism and philosophy. So here’s my second piece of advice: Try everything. Don’t shy away from a subject just because you hated it in high school. (As a piece of sub-advice I would remind you that college is nothing like high school. If you’re find that it is, I would suggest changing it up.)

Sure, I had classes I found painful to sit in. But some classes surprised me. A freshman level pre-rec in Philosophy – Contemporary Moral Issues – changed the course of my time at Suffolk dramatically.

Finally, be game, take everything one step at a time, and (try to) be easy-going. Apply to be a TA or a Research Assistant for your favorite professor. Join a club; go to all the lectures and group meetings you can. Stay organized – make lists and outline your days, especially when work is piling up. Even if you don’t stick to your study schedule, seeing your workload mapped out in a way that shows it is manageable will give you invaluable peace of mind. Most importantly, don’t stress when things don’t go your way. I got a C+ on one of my first quizzes at Suffolk, and I was devastated. But I can proudly say, four years later, that I no longer worry about that C+ at all.