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Question
Last post 10-17-2008 11:09 AM by AshlenC. 11 replies.
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09-14-2008 9:26 PM
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AshlenC
  - Joined on 08-21-2008
- Indianapolis, IN
- Forums Fanatic
- Points 2,143
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Hey Nicole - Maybe I can answer a few of your questions!
Why did I pick BU? GOOD QUESTION! For me, it was all about pharmacy, which may not apply to you. But, academics were definitely key. Butler has small class sizes, which means that you get a lot more time for class discussion, and you can meet with your professor easily if you're ever having problems. Another thing that really excited me was the dorms. Compared to some of the other colleges I looked into, Butler's dorms are a lot nicer and the rooms are pretty big. I wouldn't make your entire college decision about dorms, but it's something to take into consideration!
Favorite thing about living on campus - Well, I'm a senior, so I live off campus now. But, I lived on campus for three years, so I have a bit of experience to pull from! Freshman year was awesome because everyone keeps their doors open in the dorms. You can walk to the bathroom and get distracted for half an hour just talking to people that you see. I also liked being so close for the sporting events (which are free for all students, FYI). I could always walk to Hinkle Fieldhouse or the Butler Bowl within ten minutes, and I definitely took advantage of that.
Least favorite thing about living on campus - Parking is one of the things that comes to mind. It's great that Butler lets freshmen have cars on campus, and I was one of the many people who took advantage of that policy. Parking isn't always bad, but when you get back from somewhere late in the evening, good luck trying to find a spot! I've been lucky enough not to get a parking ticket (I'm always looking for the signs to make sure I'm parked legally) but I know a lot of people who haven't been so lucky. If you want to avoid the parking problems freshman year, live in Schwitzer Hall - it has a much larger parking lot than Ross Hall!
Roommate problems - Yes, I have had roommate problems. It happens. And, I hate to tell you, I'm not the only one. Strangely, a lot of roommate problems (including my own) happened after freshman year. For whatever reason, Butler does a pretty good job of placing people together who are compatible for the first year. I know people who kept living with their freshman year roommate until they graduated! The problems seem to arise when people start choosing their roommates. Maybe best friends don't equal best roommates. Who knows. Just remember, if you do run into roommate problems, you're not the first person to have a problem!
Good things to get into at BU - I don't even know where to start with this question! I recently wrote one of my blog posts about interest sessions at the beginning of the year. They are by far the best way to check out organizations that you might interest you. Butler has so much to offer for everyone, trying to give you advice about what might interest you in particular is difficult. But, I would say joining Dawg Pound, the student cheering section at BU, is a good place to start. It only costs about $15 to join (I think....Jake S, my fellow blogger and Dawg Pound president would know more about this) and there are a lot of cool opportunities offered, like free transport to away basketball games! SGA (Student Government Association) is another large organization on campus, and provides a lot of leadership opportunities if that's something that appeals to you. Other than that, go with your interests...you'll be able to find something you like!
I hope this answers some of your questions! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask....we're here to help!
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AshlenC
- Joined on 08-21-2008
- Indianapolis, IN
- Forums Fanatic
- Points 2,143
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I won't sugar coat pharmacy, because it's not a walk in the park. It's a lot of hard work. But, the faculty is nothing short of amazing. I can't say enough great things about our professors. Despite the fact that our classes are probably the largest at Butler (lectures have about 120 people) all the professors make an effort to learn everyone's name and they are always available to help and offer words of advice. The material we learn is hard, but the professors do everything they can to help us learn and to help us succeed. Butler pharmacy grads have a very high pass rate on the NAPLEX (the licensing exam for pharmacists). I believe that we have the third best pass rate in the country on the NAPLEX.
There are also a lot of opportunities to network for your future career while at Butler. Every year there is a pharmacy career fair, which attracts a lot of big-name employers. There are also a lot of pharmacy organizations to get involved with, and they're a great support resource and a great resource for meeting fellow students, faculty, and alumni.
Another advantage of pharmacy is that once we're done, we don't have to go to grad school....we're done for good! A lot of people wonder why we would want to go to school for six years, but a lot of people don't take into consideration that most people end up in grad school, so they end up doing a lot more time in school than we do!
Hope this helps you out! If you have any more questions about pharmacy or Butler, just let us know!
Ashlen
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ChristinaL
 - Joined on 09-10-2007
- Butler U.
- Big Time Bulldog
- Points 5,257
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Hey Nicole! So I'm studying abroad in Spain and missing Butler very much, so I totally went overboard with answering your questions, but hopefully you can find something helpful in the novel I wrote you ; ) What made you pick to go to BU?1. Location – Even now that we’re studying in Spain, living up the European culture, my Butler friends and I still talk about how much we love Indianapolis. It was very important to me to go to college in a city where there would be lots of culture, entertainment, sports, etc. both on and off campus. In addition to everything that’s going on campus, Indy definitely doesn’t disappoint – there are SO many great restaurants, bars and shops and fun theatres, concerts, cultural festivals, sporting events, etc. that make Indy an exciting place to live. (To name a few: Yats Cajun restaurant, Bazbeaux’s Pizza, the Music Mill - restaurant and concert venue, the Indy Fringe Festival, the Indianapolis International Film Festival, Fiesta Hispanic festival, political rallies like Barack Obama’s in May, the Big Ten basketball tournament, Bands of America Grand Nationals, the Penrod Arts Festival, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway shows at the Murat … plus .all these events and more are easy to find out about with Nuvo, Indy’s free A&E magazine). I just love being right in the middle of all the action, and with campus only 15 minutes away from downtown Indy, that’s easy. I get all the benefits of college campus culture… PLUS everything the city has to offer.)We’re also in the state capital, and tons of business and non-profits are based in Indy, which makes it a great location for internships, volunteer opportunities, etc. Also, we’re within a few hours of Bloomington, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, St. Louis, etc. so it’s really easy to visit other friends and family you may have in the Midwest.2. Professors & staffFrom the first time I came here to visit, everyone at Butler, from the receptionist at the Admissions Office to the head of the English Department, was so friendly and helpful, and willing to do basically anything to make sure I had a good experience here. I could tell that they genuinely cared and would help me with whatever I needed to succeed, and that has continued to be my experience in the two years I’ve spent here as a student. I have close relationships with many of my professors – for example they often invite classes over for dinner, and if I have a question about ANYTHING, even not related to their class, they will spend hours talking with me and just giving good general life advice. I am in Spain right now with one of my professors, and she and her husband are practically our family. Maybe it’s just the Midwest-style, but everyone is so friendly, which brings me to my next point.3. We’re basically the Butler fam.Students at Butler are really friendly, and we KNOW each other. Yeah, there may not be the anonymity of a huge campus, but I like it that way because I really get to know the people who I live with, take classes with, am in clubs with, etc. I always feel at home whenever I am at Butler because there is always a smiling face around of someone who knows me and will say hello and see how I’m doing. Even, when I came to Butler as a prospective, I stayed with two people I didn’t know and they were so welcoming and included me in on the campus fun right away. To me, Butler really is like a family you love to come home to.4. Academic ScholarshipsMy education is almost free thanks to several academic scholarships I receive from Butler. Obviously this isn’t something that can be offered to every student, but compared to some private institutions which don’t give ANY merit based scholarships, I think Butler has really great financial opportunities.5. Entertainment on campusI am a Liberal Arts and Sciences major, but another reason I chose Butler was for our amazing College of Fine Arts. I love dance, music and theatre, and we have outstanding programs in all three that have great student productions all year long. Clowes Hall, the theatre on campus, also hosts tons of concerts and events like Broadway shows, the opera, comedians, dance companies, rock bands, etc…. all of which are literally down the street from your dorm at Butler (and you get a student discount!)
What is your favorite thing about living on campus? I love the busy busy busy campus life! There is always something going on, more than I could ever possibly do. If you like sports, there is nothing like Butler basketball in Hinkle Fieldhouse! If you like movies, or coffeehouse concerts, or games or all-night dance marathons, Student Government always has something planned for you. Greek houses have cookouts and philanthropy events like tournaments or lip-sync contests almost every weekend, and these events are open to the whole campus. I mentioned above all the cool things that happen at Clowes, but there are also tons of other smaller cultural events such as lectures, films, etc. Residence Life and Greek houses will also plan plenty of activities to do with your neighbors. We also have a ton of student organizations, and most people are very involved. I have been involved with a sorority, the Student Foundation, Basketball Band, yearbook, the literary magazine, Ballroom Dance Club, Environmental Concerns Organization, College Democrats, College Mentors for Kids, Student Government and a music fraternity, and all of these clubs have even more fun events and opportunities that really make it impossible to get bored.
What is your least favorite thing about living on campus?
Hard to say, because I love living on campus. I guess I would have to say that I wish it was easier to get off campus without a car. You can have one as a freshmen, and many people do, so it is never too difficult to get a ride from someone if you don’t have one… but lots of cars just means parking on campus can be tricky. Did you have any problems with your roommate? We had a few small disagreements (as anyone would), but overall it was pretty smooth. At the beginning of the year, the RAs have you fill out a roommate contract where you and your roomie set up rules for the room such as: when and how often is it okay to have visitors and how far in advance do we need to warn each other? or How often are we going to clean up? When are we going to have quiet study hours? This solves a lot of problems right away, but the biggest way to avoid problems with your roommate is just be honest and talk to them about your needs!
What are some good thing to get into at BU? Whatever you’re interested in! Chances are, there is something that fits what you like to do… or something new you want to give a try. You can check out our Student Organizations here. I agree with Ashlen that Dawg Pound and SGA are very popular and a good place to start. Greek Life can also be very fun and rewarding. If you are into community service, College Mentors for Kids is a very popular club where you are paired with a buddy from Indianapolis Public Schools who comes to visit you once a week on campus. We also have some popular religious groups, such as Campus Crusade for Christ. Hmm, Dance Marathon and Relay for Life are big philanthropy groups that many people get involved with as well! But really, you will have the most fulfilling experience at college if you just explore your own interests. Go to Block Party during the first week and shop around! All the clubs have email listservs you can sign up for which will let you know about upcoming events and how to get involved, and we have a daily email digest for the whole campus with general announcements of activities and opportunities.
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Christina '10
http://go.butler.edu/cs/blogs/christinaL
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ChristinaL
- Joined on 09-10-2007
- Butler U.
- Big Time Bulldog
- Points 5,257
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Megan, this is the consequence of Butler withdrawal! I have to write long-winded love letters to BU on the forums : )
Nicole, I'm glad that my ramblings were helpful to you! lol. I am studying in Alcala de Henares, which is an adorable town outside of Madrid. I am having a great time! If you want to hear more about it you can check out my blog: http://go.butler.edu/cs/blogs/christinal/default.aspx
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Christina '10
http://go.butler.edu/cs/blogs/christinaL
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