Boston University Life Hacking

In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, college students are short on a lot of things: cash, time, patience. In this final stretch before mini-break, little problems can break the weakened constitution. What once were small issues are now major crises.

Thankfully, the Quad has compiled a list of solutions to frequent, annoying problems that Boston University students face on a daily basis.

The Clothing Conundrum

Boston’s weather patterns decidedly indecisive, and sometimes it’s difficult to discern exactly what 52 degrees feels like. What to wear is a daily problem, but there are a few simple solutions.

For those early risers with time to check the weather out before dashing to class, wunderground.com not only provides the exact temperature; it also states how much warmer or cooler it feels than the day before. For iPhone users with 99 cents to spare, the Wearcast application provides outfit advice depending on the weather conditions for the day.

Also remember that classrooms and lecture halls can be chilly or sweltering, depending on the mood of the professor. Multiple, sheddable layers are a must.

Not Until I’ve Had My Coffee

As anyone who’s been to Starbucks or Einstein’s Bagels on weekdays can attest, the lines are literally out the door in the ten or so minutes between classes. It’s futile to try to snag a quick cup between lectures—unless you know where to look.

Delicious, maybe. But worth the wait? | by flickr user dontthink.feel

The School of Law Café (on Floor 1 of the Law Tower, which is actually the second floor) is somewhat out of the way, but almost never has a line. It offers nutrition bars, pastries, fruit, parfaits, and the all-important coffee.

The café in Hojo at 575 Commonwealth Ave is just one building over from the School of Management Starbucks. Its offerings are akin to those in the Law Café, and there is seldom a line. Both places take Dining Points, so no real money is required.

All Aboard the Struggle Bus

In a perfect world, the BU Shuttle would arrive and depart precisely according to the schedule posted on its website. Unfortunately, the time waiting for a late bus frequently exceeds the time it would have taken to walk to a destination. To aid students grappling with the wait-or-walk crisis, BU has a convenient iPhone App that allows the user to track shuttle movement through GPS.

For those without iPhones, there are a few ways to discern whether it is better to stay at the stop of start walking. The bus usually runs on schedule early in the morning and close to schedule in the early afternoon. At other times of day, a large queue at the stop probably indicates that the bus is coming soon.

But during rush hours and on rainy days, the shuttle is completely unreliable and not worth it to wait. If the traffic is especially bad outbound, traffic will be heck at the BU Bridge. On days of major events at Agannis Arena, it’s quickest to forgo the shuttle and walk to a West Campus destination.

About Kelly Dickinson

Kelly is a CAS/COM senior double-majoring in Psychology and Film. She was the editor-in-chief last year, but she ceded to Ingrid in a mostly-bloodless coup. Right now, she's Producing on QuadCast, checking off her BU bucket-list and hunting for one of those "job" things.

View all posts by Kelly Dickinson →

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