I love college campuses, even though it’s been many years since I spent any time as a student on one.

I love the buildings, and the libraries, and the bookstores. I love checking out the architecture and the landscaping, and people watching, and buying a sweatshirt to wear so I can pretend that I am an alum.

On a rainy day last summer, I had a layover in Boston with my best friend, Anita. She and I took a couple of hours and explored the Boston College campus.

Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The main campus is currently located in the once rural area of Chestnut Hill. Having graduated from a Jesuit university myself, I have always been appreciative of their commitment to integrating intellectual, personal, ethical, and religious formation; and to uniting high academic achievement with service to others.

For anyone considering attending BC, here are a few interesting statistics: There are 9,059 full time undergraduate students, of which 53% are women. The Class of 2009 had a SAT range of 1260-1410 for the middle 50%. There are 650 full time faculty members. BC grants undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees and 90% of the Class of 2008 intends to pursue an advanced degree. The BC Eagles play at the NCAA Division I level.

Because it was pouring down the rain the day we visited BC, we didn’t have too much time to walk around the grounds and were forced to admire the distinctive campus architecture between raindrops, or from indoors.

The campus is accessible on the T’s green line. Get off at the Boston-Newton boundary on Commonwealth Avenue. Cross the street, walk by St. Ignatius Church, and follow the perimeter road to campus entrances.

Photo credits:  Mary Jo Manzanares

Post from: The Boston Traveler

While many students take their meals in their dorm dining halls, most campuses still have other student dining facilities.  Whether it’s a snack bar, cafe, full restaurant or bar, the prices are geared to a student budget.  Of course, the food is geared to a student palate as well, but if you’ve been subsisting on a diet of cold snacks, a burger may seem pretty darn tasty.

Most non-dorm dining facilities are open to the greater campus community – meaning visitors as well as students.  Plan on using cash, as not all accept debit or credit cards.

Since Boston if full of colleges and universities, I’m sure there are lots of options for a reasonably priced meal.

If you know a great campus cafe or bar, please leave a recommendation in the comments.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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Post from: The Boston Traveler

The Nwoaha sisters, 18-year-old Chioma and 16-year-old Faith, moved to the United States from West Africa’s Nigeria less than three years ago. They both attended boarding schools in their native country, which might have a bit to do with their obviously exemplary academic skills.

Chioma, who intends to pursue biology at Northeastern University, is the senior class valedictorian at English High School, and Faith, who aims to become a premed student with a double major in biology and math at Boston University, earned the same honor at Jeremiah Burke High School.

The accomplished sisters will join the city’s 36 other high school valedictorians at a lunch tomorrow with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who reveals that more than one-third of the high school valedictorians this year were born outside of the United States.

It’s nice to hear such impressive news about young people and education instead of all the negatives concerning inept teachers, lazy and/or violent students, mandatory testing, social pressures, escalating college costs, and whatnot. Best of luck to all of this year’s graduates, no matter what their class rank.

Post from: The Boston Traveler

TRAVEL SOLO, TRAVEL SMART: An Interactive Workshop for Women Traveling Alone aims to give women who enjoy roaming Earth by themselves a wealth of information to help make their trips optimal endeavors.

From security tips to advice on how to safely and efficiently plan itineraries and accommodations, the workshop led by experienced solo traveler Leah Moschella is sure to answer many of the questions that often inhibit women from sampling what the world has to offer on their own.

Although the 7pm–8:30pm event is free and open to the general public, the sponsor suggests calling ahead to make a reservation for the workshop, which will take place at the outdoor apparel store REI Boston (401 Park Drive, Boston, 617-236-0746).

Post from: The Boston Traveler

Amazingly, the seminars offered at mini-med school are available to the general public … free of charge. That’s right — for free! At Harvard! If you’re not familiar with how much money just one Ivy League course costs, please take my word that this “price” is a ming-boggling bargain.

Even better than that is the fact that not a single examination is administered in mini-med school. Heck, participants don’t even have to have any prior training in science or medicine. Not a lick!

By now, you might be wondering what exactly this too-good-to-be-true get-up is. Let me explain.

Mini-med school consists of four seminars offered at Harvard Medical School’s Longwood campus on two days each in March and April. All will take place in the chic and sleek Joseph B. Martin Conference Center (77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, 1-866-790-7000) from 5:30pm to 7pm, evening scheduling that gives potential participants who work full-time jobs extra incentive to attend.

Don’t let the cost-free status of the courses fool you, either. People who attend at least three of them will receive an official mini-med school Certificate of Completion, while public school teachers who attend all four become eligible to earn ten professional development points (PDPs) after submitting an assessment form for each session.

Moreover, every seminar will have several knowledgeable professionals from both Harvard Medical School and prominent, affiliated local hospitals as leaders. For instance, the first scheduled seminar, March 5th’s “The Ups & Downs of Daily Life,” will be overseen by three individuals who work at Cambridge Health Alliance and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in addition to the medical school.

If any combination of the following four seminars sounds appealing, make sure to complete advance registration online at the Longwood Seminars website or by phone at 617-432-3038. Interested parties can also find more details about the curriculum at the registration website just provided.

The Ups & Downs of Daily Life

March 5 | 5:30pm–7:00pm

What’s normal? Bereavement, the challenges of daily life, clinical depression, and mood disorders — how to tell the difference and what you can do to help.

Muscle Tone: Getting and Keeping It

March 19 | 5:30pm–7:00pm

Muscle tone and overall health — how one affects the other and what you can do to improve both.

Intelligent Drug Consumption

April 2 | 5:30pm–7:00pm

Beyond the marketing hype — what you need to know and what questions you need to ask.

Your Gut: The Long and Short of It

April 16 | 5:30pm–7:00pm

The gastrointestinal system — diseases, treatments, and prevention.

Post from: The Boston Traveler