The Community Catalyst Center hosted its third-annual “Gear-Up Week” from Sept. 16 to 20.
The week’s schedule offered six different events and opportunity for students to continue building community on campus, learn about how best to navigate academically and personally at GMS, pick up some brand-new swag and enjoy opportunities for food and connection.
Read a recap of the week below:
Thriving, Not Just Surviving, in Graduate School: A Real-World Guide to Effective Studying
The first day of Gear-Up Week kicked off on Sept. 16 with an academic development seminar hosted by Aaron Young, PhD.
Dr. Young is the assistant director of the Master’s in Oral Health Science Program, a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics and a C3 mentor in both the gFIRST (First-Gen) and gGLOBAL (International) affinity groups.
During his interactive seminar, Dr. Young invited students to reflect on their individual learning styles as they progress through their academic journeys at GMS. By understanding one’s preferred learning styles, students can tailor their studies to the methods that work best for them. He also shared important tips on organizing a full calendar of studying, socializing, and self-care, and emphasized the importance of personal wellbeing in balance with studies.
Please email c3center@bu.edu if you would like to review the slides from the event.
Swag and a Snack
On Sept. 17, students joined staff and affinity group mentors in the C3 Suite to pick up brand-new C3 gear.
Available for pickup were items like C3 T-shirts, baseball hats, tote bags, pens and stress “brains.” This year, C3 also introduced new stickers for each of our affinity groups.
Light snacks were provided throughout the two-hour event.
International Student Meet-Up
Hosted on Sept. 18 by C3, in collaboration with the gGLOBAL affinity group, Gear-Up Week’s International Student Meet-up invited students to the C3 suite for coffee and conversation.
Students from various programs across GMS had the opportunity to mingle with one another, share stories and experiences and answer each other’s questions.
C3 provided coffee, tea, and pastries throughout the hour-long meet-up.
Boston, BU & GMS Trivia Night
Trivia Night, hosted on Sept. 18, brought two teams head-to-head for five rounds of friendly competition.
Question topics ranged from general knowledge and Boston trivia to music and sports, and more.
Contestants played for the chance to win new GMS quarter-zips. Six students from the Masters in Medical Sciences (MAMS) program won the quarter zips at the end of the night.
C3 Resource Expo and Sip & Study Raffle
On Thursday, Sept. 19, several offices and resource centers from across the Medical and Charles River campuses joined C3 in L-401/403 for a two-hour resource expo.
Attending offices included the Newbury Center, GMS Disability & Access Services, Student Wellbeing, Marsh Chapel, Student Financial Services, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Diversity & Inclusion, the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, GMS Professional Development, the Alumni Medical Library and C3.
Students had the chance to connect with representatives from each office. During the event, C3 offered its annual Sip & Study Raffle, for the chance to win a Peet’s or Barnes & Noble gift card. Eight students won a $10 Peet’s card, while three students won a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card.
Fall Kick-Off Pizza Party
Gear-Up Week finished up with C3’s annual Fall Kick-Off Pizza Party. Originally scheduled for Talbot Green, a rainy day in Boston moved the event inside to Hiebert Lounge — but that did not spoil the fun!
About 120 students arrived to enjoy pizza, pasta salad and cookies from Chequers, games, music, and more.
The star of the hour-long show was Bean the BU Campus Comfort Dog, who arrived during the party and made her rounds to say hello to all of the students who attended.
The event gave students a well-deserved break from studying on a Friday afternoon.
Check out a full slideshow of Gear-Up Week pictures below, as well as a calendar of upcoming events at GMS here. We hope to see you at more of our programming this semester!
