Resources
Welcome to Boston University Electrical and Computer Engineering
Things to get done immediately - Get your BU ID: This is the first thing you must do. Go to George Sherman Union (775 Commonwealth Ave) to get it done. Your BU ID gives you access to ENG buildings on evenings and weekends, discounts to local attractions (symphony, museums, etc.), and more. More info.
- Sign up for Direct Deposit: You can get your paychecks from “Paycheck Express” counter located in the FirstPoint Lobby (881 Comm Ave, 2nd Floor) until you get your SSN but direct deposit is the preferred method of payment for all student employees according to BU Student Employment Office. Once you get a bank account, you can set up Direct Deposit through BUworks. More info
- Get a bank account: To set up a direct deposit, you will need a bank account. You can get a bank account with your passport, without a Social Security Number. Banks usually give cashback if you set up a direct deposit for your salary. Be sure to canvas first and pick the bank that gives the best deal and has branches near your home and your workplace.
- Get your SSN: If you have an on-campus job (RA/TA) you are eligible for a social security number and you should obtain it as soon as possible. Ph.D. students are hired by the department for the first year and their advisor second year-on, so they have to have a SSN. More info at here & here
Getting Around Photonics Center - Room access (laboratories, offices, Photonics Building)
- Engineering IT
- Conference Room Reservations
- Get printer access in PHOYou can print black and white or color with your BU login. 4th floor copy room PHO402 has a color printer (ECE-PHO402-RICOH) as well as black and white (ECE-PHO402-BW1.), while PHO502 only has black and white (ECE-PHO502-BW1). To add the printer via windows, connect to \\eng-printers in a file browser. Right-click and select Connect for ECE-PHO402-RICOH for the color printer for exampleMac users will need to use the queue name ECE-PHO402-RICOH to manually add it via LPD.To pick up your print outs, you will need to ask for access to printers rooms via Zaius. More info for Printing elsewhere on campus
- Kitchens Each floor on the Photonics Center has its own kitchens to which you can get access to. The kitchens are equipped with microwaves and refrigerators. In addition, the 3rd-floor kitchen PHO 320 have free coffee/tea for grad students. Don’t forget to bring your mug!
Housing - On-campus Housing: BU Real-Estate offers on-campus housing: https://www.bu.edu/realestate/. This year students have the opportunity to apply online for all on-campus units. There are two kinds of units available: apartment style and dorm style. Apartments are more costly to rent while Peabody Hall is more dorm-style with lower rents. BU properties generally require the first month’s rent and a security deposit‡ (~one month’s rent) upfront. Wait lists can be months long. Therefore, we suggest that you apply as early as possible.
‡ Note that if you place a deposit on an apartment and change your mind about renting it, your deposit may not be returned. - Off-campus Housing: BU Off-Campus Services is a valuable resource for off-campus house hunting: https://offcampus.bu.edu/. Other rental websites may also be useful. Off-campus housing may require you to submit 1st and last month’s rent as well as a security deposit upfront, so the amount of money to be paid upfront may be 2-4 times of one month’s rent.
- Graduate Resident Assistants: Living in dorms as graduate resident assistants is another option, which could be beneficial for saving money, however being an RA could be time-consuming.
- For more information: https://www.bu.edu/grad/living-in-boston/finding-housing/.
- Beware!
- Remember your stipend will be taxed (you can ask current students about the taxes), which means you may not be able to afford living alone.
- Be careful about housing posts that look like they are too good to be true. You can see many such posts on Facebook, Craigslist, and other social media.
- You can find pieces of furniture for free or very cheap in the Fall in Boston.
- When calculating budget, mind the electricity, internet, water, heating bills, etc. These may be included in the rent for some housing options, or not at all.
- Try to get in touch with a former/current resident.
- When in doubt, don’t hesitate to email more senior students (or ECE GSA) to ask for housing advice!
- On-campus Housing: BU Real-Estate offers on-campus housing: https://www.bu.edu/realestate/. This year students have the opportunity to apply online for all on-campus units. There are two kinds of units available: apartment style and dorm style. Apartments are more costly to rent while Peabody Hall is more dorm-style with lower rents. BU properties generally require the first month’s rent and a security deposit‡ (~one month’s rent) upfront. Wait lists can be months long. Therefore, we suggest that you apply as early as possible.
Student Organizations - ECE Graduate Student Association (ECE GSA): Student organization that aims to enhance the experience and outcomes of the ECE graduate student programs.
- Student Association of Graduate Engineers (SAGE): Organizes social and professional events for all graduate students in ENG.
- Graduate Women in Science and Engineering (GWISE) & WISEguys: Organizes professional development, social and outreach events particularly for graduate women in ENG and science disciplines. If you are a woman you are automatically enrolled in their newsletters and email list. But it is not exclusive to women! Men who support women in STEM are encouraged to join the WISEguys mailing list and come out to events.
On-Campus Health and Wellness Resources - Go to Primary Care if you are ill. It is covered by the student insurance.
- Mental Health Care
- Ombuds Conflict Resolution
How to - Pick a network provider: Pick the deal you want online before going to a branch and signing up, the employees might not know all the deals and most network providers give you a ~5 dollar discount on your bill each month if you set up automatic payments.
- Connect to BU network with VPN: To connect to the BU network when you are off-campus, you’ll need to install the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. Detailed instructions can be found on the BU IT website in the following link
- Get MATLAB on your private computer: As a BU student you are eligible to get MATLAB on your private computer. More info in link. Follow the directions under Students, Faculty, and Staff drop-down bullet point.
- Bike to Work:
- You can use your own bike to bike to work, in which case you can store it in the Photonics Center bike room or lock it to the rails in the parking area. Details on how to get access to the bike room is here
- Another option is to subscribe to Bluebikes which is a bike share system that has bike stations through Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. You can get a discounted annual membership through BU, which is $52.50 an unlimited number of less than 45-minute rides. Here are the details. You can also get a helmet free of charge from BU Transportation services! More about bike safety and how to get a free helmet?
Job opportunities
Places of interest - Coming Soon!!!
Suggested Questions to Ask Your Prospective Advisors - Are you willing to take on new students?
- What type of research would I do? Theory, lab work, coding, simulations, a mixture, etc?
- How often would we meet?
- Do you supervise your students directly or does a senior lab member supervise them like a senior grad student or a postdoc?
- Do you like your students work in groups on a project or individually?
- What are your views on time management? Can I set my own working hours?
- How many hours do your students work per week?
- What is your vacation policy?
- What are your expectations from your students?
- Would you support students to go on internships?
- What are some open projects going on in your lab?
- What are some of your recent publications that I should look at?
- Where are some of your recent graduates?
- What are the courses you require/suggest your students to take?
- Do your students have opportunities to take part in the grant writing processes?
- Do your students have a say in deciding the direction of research projects and finding new and interesting topics of research?
- Will/Have your students be/been supported to file for patents on their research?
- Will/Have your students be/been allowed to brainstorm and pursue pathways to commercialize the research done in the lab?
- Do you hope to collaborate with your students in academic/industrial research once they graduate, hence forming long term collaborative partnerships?
- How often do your students go to conferences and with what capacity?