AS AN ENGLISH major, the foundation of all these texts, by scientists, philosophers, and authors of fiction alike, strengthened my studies and allowed me the chance to ponder them not once but twice in a classroom setting. In addition to the literature, Core provided me with windows into other worlds that I don’t know I could access elsewhere. I am talking about my teachers, my guides through the frantic misadventure that is and will be your first two years of college. They told me their stories, spun me elaborate tales of life in the field and the unknown greatness beyond the field, the city, the college... I made friends with them and they taught me lessons that only be stumbled upon, lessons that no book or song could teach. These professors love what they do and they do what they love, and their enthusiasm for the texts, for academia and the light of learning, is mirrored in my own.

– Alexa Corriea, English, Class of 2010

THE CORE CURRICULUM is a comprehensive, unified experience in the academic whirlwind that is college. It was for me a haven where I could daydream in a structured fashion, and think about on the great works of our history. The professors expanded my horizon and challenged me to try to define the great unknown. What I learned is that the answers do not necessarily matter as much as the questions do.

– Amiel Bowers, Ancient Greek and Latin, Class of 2009

MY FAVORITE MEMORY of Core is an illustration Prof. Oxenberg drew of a lion chasing a gazelle (the sketch looked nothing like the actual animals, incidentally). He was teaching a lesson about perspective: to the gazelle the hunt is a matter of life and death, to the lion it’s just business so his family can eat. If there’s one thing Core has taught me it’s the value of perspective. Whether it was literary interpretations, social science debates, or the tough reconciliation of religion and science, Core has taught me to appreciate all voices, and to assess a situation from all directions.

– Avery Ana LuBell, English, Class of 2008

YOU'LL READ NOVELS and see Cervantes scribbling in the background; you’ll listen to cynic comedians and hear Rabelais snickering at them; you’ll hear people tell you, “Everything in moderation” and think, “Ah, but Aristotle already said that!” Core teaches you to link things together and see what pops out of the chain, be they lessons in ethics or argument techniques. The most important questions aren’t answered on multiple choice tests, but discussed with students and professors who actually want to be there and make each other think. I never could have predicted the value of my Core classes for how they taught me to read and write and think, and I probably still don’t know the extent of it. However, the foundation they gave me is undeniably one of the most defining experiences of my education thus far, and probably will always be.

– Erin McDonagh, English, Class of 2010

AFTER PORING OVER my old Core books, papers, and lecture notes for something profound yet pithy to say about my Core experience, I came to the following conclusion: trying to summarize Core in two sentences is like trying to put God in a box. But I will say one thing: the Core is like a "magic eye" painting . . . it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to see it, but when you finally do, everything comes into focus, the world falls into place; something clicks and you just "get it."

– Amanda Hollis, Philosophy and Political Science, Class of 2003

CORE SHOWED ME that the barriers between disciplines were not rigid but permeable: science blended with philosophy and literature was by turns abstract and concrete. Our professors were intent on resolving the history of human thought into one endlessly diverse but connected and traceable progression.

– Dorian Fox, English, Class of 2004

THE BEST THING about the Core is the people it attracts. My most memorable college friendships all began at lecture, and solidified in the discussion sections. Not only are your fellow classmates much more interesting people than most, but the professors are of the highest caliber at BU; they are truly passionate about their work, and committed to opening your mind to the best contributions mankind has made throughout history. A natural science professor once told us: “If you are happy as a clam all the time, then you are probably a clam”. In the Core, you could never be a clam, because there are just too many enticing opportunities to come out of your shell, get involved, and grow.

– Grecia Alvarez, English and Hispanic Language and Literatures, 2007

WHAT THE CORE gave me was a taste, a sampling platter of the books that I should have read long before. It has also given me the chance to sing with a philosophically-based yet fun-loving barbershop quartet. Core has given me the appreciation of fine art, music, and just plain shooting-the-breeze with others about nothing in general. I have gained the ability to tie philosophical meaning to the most menial tasks imaginable.

– Lars Andresen, Archaeology, Class of 2004

READING DANTE DOESN'T make sense without reading Virgil; reading Virgil doesn't make sense without having read Homer. In Core, you read it all, so that you can see the context within which the writer is working.

– Leah Nicholls, History, Class of 2004