International Student Newsletter

Hey Terriers!

Congratulations on crushing your first month of the semester! We hope you’re settling into your routines and finding your rhythm on campus. Enjoy all the cozy charm Boston’s fall has to offer. Who’s excited for this year’s fall foliage?

In the Announcements section, stay in the loop with all the fun and useful events happening on campus. Partake in Chinese cultural celebrations at Global House for Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Get a headstart on the search for internships and jobs with the Internship and Job Search Workshop. Looking for a break? Catch golden hour on the Sunset Walk & Picnic at Fruitlands. And don’t miss the Stress ReLeaf event to recenter and ground yourself in the midst of midterms.

In Student Experiences, meet Kuhu Bhattacharya (QST ’28) as she talks about her hands-on learning through Questrom programs and the academic opportunities that have helped her grow beyond the classroom.

In Culture Corner, with Halloween just around the corner, we dive into its history and learn some spooky American folklore to get us all in the spooky spirit.

Cheers to a September full of new adventures, learning, and fun! If you have any feedback for future newsletters, please contact Sheila Hernandez at sheilahz@bu.edu.

Announcements

Upcoming Events

60th Head of the Charles Regatta

Day: Friday Oct 17th Time: All Day The Esplanade: Access the Esplanade along the Charles River via overpasses which are located behind Marsh Plaza
Details

Thriving Globally: Your Wellbeing and Academic Success Abroad

Day: Thursday Oct 30th Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm ISSO/Study Abroad Office: 888 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 240, Boston, MA 02215
Details

HTC Live Fridays! The Halloween Edition

Day: Friday Oct 31st Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm Howard Thurman Center, 808 Commonwealth Avenue
Details
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Kuhu standing in front of a river in a city

Student Experiences

Exploring, Learning, Growing: 

Kuhu Bhattacharya (QST ’28) gives us a peek at her Questrom experiences and how she’s learning and growing beyond the classroom.

Read the Full Story

ISSO Insights

OPT Season is here!

For students who are currently enrolled in their final semester, the application window for Post Completion OPT will begin on Saturday October 18, 2025. ISSO will begin processing OPT recommendation requests for graduating students who would like to apply for OPT with USCIS starting on Tuesday October 14, 2025.

For F-1 students who wish to apply for this benefit, please see several important resources on the ISSO website:

Culture Corner

Halloween. A fun, exciting, and silly day that may seem like it is just centered around costumes and candy, but its traditions actually come from fascinating legends and rituals that go back centuries. Here are a few fun facts about Halloween that you previously might not have known:

Ancient Celtic Roots: Halloween actually traces back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, and spirits could roam the earth.

Jack-o’-Lanterns: The tradition of carving pumpkins comes from an Irish legend about “Stingy Jack,” a man who tricked the devil and was doomed to wander the earth with only a carved turnip lantern to light his way.

Trick-or-Treating: This fun custom comes from medieval “souling,” where poor folks would go door-to-door on All Hallows’ Day, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food. It evolved into the candy-filled tradition we all love today.

Bigfoot: Also known as Sasquatch, this legendary ape-like creature is said to roam the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Despite tons of sightings and blurry photos, no one’s ever caught definitive proof, making Bigfoot a perfect Halloween mystery.

So, what’s your Halloween costume for this year?

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