Student Profile
Mdl
- Class: Junior
- Major: International Relations
- Gender: F
- High School: Washington DC area
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
The school's size is perfect. It's not so large that no one knows each other but not so small that EVERYONE knows each other (and each other's business). The best thing about the school is the coop program. Unlike most, we graduate with concrete experience which is not only beneficial to finding a job after school but beneficial to our classwork as we can bring those experiences into the classroom with us. The big problem with Northeastern is the administration. It is incredibly bureaucratic and everything takes time. On the other hand, this forces you to learn with the bureaucracy you'll deal with in real life. So ultimately, while it's a nuisance, it's a plus. The school pride is...well existent. People like the school but we're definitely not a "sports" school. It's more of a relaxed community than a crazy ultra-hyped college (in my experience). Plus, we're in the middle of Boston and while our campus is more centralized (compared to campuses like BU which are spread across the city), we are still in the city and can easily mix with people from other schools. Big plus.
Academic Life
Academics have plus and minus. The professors are on the whole great. They know your name and in my program at least you'll only have one class which has around 300 people (intro class that everyone has to take). Other than that, they will be from 40-75 and if they have 75+ you'll have smaller classes with TAs. In any case professors know your name, and are generally willing and able to help you on a one to one basis if needs be. NU seems to have a mix of getting an education for a job and for its own sake. We have classes like everyone else but we are able to mix in our real world experiences thanks to coop and the teaching styles of some/most professors. As for the students and intellectual converstations, I think it really depends on the group you hang out with. The advantage of NU is that while it's not incredibly big, there really is a bit of everyone on campus and you're bound to find people who have common interests/views/pastimes (whether it be partying or intellectual conversations or both).
Student Body
My personal experience is mixed. Because of the cost there is a certain amount of socio-economic imbalance at NU but I think it is a pretty open school. Since my arrival, there have been some issues with racial/anti GLBT events (notably public displays on walls by racist/homophobic idiots who feel the need to express themselves anonymously. Go figure.). I think students tend to stick into groups though. I tend to mix in multiple groups but there definitely are "groups" of students with different views/lifestyles/opinions/etc.
The Best Things
Coop, location, accessibility of faculty, flexibility of programs which allow you to do what you REALLY want to do and not what some old dean thinks is good for you
The Worst Things
bureaucracy, and alcohol abuse which gets obnoxious
