Northeastern University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Computer Engineering
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Straight Female
Summary
I’m probably going to join a dance club because they seem cool on campus.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Public high school in Boxford, Massachusetts with a graduating class of 300 students. There was a strong culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Computer Engineering
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: None. I’m probably going to join a dance club because they seem cool on campus.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for Computer Engineering?
I’m in Physics 2, and every other week I have a Physics lab report due which can take up to ten hours each. Every week I had a lab report due, which takes two or three hours. In both Physics 2 and Differential Equations, I had a quiz every week. The most consistent homework was Physics 2, which was online. A lot of my grade depends on my final. My Differential Equations final got moved from being worth 40% of my grade to where, if you do better on the exam than the midterm, it can be worth 55% of your grade.
Is there anything that you feel the Computer Engineering department does especially well or especially poorly?
I think first-year engineering is really good. They have a building in place with constant help, and all the tools you need to do any projects. I think the second year is almost a free for all where you just figure it out. It was definitely helpful to be there for the first year. It was hard then, but they had a system in place.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It can be [collaborative] if you find a group here, but a lot of people tend to study alone and work in the library at individual desks.
How accessible have the professors in your department been?
I think if there was ever a time I couldn’t make their office hours, I could just email them and ask if they could work with me to find a time to help me.
Why did you choose your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I really thought I liked math and science, and that was my strong suit. I also liked the thought of building robots and enjoy the concepts behind them. It’s definitely competitive for an engineering school, and it’s helpful if you come in with some prior knowledge. Around co-op time, people probably try to work against each other to get better GPAs.
Reasons to Attend
1) It is a good school, and they do a good job of teaching you.
2) We have co-ops, which is probably the number one thing people talk about. You can work there after college if you like them.
3) I like that it’s a big school, but sort of has a campus. It’s in Boston, so it doesn’t feel like this massive cramped school with a lot of people.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s definitely hard, and for a lot of it, you feel like you don’t have that much guidance. You kind of have to teach yourself. There are steps in place, but it’s a lot of work.
2) Sometimes the teachers aren’t the best, but the other teachers will help.
Around Campus
Where have you lived over the past three years?
Freshman: I was abroad in Dublin.
Sophomore: International Village with one roommate and two suitemates.
Junior: International Village in a single.
How was transitioning from Boxford to the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston?
Boxford is pretty woodsy, so I thought it would be different being in the city and having people moving everywhere, but it really doesn’t feel all that claustrophobic of a city. I can live here as I would at home and I don’t regret the decision to live in a city.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
My building is on the less safe side of the school, but it’s right next to the Boston Police Department and a little way down the street is Northeastern Police. If you ever don’t want to walk somewhere and need a police escort, they can come pick you up and drive you. They tend to be available consistently throughout the day. They are all over campus.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
Boston really enforces the drinking laws, so it’s hard to even think about going out somewhere in Boston. They do have a couple of 18+ clubs, but they’re a little weird. A lot of people at Northeastern are studying all the time, so they’re not the most fun. If you find a good friend group, you won’t realize because it’ll be nice to hang out in the city. My friend has an off-campus apartment that’s basically on campus, so we usually go over there and have people over. The people on the Hill tend to have parties. I usually go out on Friday and Saturday nights.
How happy are you with the nightlife at Northeastern? Is there anything you would change if you could?
The nightlife at Northeastern is honestly pretty boring. You’re in the city, but the school doesn’t have that many fun options. It’s not for the people who want to party in college.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my friends when I was in Ireland. The first semester when they moved us all out there and we lived on our own. Anyone that goes abroad the first semester, when they come back their friend group is who they were with abroad because we lived just with those people for four months.
How was transitioning back to campus socially, after doing the N.U.in program?
I would prefer to do it than just to move in and have to meet friends in Boston where there are [about 18,000] people versus. in Ireland where there’s 120. It’s easier to have people to come back to Boston with. We still have to meet people without knowing anyone, but there are fewer people and it’s easier.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Northeastern?
People are pretty friendly. I’m probably just saying this because I did N.U.in, but all of the people from the different locations are all one group and a lot of the people who did N.U.in hang out together. It’s easy to make a big group of friends where everyone knows each other, which is funny because it’s about an [18,000] person school.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientation mix socially?
This school is accepting of all people. Probably every friend group is mixed. [In Fall 2018, the student body was 16% Asian, 8% Hispanic, and 6% Black, and 1% Native American.]
How would you describe the student body?
It’s half and half where half the people are friendly and talkative and the other half are quiet and reserved. People are definitely career-oriented.
Do you feel more so like you’re a resident of Boston then a student at Northeastern?
I feel more like a student than a resident of Boston. This school is kind of a campus school, so wherever you go you’re still on Northeastern’s campus. You feel like you’re at a school.
How do you like the size of Northeastern? [Northeastern’s undergraduate population is about 18,100.]
I like it because I feel like none of my classes are that big, but it’s a big school with plenty of people I could meet. It doesn’t feel overwhelmingly big, but I know it’s big in case I ever needed to branch out.
What is the social impact of the co-op program?
Now that my grade is all applying because I’m on co-op next spring applications and where to apply is all everyone talks about. It’s a big deal because everyone posts and talks about it when they get a co-op.
Careers
To what extent have you used the career office? How helpful have they been?
The career center monitors all of the co-op internships. We take an introduction to co-op class where we learn about applying and interviewing. They also help you find jobs and help you figure out how to prepare for them and make your resume. They’re helpful for co-ops.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
My language would be C++ and I’ve also learned MATLAB.