Northeastern University Top Questions

Every single professor nows my name (but if you don't want them to that can also be arranged.) My favorite class? There are so many. The only one i didn't like was my freshman year when i failed to heed RateMyProfessor. That site is your best friend and savior. Students study from never to 24/7: i've been in both places. It completely depends on your major, your classes, etc. Class participation is absolutely unescapable, as is conversation. Competitiveness is not something i've really seen outside of the graduate labs. The most unique class i've taken is my technology and philosophy class with Kerry Dugan: a MUST HAVE class no matter what your major. I am in the psych department, and i encourage you to take as many classes as you can with grad student teachers. They connect and excite in the best ways. I spend time with some professors outside of class sometimes, to talk about class things. The academic requirements are high enough that you feel like you're getting your money worth, but reasonable in that you don't feel that need to commit suicide. The education is geared, uniquely, BOTH towards getting a job and learning for it's own sake; learning about what jobs you want for the sake of learning what you do and do not like. It's really a very pragmatic and sensible approach for those of us who plan on living our lives without hating them.

Ain't no Ivy League, but ain't easy either. I have to say, you do have to put some effort in, but there's definitely time to enjoy Boston on the weekends! Classes are typically large, so if you need help you definitely have to go to office hours, but professors are generally apt to help you if you are struggling.

Classes at Northeastern are difficult. However, if you have taken AP/IB classes in high school, you should be completely prepared for the coursework/load. I am getting the chance to take a studio art class, an international affairs class, Spanish, and a few others this year, which is very helpful when trying to determine a major. The students here are happy to engage in an intelligent conversation with each other outside of class, but we do take advantage of our free time for things other than scholarly work. Most professors really do want you to LEARN in their class, instead of just pass the exams, so they're very interactive. Even my calculus class is a 50-50 mix of us talking to the professor and vice versa. The classes here at NEU are geared toward learning for learning's sake, but all professors are willing and excited to talk to you about applying the class to real careers.

I am a Chemistry major at Northeastern, so I can really only vouch for my department. In the Chemistry department, they like to keep it small - they only let in about 30-40 students a year. This keeps our major-related classes very small, so we get to know the teachers well. The department is incredibly helpful in guiding you through the class selection and co-op application process; all they want is for everyone to succeed. Outside of the Chemistry department, it depends on the size of the class. I haven't taken classes in each department at this time, but so far, I haven't had too much of a problem with large classes/not getting time to talk to teachers one-on-one. They generally have multiple office hours, and can usually accomodate you if you cannot make those hours. Students study a decent amount, especially during finals. The library is packed then, but it just shows that we care about our eduation as well. I can say that I am generally studying about once a week or so, for some sort of quiz or test.

Classes within your major tend to be no bigger than 15-30 people. The professors are typically very accessible, and will work with you to figure out the best path to address your needs. The classes are very difficult, and you are expected to attend class at all times (not that attendance is taken, but it is a fast paced environment). You will be challenged, and you will work very hard, but you will constantly see results. This is a school for forward thinking students who want to make an impact on their field of work, and in order to do that they must learn all that they can.

Many people's experiences vary. If you get into the honors program, its great because you have smaller classes. But in the business school, where I study, the class size is usually no bigger than forty, so the professor will definitely get to know you if you participate enough. Depending on your major, you may study a lot, or a little. Engineers and health sciences often study the most. Students can be competitive, especially in the business school, and especially in finance. You just need to try your best to hold your own and you'll be fine. A great education is almost guarenteed.

I can only speak personally about my program which is Psychology. Psychology being one of the larger majors at Northeastern, I'd say the program as a whole is very strong. We have competent and diligent faculty and some of the most well-known researchers. Psychology, being so interdisciplinary and many students outside of the major acquiring a minor, it's refreshing to have diverse students in my recent psychology courses. Many students in this major go on to get their graduate degrees, so it's remarkable to see advisors and faculty aid their students with the process. This past fall, the graduate students in the Psychology department created a Grad School Mentoring program and with my mentor's help, the application process went so much more smoothly. The most interesting course I took in my field was the Psychology of Prejudice. I took this course my fall semester of my freshmen year and I still remember how intrigued and impacted I was by it. Dr. Lane was fabulous in lecturing the psychology behind people's prejudicial and discriminatory thoughts and actions. He broke down each minority group, showed us research and literature, and allowed us to speak candidly.

Many people's experiences vary. If you get into the honors program, its great because you have smaller classes. But in the business school, where I study, the class size is usually no bigger than forty, so the professor will definitely get to know you if you participate enough. Depending on your major, you may study a lot, or a little. Engineers and health sciences often study the most. Students can be competitive, especially in the business school, and especially in finance. You just need to try your best to hold your own and you'll be fine. A great education is almost guarenteed.

Over all, Northeastern has been a great experience. It is located right in the middle of Boston, yet maintains an actual "campus" in a city setting, which is rare. At about 15,00 students, it is a medium sized school, however Northeastern is not built to hold so many students. It is a bit crowded, especially in the gym and library. Many of the classrooms have state of the art technology and most of the dorms are very nice. That being said, everything is expensive. The Co-op program is worth the extra year of school and worth paying private tuition.

Academics are tough but focused on actual applications. I'm a computer science and cognitive psychology major and most of my classes are catered towards actual work specific uses since my school focuses on co-op so heavily. For homework it's typically 2 hours per class, maybe a bit more dependent on your major.