Another Freshman taking questions

<p>heplans,
I actually had 5 teacher recs (including guidance officer's). I had one math teacher, one music teacher, one english teacher, and one Doctor with whom I worked during the summer. I thought they all added something, so I submitted them giving the adcoms the decision of whether or not to read them..I got in so i guess whatever you think is right...</p>

<p>antsmrching</p>

<pre><code> I am a WCAS freshman this year and I thought I could answer some of your questions because I am in an NU choir and live in Jones.

You have to audition to be in any of the choirs at NU, but if you can sing ( and looks like you can) then you can get in. It is not hard. WCAS people can request a choir so you can easily request to be in the chapel choir. The Chapel Choir is an amazing group with a wonderful director.

I love the residential college system especially as a freshmen. About half of each res college is composed of freshmen which makes it easy to make friends. The other half are upperclassmen which is great as well because they can be very supportive and helpful. Residential colleges also sponsor firesides. Most freshmen, at least in the first quarter, don't attend many firesides because they are busy just with their schoolwork and clubs. Firesides are still great though. We just had a fireside about fitness and health. We have also had manyfiresides on more artsy topics.

Because you are interested in Jones, I will tell you a little more about it specifically. It is a performing arts dorm, as you know, but it is not all theatre major. Students from every college live there. The rooms are arranged in suites so about every four rooms has a lounge and a bathroom. The lounges are wonderful. We spend most of our time out there doing schoolwork, socializing and watching movies. Jones also has practice rooms in the basement which is so much better than having to go across campus to practice. The only downsize to Jones is the size of the rooms. I think they are the smallest on campus. But the rest of the experience at Jones makes up for the small size of the rooms.

I hope this was helpful. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
</code></pre>

<p>I’ve heard the people in Jones are, well, weird. Is this true?</p>

<p>I live in 1835 Hinman, which is right by Jones, and I have some friends in Jones. Jones is an arts res college, so obviously there are some "alternative" people, however, everyone I know there likes it. Some of the girls tend to complain b/c they cant meet a straight guy in their dorm (to like date, not b/c they are homophobic) but thats the only complaint I have heard from residents. Keep in mind most all people in Jones are either in the school of music or are in theater, so some would not fit in.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>Yep. Thanks :)</p>

<p>yeah i was wondering... do they have separate orchestras/music groups for non-music-majors?</p>

<p>I know i seem to have a completley different northwestern experience being from the north side dorms, so i feel like i should describe it a little more. I am not saying AT ALL that one side is better than the other, im simply hoping to help inform you and others that might be reading this post about the other side of campus that is completley different and also fully available to you:</p>

<p>SO, on to the north side. The north side is made up of three main dorms: Bobb, Sargent, and Elder. There are some other small res colleges up there too. Its also where all the frats are. Bobb and Sarge are like a hundred feet away from all the frats. There are a lot of kids who live up here and it is very very active. There is easy access to food, in sarge and in elder, and the gyms and tech library are nearby too. It is generally refered to as the party side. Its very loud on weekends with people stumbling here and there. A lot of the athletes live up north, as well as those in science and engineering because it is closest to those buildings. It is far from evanston and south campus classes, but if you are looking for a more stereotypical "social scene" you can find it up north where there will be a lot of like-minded people. </p>

<p>I think a res college is a great way to go if thats where you will feel comfortable, but i feel like this board talks about them a lot. There are other places to live! I happen to love the dorm and frat experience, so i guess it goes to show you that you can be happy at NU no matter what you are looking for.</p>

<p>what dorms/res colleges are sort of in the middle of campus? equa distant from everything?</p>

<p>yeah, and from which dorm would you have to walk the furthest to get to a dining hall? (and how long)</p>

<p>Most dorms having dining halls in them. The ones that don't, like Bobb, has a dining hall across the quad, like 100ft away. </p>

<p>i dont really think there are places to live in the middle of campus but i might be wrong. Most people live on the north side or south side. South side is closest to classes and evanston, north side is closest to athletic facilities, frats, and the science and tech depts.</p>

<p>OK, so I am thinking that south side is what i would like: I am the music/artsy type, would love to have easy acces to my classes in WCAS and to evanston. Also- how far is the L from south side. So, what are the "hot" dorms on the south side. Also, is there a social barrier between north and south side? Or does everyone intermingle. Thanks!</p>

<p>ants-</p>

<p>If you want a south-side dorm, i'd say go to Allison. Its a lot of fun and i have some good friends who are there. They have a huge new dining hall in the basement and its also right near evanston so its an easy walk to everything. </p>

<p>Some might disagree but there is a bit of a social line between north and south, simply because the kids are usually so different.</p>

<p>-NWern08</p>

<p>thanks allot, you have been a great help....Im sure you can expect more questions!</p>

<p>awesomeeeeeee. huge new dining hall. i reeeally hope i get in. um, let's see... what are the most popular classes that you know of and why?</p>

<p>Hey Northwestern08, I used to hang out at Allison last year as a freshmen. Ever since they changed management at Allison, the food has not been so good. I tend to hang out at Hinman, Norris of Foster-Walker for food nowadays. I do miss the old manager.</p>

<p>which dorms has the most engineering students? what about international students?</p>

<p>What about safety of personal items like computers, cameras, electronics? If you're room is locked is your stuff safe?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>afaforce: I forget what college you are in so your answer as to the most popular classes varies a bit. I'm in WCAS and in addition to our major requirements you have to complete two freshmen seminars, demonstrate language and writing ability, and complete 12 distribution requirements. Those "distros" can be very interesting and very difficult to get into. They cover 6 areas of study, like science, social science, art, etc.. I dont really know what ones specifically are the most popular, it totally depends on the prof who is teaching it. whats great about it is that you can research the teacher and find out what kids say about him/her before you choose that class.</p>

<p>spectzix: engineers are spread all around for the most part. There are some engineering res colleges. Where they live has more to do with what atmosphere they personally are looking for. I know a lot of engineers who are on south campus where things are a little more serious, and i know a lot on north campus too where things arent always so serious. North campus is closer to the tech library and labs, however. Most international students are on south campus I'd say.</p>

<p>nu409: I'd say you don't have to worry about your things if you lock your room. Use your judgement. You are very safe on campus and I havent really heard of anything being taken. (Its usually your nextdoor neighbor who took your family guy DVD or something anyway). Bikes DO get stolen!!! so get very good locks. NU is generally a secure place, but you do have to be careful, obviously. The neighborhood directly surrounding the school is very nice but it goes downhill fast. As a result you should avoid being alone at night off campus. Thats true pretty much anywhere, but there have been robberies just off campus. Any college is a target and NW is no exception. Lock your things, travel with someone else if possible, and you shouldn't have any problems.</p>

<p>spectzix - Slivka is the engineering res college. It is brand new (well, within the last 2 or 3 years) and is located on north campus (right by SPAC - sports and aquatic center). However, I agree with Nwern: engineering students do live all over campus. I would pick where you want to live based on WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE, not just where all the other people of your major live. I think it is kind of nice to live with some people that have different majors other than yours, although I know that it is helpful to have people close by that are in your same classes. </p>

<p>nu409 - yeah, your stuff is pretty safe. In the dorms, the people that live on your floor are your friends, so they most likely aren't going to steal your stuff. If your room is locked, your belongings are totally safe. Use your discretion - don't leave your iPod laying (lying?) around in the hall or something.</p>