This student is a Husky Ambassador although this is not an official university video. He talks about the unique culture at Northeastern. It is not the “traditional” college experience. Applicants should watch this.
"Biggest Regret/Challenge of Northeastern ’
https://vimeo.com/192828184
Interesting. Not very surprising to me as I am familiar with the school and how the program works. But for others not familiar, it is worth a listen. Thanks for sharing Tom.
Yes, my daughter basically went to school or co-op for four years - only having the first summer off. She was not home one year from January until December break - she didn’t mind - it was fine - she would say if I didn’t take classes over the summer what would I do - sit home being bored?
This is a really great video that raises an important point about the Husky experience that may not be so obvious. Applicants should indeed watch. Thanks for sharing @TomSrOfBoston .
I liked the mention of how NEU students try to do it all. I think that’s true and the Husky Ambassador is right that one of the things that is sacrificed in doing it all is time at home. My son did an international dialogue after freshman year. Co op after sophomore which is leading right into an international study abroad whatever the heck year he is now and then back to another co op next summer wherever that will be. He is home sometimes (we are on the other coast), but never when his HS friends are home and certainly not for short holidays like Thanksgiving. We are zero for three on Thanksgiving including last week.
But students that embrace this kind of college experience get good at knowing what it takes to make it work and remain open to where the winds blow and set their priorities accordingly. As an example, my daughter (not an NEU student) has a fantastic NEU co op roommate in her apartment in NYC right now. Her roommate came directly from an international study abroad and has a much coveted co op but made it a priority to live somewhere in NYC where she would feel more connected to a neighborhood and to people that make NYC their home than she would in NEU housing. Yada yada dots loosely connected from brother to sister and random people met… (spoiler alert: very happy ending).
NEU students get good at knowing what their priorities are so they can make this unique college experience work. In this case, feeling locally connected mattered to my daughter’s roommate who had the killer co op but wanted the rest of the experience to be there for her. Well I think it worked because there is now a community of new friends that anxiously await her post-graduation return to the big city if that is where the winds blow. One of many success stories that this kind of college experience really does have the flexibility to embrace. It’s pretty cool and no, it’s not typical.
Bump
@TomSrOfBoston unfortunately that video seems to have been removed from Vimeo. Do you know if it’s available elsewhere?
@jillpnk Hmmmm! I’ll check but it was a personal video by a student, not an official university video.
This is a university video produced to orient new faculty to coop and coop students. It touches on a couple of the same points without the student viewpoint unfortunately.
https://vimeo.com/179226303
@TomSrOfBoston thanks, the video that you posted today was very interesting. Since the student’s video is no longer available, can you share what the main takeaways were?
@TexasMom2017 His experience was similar to what @halflokum 's daughter is having. Despite the title he had no real regrets. He emphasized the need to be flexible and adventurous. Also his limited time at home was not an issue for him but it was initially for his family. He was an engineering major.
Some parents and students have reported here on CC that in the information sessions and admitted student days there was too much talk about experiential learning/coop. They are trying to impress on potential students that there is a unique culture at Northeastern. If all the talk about coop is a turnoff then Northeastern may not be a good fit.
@TexasMom2017, what @TomSrOfBoston referenced above is true except my son is the NEU student (and he is studying abroad now and will get back to Boston days before his next co op that he secured over Skype just this week and a jury duty summons in Massachusetts which btw… he doesn’t really live in but check your NEU mail because they can call you anyway!!)
My daughter’s part of the story is that she had a NEU co op roommate that lived with her in her NYC apartment (arranged with help from my son) and this lovely NEU gal was GREAT and had also come directly from a study abroad and didn’t want to land again in NYC for co op #3 and be in impersonal co op housing. Point I was trying to make is that NEU students get good at knowing what they need to do to make a college experience that includes co op, work. In her case, it meant she wanted to NOT live in co op housing and be a part of a community. Worked out beautifully.
Agree wholeheartedly with @TomSrOfBoston that if all of the talk about co op is a turn off in an info session, Northeastern may not be a good fit.