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<p>Not difficult to switch from bio to poli sci. Just keep in mind that being political science and pre-med means taking your pre-med reqs (2 semesters of bio, chem, organic, physics, all which have associated labs) on top of your political science credits. Goodbye electives :)</p>
<p>Can I learn piano at NEU? I am a beginner and I want to learn piano as it is one of my big goals in college (along with learning my native language). Are they music classes that will help me. I wouldn’t mind it if it was a minor.</p>
<p>How is the music industry program?
What’s the difference between that and the music technology program?
How successful are graduated of the music industry program?</p>
<p>In engineering, can students do only 1 co-op instead of 2 or 3? Is the size of the school ever feel overwhelming and does it ever feel overcrowded? Can students choose their teachers and class times? How is Northeastern with regards to getting into grad school?</p>
<p>@happyramen
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<p>How personal you get with the professors is up to you. Most of them are welcome to further interactions.</p>
<p>My experience with my advisor as a sophomore EE has been nothing short of spectacular. He hooked me up with a dream co-op interview (which I aced and am currently in) when things weren’t going so well for me.</p>
<p>So I know that after sophomore year they will put you on a track where half the kids do spring co-op, the other does fall co-op. In engineering, can you choose which track you want to be in?</p>
<p>For engineering, it’s during your freshman year that you’re placed in a co-op track, because you might already be going on co-op your sophomore year. This is so that they can balance so that the same number of students are applying for/filling co-op spots each semester, so no, you can’t choose.</p>
<p>That said, not all majors have this tracking. Engineering is known for having very strict timelines, but in most majors this isn’t the case. As a neuroscience major, I’m not technically required to do co-op, but I’m doing 3. I could also have done 1 or 2. And I can do it on my timeline.</p>
<p>^I always thought that Northeastern lets you choose when you do your co-op and how many you plan to do during your years there. So if you get placed in a track where you have to do co-op in the fall, and you really don’t want to do fall co-op, can you just not co-op and continue taking classes regularly?^</p>
<p>That is the case with most majors, to have the flexibility, but with engineering it is more strict. My knowledge of the engineering set-up is from friends who are in it, so I’m not 100% sure on the details, but it’s known as having one of the strictest timelines, because of the specific classes you have to take and the limited co-ops. There are a lot of engineering majors, and they have to keep the numbers balanced so all students can get co-ops and so that they have the right number of people in classes each semester.
Honestly, though, it doesn’t really matter if you do fall or spring co-op, I don’t think. The same opportunities are there for both.
I would definitely confirm this with an engineering major or with the department, though.</p>
<p>Yea the main reasons I really don’t want to do fall co-op is because for one there are a lot of holidays during the fall which I want to leave open so I can go spend time with my family, especially during thanksgiving and winter break which is when they come and visit from far away. I heard that if you do co-op during fall you have to work during these breaks. Additionally I have a really strong preference that I would rather take classes during the fall because I like the transition of going from summer time to classes, much more than summer to working. Part of this reason is because I feel really fresh after the summer and look forward to learning in the fall, which I won’t really be able to do if I work during these times. What would be some good reasons to give for changing co-op plans?</p>
<p>I’m in a fall co-op cycle and don’t have a problem with it. You generally finish up at break, so it’s not like you don’t get winter break, and you generally get Thanksgiving off like any working adult. I haven’t felt like I missed out on family-ness while on fall co-op. Also, if you’se in classes in the spring, you get spring break. And I know it can be hard on spring co-op when everyone’s finishing up their semester and you’ve still got 2 months more of work as it’s getting nice outside. Basically, there are pros and cons to both.
But you can kind of see the issue - if everyone had the same reasons as you and suddenly everyone wanted to do fall co-op, there’d be a problem. There might be some flexibility, but I’m really not sure.</p>
<p>Also, if you’ve had 8 months off from classes, that can make you fresh and ready to learn. The joke is that whenever you’re in classes, you can’t wait to go on co-op and have a predictable schedule and no homework or exams. And whenever you’re on co-op, you can’t wait to go back to classes because no commute, and more free time. :)</p>
<p>Can anyone offer their specific experiences as an engineering and/or honors student? </p>
<p>I’m currently deciding between Pennstate, Lehighs IBE program and Northeastern’s honors and I would really appreciate any insight.</p>
<p>I’m in Honors (though not engineering). I think Honors is good, gives you some opportunities like housing, smaller/more interesting/more intense sections of classes, honors seminars (I took a really awesome one on the history of espionage), and doing a junior/senior honors project. There are also things they can help you with, like if you want to get involved in research. Is there anything in particular you want to know about the honors program?</p>
<p>Could you elaborate on the negatives of being in honors? I’m trying to compile a list of pros and cons for each school.</p>
<p>The one thing I can think of is perhaps having to take a fer extra courses. Freshman year you take the 1-credit Enhancing Honors courses each semester, which aren’t really a big deal and are pretty easy. After that, you have to take an additional 5 honors courses, including an honors seminar. The honors seminar will be an additional class that is a requirement unique to Honors, and won’t fulfill any other university requirements besides elective credit. This leaves you with 4 other honors courses to take. I didn’t have a problem fulfilling this requirement by taking honors sections of my required classes, but I know some people do, especially since there are usually honors sections for introductory (and some intermediate) courses. If you want to do a junior/senior honors project, this is an additional 8 credits (2 4-credit courses).</p>
<p>Hmm so if I’m smart with your class scheduling I should be fine? What is the junior/senior project? And what is the social scene like for the typical honors student? International village is awesome, but is the separation from other freshmen on campus considered as a negative of being in the honors program?</p>
<p>Sorry for so many questions, but you’re being very helpful haha.</p>
<p>Yeah. It depends somewhat on what classes are available for your major, what you have credit for when you come in, and what works with your schedule.</p>
<p>For Honors projects, I’d start with the information here:
[Honors</a> Junior/Senior Projects](<a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/honors/current-students/honors-courses/honors-juniorsenior-projects/]Honors”>http://www.northeastern.edu/honors/current-students/honors-courses/honors-juniorsenior-projects/)
I’m planning on doing one, but I haven’t started yet, so I don’t know a ton about the process, but I do know what I’m planning on doing mine on, which I think is one of the biggest hurdles. It can also be easier/harder depending on your major. (For example, it’s not very common in architecture.)</p>
<p>As for living in IV, some people have said they found it isolating, but I never felt that way. My best friend who I made freshman year lived in Smith Hall, which is about the furthest away you can get from IV. You’ll make friends in classes, clubs, etc. If you want to eat somewhere besides the IV dining hall, it’s a bit of a walk. I guess you just have to be conscious of it and make an effort to do stuff outside of IV. But I don’t think it’s hugely burdensome, and it’s really not that far from everything else - Northeastern’s campus just really isn’t that massive. This is all from my perspective as a fairly quiet person, though - I don’t party, and I’m happy with a small group of close friends. If you’re really outgoing and want to hang out with a LOT of people, then being further across campus might be more problematic. In summary of my rant, though: I don’t think it’s make-or-break for your college experience. It’s also only your first year; you probably won’t live in IV after that.</p>
<p>Orientation is a two day event, we have visited campus once, from the west coast, flying back and forth cross country is pricey for three of us. So Bottom Line: What are the three value highlights to showing up for these two day events, for the student and his parents?
Or said otherwise, what do I lose out on by showing up the week before school starts and taking care of any lingering business that I did not take care of on-line or over the phone.</p>
<p>As a student, I think orientation is mandatory, especially since it involves getting your classes (though I’m not sure if this is your question). As for parents, it’s less essential, especially if you’ve already had a kid start college. My parents said there was a lot of overlap with what they heard at my brother’s school. Both my parents came to orientation (we drove out from the midwest and made it a family vacation), in part because my mom had not come when I visited campus earlier. She said she felt a lot more comfortable seeing where I was going to be.</p>
<p>Just a note - international student orientation is the week before welcome week, and I know of students my freshman year who lived on the west coast who asked and were able to come for that orientation week because of the cost and distance. I’m not sure how they were able to do this, but it might be worth asking.</p>