<p>I was recently accepted to Northeastern as a computer science major and am realllllly hoping to go there in the fall. </p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone knew about the connections live and learning center? I think it'd give me alot of great opportunities in the field of computer science but i'm a pretty social person and love meeting other people.. so i dont think i'd like living in a dorm with ONLY girls in the same type of major. suggestions?</p>
<p>I’m actually an RA for the Engineering LLC which is in the same building as Connections, and I do a lot of programs with them. Connections is a fantastic and tight nit LLC. A lot of girls there made immediate friends and they all do their homework together and stuff like that. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested.</p>
<p>None of the dorms at Northeastern are single sex, so there will be plenty of guys and people of other majors on the other floors. I believe the LLC will still be in Speare hall next year which is a very social building.</p>
<p>Good luck with the rest of your year, and I hope you make it into Connections.</p>
<p>echolsjones–how did you become an RA and what are the perks (as in financial)?
Thanks!</p>
<p>RAs have to go through a pretty intense application and interview process in the winter/spring. The applications are announced around school and on the website, so if you’re interested, you’ll definitely know when they are due. RAs are required to hold office-hour-like times where they are on duty and they have to proctor without pay once a week for four hours. RAs organize dorm events and social activities, and sometimes include other dorms as well. Also if its their turn with the pager, they might get woken up in the middle of the night to let someone in who got locked out. However they get free housing and (I believe, could be wrong) a free meal plan. If they get promoted after doing it a few times, they can become a Senior RA and receive a stipend as well- but I heard the job is much worse because of all the paperwork and organization that is involved. Note that RAs can’t choose where they live, they are placed. Most new RAs get stuck with dingy freshman dorms. Also I believe to be an RA in the honors LLC, you have to be an honors student.</p>
<p>neuchimie has the facts pretty much down. I recieve room and board as compensation for my work. Housing is $3000-4000 a semester plus a full meal plan at around $2000.</p>
<p>However, successful RAs are rarely motivated purely by room and board. We enjoy being leaders of our communities and being there to help our residents succeed at life in general. We also like NU enough to represent it to the best of our abilities. I find this job to be very rewarding because of the relationships I have developed with my residents and the other RAs.</p>
<p>Typically there are about 600 (700 this year) applicants for about 100 spots. Residential Life reviews all of the applications and offers the opportunity for an interview to 200 of them. The interview process consists of an hour long individual session with a residential director and a senior RA and a second part consisting of three group interviews where proffesional staff members of ResLife observe the candidates interacting to complete a task.</p>
<p>Just to comment on above, I’ve known several people who quit being RAs after a year because it you aren’t “motivated” (as described above), it is a pretty hard job. A lot of people apply just for the money, but I think the interviewers are pretty good at spotting who actually wants the job.</p>
<p>thanks echolsjones! i’ll definitely consider the connections housing, it sounds like a great opportunity. Just wondering, are there any other LLC in the same building as connections (besides engineering)?</p>
<p>This year, Speare housed the Engineering (men), Connections (women), Computer Science (men), and Math and Science (women) LLCs. The LLCs may move between buildings depending on the number of people in the LLC though, so I can’t say for sure that this will be the same arrangement in the Fall.</p>