Some transfer and social life questions

<p>I am hoping to transfer to NU for fall 2012, which will be the start of my junior year. </p>

<p>Does anyone know what housing is like for transfers? Is it typical dorm-room style or is it suite/apartment with several people? </p>

<p>I read some topics about what partying/social life is like at Northeastern, but those posts are from years ago. Coming from a state university, I'm used to big parties at fraternity houses. I heard that NU parties are usually large gatherings of 20-30 people at somebody's apartment or something. It sounds like these parties aren't as open as the ones I'm used to at my current school. As a transfer, will it be hard for me to make friends and find parties on or off campus? I'm a pretty social person, but am a little nervous nonetheless.</p>

<p>Any opinions or feedback will be appreciated! I'd love to hear about any experiences with social and partying life at Northeastern. Thanks.</p>

<p>Do note that Boston is THE college city. I can’t give many specifics (I don’t frequent the party scene), but at the very least, you will be able to find a party if you look for one.</p>

<p>A 4th year student told me that MIT throws the best frat parties. Her advice to me was just to tag along with a few people, and if apartment parties aren’t your thing, you can always find bigger parties at BU, Harvard, MIT, etc.</p>

<p>MIT does have a lot of frat parties, and BU students mainly just go to MIT’s parties- since a lot are on the Boston side of the river (right next to BU). I never ever hear of people going to Harvard, unless you have a friend who goes there.</p>

<p>The biggest mistake (especially first years) make with the MIT frat parties is that they go with too many guys. It’ll start out with 5 girls and 1 guy, and then someone will invite a few other guys, and then next thing you know it’s 12 people all going to the same party at the same time and more than half are guys. If you have a friend on a frat’s list (not always required) at MIT, just make sure you do a small group. </p>

<p>But even if you do go to these, the majority of parties will be a lot different than huge frats at state schools. It’s especially true when people turn 21 (or get fakes) and start having their “parties” as just pre-gaming time before going out to bars. If you really want that state school kind of experience, Northeastern probably isn’t the place for you. But that’s definitely not the same thing as saying Northeastern doesn’t have a social life, it’s just different.</p>

<p>As for housing- transfer would be considered upperclassmen (anyone not a freshman), so they’d be in upperclassmen dorms that have available space. All but one of the dorms (which has two singles that share a bathroom) are suite-style with several singles and/or doubles, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. But keep in mind that housing for transfers is NOT guaranteed, so you could be stuck with living off-campus.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for the info everybody. I knew the social scene would be different from what it’s like here, but I think it’s something for me to look forward to, based on what you guys have said. I do prefer a city atmosphere to where I am now, and do have a few friends at a few different schools in the area. </p>

<p>Thanks for the input, and for the housing info, neuchimie! </p>

<p>If anyone else wants to throw in their experiences, I would appreciate that!</p>

<p>I think you’ll be fine. I know several people who transferred and they seemed to have an easy time fitting in and meeting people. </p>

<p>No huge open house parties, but people are pretty welcoming and friendly if you’re tagging along with friends to a get-together. I went to plenty of parties throughout college where I only knew a friend or two, and people were always really social and happy to make new friends. I think NU’s social scene is pretty good in that sense-- people are friendly and generally not very exclusive.</p>

<p>All the cliched advice is true, but just get as involved as possible and put yourself out there. Clubs, sports, study groups, work study jobs, whatever. That’s how most of my transfer friends met people and found groups to hang out with. Just like freshman year, you’ll probably meet people you don’t ultimately want to be friends with, but eventually you should be able to find a good niche.</p>

<p>And yeah, boston social scene is exciting. When you’re underage there are plenty of parties (even if they aren’t huge house parties) and once you’re 21 there are endless bars to run around in.</p>