<p>I have recently been accepted into Northeastern University and am curious about the social aspects. If any veterans of the university or current students could please post a brief, or not so brief, description on their time spent at Northeastern it would be much appreciated. And yes I've been on students review, but college discussion seems more personal. Thanks!</p>
<p>This is my own personal experience and may not reflect on the specific life one may find at NEU.</p>
<p>Parties-I was terribly surprised at how few parties I ever came across. Sure there are frats, however I never heard wind before hand of any of their parties (probably since I am a guy and did not rush, girls, especially if you have good looks have a great chance of finding a good party). There are usually people going out on Friday-Sunday nights, however I found that to party, you have to really be in w/ a group of people that have or know of them. I found enough to be satisfied, but was very surprised at how hard they were to find. I visited UNH a multitude of times and found the party life there to be about ten fold better. From the availability, to the work it takes to getting in, to the size, I found that NEU lacks in the party department.</p>
<p>Athletics- The CAA is not a powerhouse conference like the ACC, Big 10/12, Big East, Pac-10, etc, however it does add for some good competition. The sports I went to were football, basketball, and hockey.</p>
<p>The football team is, well, nothing to really write about. They try and you have to give them credit for that. But the fact that they play in a horribly small stadium, (can one call it a stadium?) as well as the co-op program affecting some athletic schedules, its no wonder why the football team has a hard time recruiting better prospects. The games are alright to go to though, makes for a fun Saturday afternoon, however the effect quickly wears off. </p>
<p>The basketball team was not bad last year, and I think has like 4 returning starters, so they are expected to go deep into the CAA tournament and possibly make a run for the NCAA tournament as well. While the games are fun to watch, the lack of student spirit is very evident in Matthews during basketball games. This causes for a strange feeling of there being no home-field advantage. There is hardly a student section and most people just sit in the stands. A better student turnout would make the basketball games a lot more enjoyable and possibly push the team to preform better. Still the games were again a nice way to spend some free-time.</p>
<p>Hockey by far is the most spirited sport on campus and has the best turnouts. The team played well last year, however found themselves unable to close out games late in the season which cost them not only a chance at the Hockey East championship, but at the NCAA tournament as well. I think for the most part the majority of the team is returning, w/ the exception of Brad Thessin (spelling?) our goalie (who was a great goalie) and I’m not sure about this but I believe Steve Qualier (again spelling) who was a top freshman prospect also left. I do not know for sure but I think he may have entered the draft. Also there were some graduating seniors that will not be back, though I do not know their names.</p>
<p>Thats it for sports really. The games are a fun way to spend time, however its the lack of student support/spirit (w/ the exception of hockey) that keep it from being more enjoyable.</p>
<p>Activities- There are a lot of intramural and club sports teams on campus. Many have tryouts and other practice sessions at the start of the year and most are pretty competitive (from what I have heard/seen). I did not play on any of them but had some friends who did and they for the most part enjoyed it. It can be a big time consumer however, but adds to the college experience. There are also a lot of easy ways to get pick up games of basketball going in the Marino center. The fens also provide some grassy areas to play football or frisbee in the fall and spring.</p>
<p>There are also a ton of clubs and student organizations that are available to join. Again, I didn’t really get involved in most of them, however I did check them out and considered a few. For the most part they are a good way to meet people and have fun outings or meetings. There is most likely one that you may enjoy or appeal to you. It mostly depends on just getting out and seeing what you are interested in.</p>
<p>Boston- By far my favorite aspect of NEU was its location to the city. It takes minutes to walk to Newbury street or to the Pru, from which shopping as well as great dining is found. I also found myself taking walks in the city just to explore. Boston has so much to offer its amazing. The T makes almost any place accessible and easy to travel to, however you may meet a strange character or two when riding it. There are Celtics, Bruins, and of course Red Sox’s game you can get to, and for the most part are cheap ($20-$50 depending on seats). You can easily find a scalper who will usually sell you not the best seats, but decent seats for a fair price. </p>
<p>Overall its a good college experience but I feel has room for some improvement. It’s mostly what you make of it. If you don’t go out and look for stuff you probably wont find yourself doing much except your homework. Friends are made easily at orientation as well as the start of the year when everyone is new and adjusting to college life. I’m not sure what else to add but with you the best of luck at NEU.</p>
<p>rdsoxman5 has hit some good points. Hockey is by far the best sport and I can confidently say we have the best fans for it relative to the other hockey teams we play. I went to a couple of basketball games this year which were alright but nothing special. I know Northeastern is making a real push for a new football stadium located near Columbus Ave so students will have better access to the games. There are many student orgs that you can choose from and the greek scene is pretty big.</p>
<p>My freshman year I had no trouble finding parties although they were small with roughly 15-20 students at apartments or dorms. House parties that are usually held at schools such as UNH and Umass are not vibrant here simply due to our location however fraternities will host boat loads of parties which are enjoyable but also gets old rather quickly. You will find yourself making friends mostly through your dorm and student organizations. Some of the students from my hall this year started a cultural fraternity which was interesting.</p>
<p>The Boston factor is a huge plus and we are located pretty much in the middle of it. This past year my friends and I tried a new restaurant every week and had an awesome time experiencing different parts of Boston.</p>
<p>ya, no huge house party scene at NU. Apartments are too small, so “big” parties are always super crowded. Most of the parties I go to are with like 20-30 people, and I usually know the person whose apartment it is. I was surprised how few parties I found at the beginning of freshman year, but it gets better once you get to know people. Now that I’m older I can always find a party on weekends. Boston also has great nightlife, so once you’re 21 you can just go to bars.</p>
<p>Few more posts on this in the NU FAQ thread…</p>