Allison

The stereotype that I've heard most is that Northwestern students are pretentious and privileged. Now, I will admit that I hadn't heard of any actual stereotypes for Northwestern students before coming here. Being from Texas meant that a fair number of people who I talked to had no idea where or what Northwestern was. Since then I have gathered this impression of the Northwestern student body from friends I have at various other Chicago and midwest institutions. While there is certainly some validity to this (with a tuition as high and a equally lofty national ranking, it's almost inevitable), I have never found the negative connotations of such a stereotype to be true. For example, while I have met people who certainly come from more affluent backgrounds than I do, I have also met the opposite and have found both to be equally approachable and welcoming. The same goes for the implications of pretentiousness.

Overall, I'm happy with my experience at Northwestern. I will admit, however, that there have been times that I wouldn't have answered this question as positively. Since accepting my position here, my priorities regarding my education and the path that I wished to pursue have changed, and at times the fact that Northwestern didn't match perfectly with all of my goals and expectations frustrated me. For instance, as a senior in high school I assumed that the quarter system would allow for me to take a wider assortment of classes and thus provide me with a certain amount of flexibility. However, I found that this wasn't necessarily the case when combined with the pre-medical track that I was on. In addition, the location seemed ideal: close enough to chicago that it'd be accessible, without the stress of living in a big city. Yet, as most Northwestern students will tell you, you have to be incredibly determined in order to make this work. The 45 minute to an hour long commute into the center of town is more of an impediment that one might expect. All of that being said, after having adjusted to the quarter system and slogged through the first two years of entry levels classes required for my degree, I find myself enjoying life at Northwestern more and more. Because it is both a liberal arts college and a research school, I've been able to take a number of engrossing classes in a number of disciplins. With a few acceptions, my professors in these upper level classes have been engaging, approachable, and even entertaining at times. Though I'll admit that at times it seems as though the administration is almost providing you with too much attention, I would much prefer this to the experiences I've heard described by my peers in larger state schools.

From my experience with both the biology and the english department, the atmosphere surrounding academics at Northwestern seems to depend greatly upon what you're majoring in. The first couple years of a biology major, for example, will involve never setting foot in a classroom with fewer than 200 students. In these entry level classes it is easy to feel bogged down by anonymity, and for some this makes taking anything away from these classes a greater challenge. In addition, a large number of the entry level science classes teach in a style that can be conducive to cramming and then forgetting everything taught at the end of the course. However, this is hard to avoid at any school of a decent size and is bound to be encountered a few times if you are studying science. Once you make it past this hurdle, the classes become smaller, the learning setting more intimate, and the professors more passionate about what they are teaching. Yet, it is important to note that the vast majority of biology majors at Northwestern are there as a prerequisite to applying to medical school. As such, if you are planning on going into a different field it is, at times, harder to find good advice about how to do so. From my experience with the English department, on the other hand, the overall objective appears to be much more inclined towards education for its own sake. In addition, there are fewer intimidatingly huge lecture courses and it is easier to form bonds with the professors as such. What's important to remember is that your enjoyment of a class and what you take away from it is largely your own responsibility here: participation and intellectual stimulation vary greatly from individual to individual. As such, there are students that fall upon the full range of the spectrum, from the minimal participant to the competitive grade-grubber, and every step in between.

When I first arrived at Northwestern, I will admit, I was slightly concerned due to the fact that the majority of the people I encountered were either pre-meds with their heads buried entirely in their organic chemistry textbooks, or students more interested in the "college experience" than academics. This worried me, because I don't particularly fall into either category. In addition to this, it seemed that science majors only knew other science majors, arts students kept to themselves, and there was a frightening lack of cross-disciplinary mixing in general. However, after three and a half years here, I've realized that every type of person you may wish to hang out with exists at Northwestern: it's simply a matter of finding them. I now live in a co-op, which is home to all levels of studiousness and a large variety of majors. We have students from all around the country as well (and even a few from further reaches of the world, such as Australia and France). There are also student groups for almost any interest that you may have, though they often tend towards service societies and less towards socializing with peers who happen to have the same views/hobbies. Overall, the atmosphere is rather accepting. While, of course, there are bound to be some individuals who disagree with you or make snide comments, I don't believe that this exists more so here than at any other school. In all, it is up to you to find your niche at Northwestern.

As a freshman, greek life appeared to be the most dominant force on campus, and a vast majority of my fellow dorm-mates wound up rushing our getting involved in similar ways. However, if the idea of a sorority/fraternity doesn't appeal to you, it's good to know that there are plenty of other ways to have a social life. A large majority of my friends I've made because we're all biology students and have made it through a number of classes together. However, events such as Dillo Day, Primal Scream, and even networking via facebook have also provided me with a number of very good friends. The biggest social force in my life, though, would have to be the co-op that I've been living in: we live together, we cook together, we study together, and it's been a wonderful opportunity to meet a variety of people. Outside of campus, one can explore downtown Evanston. Granted, you will discover almost everything that the city has to offer fairly quickly, but there are some nice things none-the-less. There are a large number of coffee shops to cater to the student crowd, as well as pub-dining for those who want a slightly classier drinking experience than the infamous Keg. However, you should be prepared for most things to be a bit on the expensive side. From my experience, Chicago is a useful distraction, but most students only go into the city once a month at most. It's a good destination for special occasions, but the cost of the L and the fact that the purple line to campus doesn't run at all hours is often a fairly steep deterrent for most students.

In all honesty, the dating scene isn't great. While a fair number of people "hook up" in some way or another, the actual amount of dating going on seems fairly limited. In general, I know a far larger number of single students than I do ones in relationships. That being said, I've been out of the dating scene for the past year and a half or so, so there's a chance that things have changed. For the sake of future students, I hope it has.

From my experience, the Greek scene will always dominate freshman year. Due to the fact that you'll be living in dorms and thus will now a few handfuls of people who want to rush, this is basically inevitable. However, after that year I found that it's presence had dwindled down to almost nothing. Of course, this will be different for you if you decided to rush and/or join a house, but I can't really provide any insight on that subject.

Basically, the Greek scene is something you can chose to participate in -- or not -- based entirely on your own preference without worrying that it will ruin your social life in any way.

The professors at Northwestern seem to run the entire gambit. With science classes in particular it is easy to get the feeling that some of the professors are simply teaching the class to be allowed to continue their research at the university. In addition to this, even if the teacher cares about the course, most of the upper level classes are taught by professors who are fairly invested in their research and this can occasionally become evident in the quality of the instruction. Such professors aren't entirely bad, though: while their classes may not be the most engaging, they're still intelligent people who can often open doors for research opportunities or give you advice on your own pursuits.That being said, I've also had my fair share of excellent professors who are also excellent teachers (believe me, the two aren't the same). My main advice is to read the comments on the CTECs to help you understand whether or not the teaching style of a certain professor will match with your own learning style (when possible).

There are a few things I'd say you should keep in mind before starting as a freshman:

First, the quarter system moves quickly. You come back to school later than almost all your friends and its often hard to snap out of that prolonged summer lethargy. If you fall behind on the quarter system, it will always feel like torture to try and catch up. The first couple of weeks might fool you into a false sense of pace, only to find that you've amassed an insane amount of work come the start of midterms.

Second, you're not going to go into Chicago as often as you think, so don't rely upon it for your social life. With the heightened pace of the quarter system, odds are you're not going to want to spend your free time commuting all the way into the city. As such, don't write off the activities on campus or in Evanston.

Finally, resist the urge to brag about your late start date to your friends on semesters. It'll come to haunt you when spring quarter finals roll around and all your high school friends are already enjoying summer.

All of the dorms are said to have their own, individual personality. That being said, I highly suggest reading student reviews of each dorm that you're interested, as the "personality" of a dorm can affect the quality of your stay there just as much as the location of the dinning hall. Personally, I spent my freshman and sophomore years in dorms. Freshman year I was placed in Elder Hall, a medium-sized dorm devoted to incoming students only. While the rooms were decently sized and the dining hall was nice enough, I found that my personality didn't really mesh with that of the dorm in general. This isn't to say that the dorm was bad in any way, but I wouldn't suggest it for someone who, like me, is somewhat more introverted and not as keen on going to the near-by fraternity parties. Sophomore year I spent my time in Foster-Walker, which is said to be rather more reclusive. As a freshman this may have been isolating, but as I knew my suite-mates and a fair number of the other residents, I didn't find this to be a problem. Overall, my experience in the dorms was not bad, but I've much preferred the time I've spent outside of them and the freedoms/responsibilities that come with such a move.