Major: Mechanical Engineering 

Email: jlicata99@gmail.com

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Questions about Academics and COVID-19

 

What were your classes like in your first year or in your major/concentration, especially transitioning from Shen? 

First year classes are mostly gen ed requirements. (First year writing, chem, physics, calc 1, intro to engineering etc.) The exact classes required are obviously dependent on your major. College classes are definitely a change from high school. You have significantly more homework to do, and are more responsible for keeping up in your classes and not falling behind. With that being said, I found the transition from Shen to NEU pretty smooth. From my experience, professors are very understanding of the major transition you are undergoing, and give a fair amount of work. I have even had professors move due dates around to accommodate workloads in other classes. NEU has a ton of resources for students in their first year (And all years). Professors office hours, TA office hours, tutors and appointments are only some of the resources available. The engineering department even has a "First year learning center" dedicated to first year students. Don't be afraid to use your resources for extra help even if you never had to do that at Shen.

 

I believe that as a whole Shen did a good job preparing me for NEU. Many of the AP classes I took were of similar rigor (occasionally even harder) than my first year classes. Personally I thought the other aspects of transitioning to college were tougher than school itself freshman year (living on your own, budgeting, finding a solid friend group etc.). I think NEU and Shen both did a good job of bridging the gap between high school and college specifically in terms of education.

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What academic experiences have stood out to you at your college in either positive or negative ways?

If you've looked into NEU at all, I'm sure you've heard about the coop program lol. All jokes aside, it is a really great program, and gives students valuable work experience. On top of that NEU teaches you important skills relating to the job search. (Resume building, mock interviews.) Going into my third year, I am just starting my first coop, and I love it so far (if you'd like to hear more about it, or coop in general don't hesitate to contact me)!

 

I think one of the best experiences I have had at NEU so far is being on the powerlifting team. It gave me a group of 25 great friends, with similar, but also different interests. It really helped me meet new people in different classes, and with different majors. I strongly recommend getting involved in some type of club/sport no matter where you go to school!

 

I have been in a lot of Mechanical engineering related clubs (Baja, Formula SAE, ASME), and have found I haven't gotten much from those experiences. I think that is more because I did not spend very much time with them, and spent most of my time on school and powerlifting. I have a few friends who have really enjoyed those experiences.

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How was your online learning experience at your college? What resources did your college provide you during this time?

My experience with online classes was fairly positive. Northeastern allowed students to Pass/fail 2 classes of our choice, which took a lot of the pressure off. All of my professors recorded their lectures so that you could play them back to review the material you learned. They also all offered office hours or appointments over zoom. All of my classes also got significantly easier to accommodate the circumstances, and professors were very flexible if you needed extra help/time. I think the hardest part was that you could no longer study with other people, and were on your own at your house.

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What did your college do well or poorly to support students and communities when COVID-19 first hit?

One thing which wasn't handled very well was how NEU closed down last march. Initially they told us that we could stay on campus for the remainder of the online semester. 2 days later they then told everyone they needed to leave within the next 5 days. That was pretty inconsiderate for international students who had to now find flights that quickly. They later backtracked made exceptions for students, allowing them to stay until their flights, and even storing students belongings for free.

 

I will say that from what I know, NEU is very receptive to the students. When the student government speaks up about something the university is doing wrong, they will often make changes that meet the students needs/requests.

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Questions about Student Life

 

If students are interested in your major/concentration, what extracurricular activities do you recommend they do at your college?

Baja, Formula SAE, ASME are good extra curriculars for mech e's that I've done. There is also AeroNU.

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What are common things to do on weekends? Do students commute back home for the weekend or are there events on campus?

Most students stay on campus on the weekends. Especially freshman year its common to have get together in your dorms with friends. There are 2 T(subway) stops on campus so you can pretty much get anywhere in the city you can think of. There are a lot of great places to eat, lots of museums and the occasional party.

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Are you involved in athletics at your college? How do you balance sports, academics, and extracurricular activities?

At Northeastern powerlifting is technically a club sport, but we do have practice 4 times a week for 3 hours so It is a big commitment. I think its important to use your time wisely during the day. If you get your work done during the day/early evening, you can get to bed at a good time. This might sound lame but sleep is so so important in college.

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Do you have a job during the school year, or is it common for students to have on-campus jobs? What is that experience like?

I do not have a job while I'm in class but I do know some students who have "work study" and work on campus. From what I have heard, you have a minimum amount of hours a week, and can work more if you would like to (don't quote me on that though).

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Extra Questions

 

What advice would you give to current Shen students when applying to your college?

Don't be bummed if you get deferred from early action! A lot of people from Shen my year got deferred (myself included) and then got accepted regular decision. Also don't be afraid to send in a write up on an extra project you've worked on if you feel like the standard application does not show all your strengths.

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What makes your college special to you?

1. My college is special because you get to experience living in the city of Boston, which is so awesome.

2. It's big, but not too big. Some classes (especially as you specialize) will be the same size if not smaller than classes at Shen.

3. Most professors really care about their students.

4. There are many resources to help you succeed.

5. Coop!

6. The people. You'll meet so many people with different backgrounds, and interests.

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What do you wish you knew about your college when you were a senior at Shen?

I kind of knew this but Boston is very expensive so you are going to end up spending more money than you would probably like.

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Before COVID-19, what was the housing like at your college? What would you recommend to Shen seniors to find their roommates?

Housing freshman year is pretty typical. A small 2 bed room (usually). As you get older there are opportunities to live in apartment style dorms which are very nice. Housing is guaranteed for freshman and sophomores. The housing is pretty cutthroat because there is a lot more students than dorm spaces. There's a lottery system and if you get a low number, you won't get a great place. A lot of upper class men end up moving off campus because of that. Overall the housing at NEU isn't great, but it isn't horrible.

 

As far as finding roommates. My year there was a facebook group where you could post a little about yourself and attach some pictures. Try to look for people who have similar interests as you and want to live in the same LLC. The facebook group is how I found my roommate who has now become my best friend. If you can't find someone (which is completely okay and actually more common than finding someone) then the university will set you up with a random roommate who chose the same LLC as you.

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How is the financial aid situation at your college?

The college is quite expensive (About 70k including tuition, room, and board), but that does not mean that is what all students are paying. Many students are on scholarships which diminish that number quite a lot. In addition when you are on coop you are not paying tuition. So for example, while I am on coop this fall, the only thing I am paying is rent for my apartment. I will only have to pay tuition for the spring semester when I'm in class. This cuts the tuition cost in half once you start coops. It ends up being the same amount of semesters in the end but it spreads the payments out making it easier to manage.

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Is there anything else you'd like to share about your college experience that hasn't been addressed yet in this questionnaire?

Students at NEU generally take school very seriously, but at the same time it isn't overly competitive. Northeastern is very career oriented and there are a million resources to help you figure out what you want to do as a career even if you have no idea. Other than that I don't really have much else to say besides that I really love it here and am 100% confident I made the right decision coming to NEU. If you have any more questions you're more than welcome to email me!

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