{"id":392152,"date":"2025-09-02T14:59:11","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/392152\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:59:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:59:11","slug":"northeastern-upperclassmen-share-advice-for-first-year-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/392152\/","title":{"rendered":"Northeastern Upperclassmen Share Advice for First-Year Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Headshot <\/p>\n

\"ABack to school is exciting and \u2013 for some \u2013 nerve wracking. What advice would older students give to first year students? Photo by Ruby Wallau for Northeastern University<\/p>\n

Back to school is a time of excitement, new beginnings and, for many first-year students, a little anxiety.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Luckily, there are many students on Northeastern University\u2019s Boston campus who faced the same feelings.\u00a0
So what advice would these wise elders give?<\/p>\n

Ansa Brew-Smith, a third-year math and physics major, advised the new arrivals to not get into a habit of skipping class.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOne missed class makes it easier to miss another,\u201d Brew-Smith said. \u201cIt can cascade out of control if you let it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fifth-year student Andy Barnett had advice for all first-year students as well as more specific advice for STEM students interested in highly coveted research positions in labs.<\/p>\n

First, more generally, he advised students to find and write down as many resources and free Northeastern opportunities as possible \u2014 events, support, services, etc.<\/p>\n

As for those research positions, he noted they are competitive and Northeastern students are driven. But that doesn\u2019t mean one should necessarily try to garner such positions as soon as you arrive on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCold emails don\u2019t work quite so well,\u201d Barnett said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead he recommended going to office hours where professors can see you in person, chat with you about your interests and establish a connection. And don\u2019t underestimate your capabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want to see initiative,\u201d Barnett said. \u201cThey don\u2019t expect you to know everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rising fifth-year student Tula Jim\u00e9nez Singer also advised freshmen to take some time in making friends. She and classmate Deborah Yu noted that many of their deep friendships have come in the course of solving problems together, working on group projects, becoming colleagues on a co-op, and being involved in activities with those who have similar interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to run with the first people you meet,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez Singer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yu advised new students to \u201ckeep an open mind\u201d about their plans and college trajectory, saying it\u2019s easy to get caught up in \u201cblack-or-white thinking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first I thought that if I didn\u2019t get this one opportunity, or class, or into this one club, then my college life would be over,\u201d explained Yu, who plans to graduate with a double major in business administration and psychology and with minors in computer science and global fashion studies. \u201cBut almost everything that has come to me has been unintentional. A lot of things you don\u2019t ever notice in the beginning will be what you\u2019re passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christian Carl, who finished his bachelor\u2019s in data analytics over the summer, concurred that it was important to follow one\u2019s passions in choosing a major \u2014 to a point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really good idea to double major. Pick one major that interests you and the other one that is more reliable in the job market,\u201d Carl said. \u201cThen, ideally, find a job that combines the two after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aria Khatib, a rising fourth-year student in chemical engineering, also had some practical advice for freshmen: Do not procrastinate when it comes to co-ops.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the cycle starts for co-op applications, make that your priority,\u201d Khatib said. \u201cIf you wait, the opportunities will dwindle fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, graduate student Zankhana Mehta said that students should try and \u201cgo with the flow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be times when you will not know what\u2019s happening, and it can be overwhelming,\u201d Mehta said. \u201cBut remember the bigger picture of what you\u2019re here for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\tUniversity News<\/p>\n

\t\t\tRecent Stories<\/p>\n

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