northeastern-alyssalukpat

[northeastern-alyssalukpat]

So long and good luck!

I’ve had a wonderful two years sharing my Northeastern experience with you. You’ve watched me go from a second-year with few experiences to an incoming senior on co-op at The Boston Globe. I’ve grown so much and I’m glad I got to share my journey with you.

When you choose a college, I hope this blog is useful to you. I’ll leave you with a few pieces of advice:

1) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Talk to people--students, counselors, and, yes, your parents--about their college experiences and use it to inform yours.

2) Trust your gut. Deep down, you know what to do. You’ve always known. Take a leap of faith. You can move 3,000 miles from home and thrive.

3) Stay true to yourself. You’ll change a lot in college, and that’s a good thing. But don’t forget where you came from and how the people you grew up with made you who you are.

4) Have fun. They say college is the best four (five?) years of your life. It won’t always be picture perfect, and that’s okay. Make the most out of your experience--network, do your homework, etc.--but don’t forget to enjoy this experience. As my friends and I say, you only college once (YOCO). So make memories.

Goodbye and good luck! No matter where you go to college, you will end up loving your experience. You can always reach me on Twitter or email if you want to talk.

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Hi Alyssa, my question for you is what is your favorite part about the co-op program? I see that you are on your way for your second one in July and was wondering what makes it special with the companies and business you work with?

I LOVE the co-op program. Coming in to Northeastern, I was nervous to go on co-op and work a full-time job. I loved my first co-op and learned so much. It prepared me for working after graduation and taught me what I want out of a job. Not to mention, the connections you make are priceless!

I am going on my second co-op in July. I’ll be working at The Boston Globe as a metro correspondent, which means I’ll report on breaking news and sit in the heart of the newsroom. This is an unbelievable opportunity and I still pinch myself knowing I get to spend six months working in one of the most hard-working and famous newsrooms in the country.

The companies you work for will teach you so much about what you want out of a job. Do you like a small or large company? What kind of environment do you like? What role do you want to play? There are so many questions you’ll get answered on co-op that make your six months absolutely priceless. You get to make amazing connections and potentially work at the company full-time after college. Not to mention, graduating with 12-18 months of professional experience on your resume looks incredible.

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Hi, my my name is Ella and i’m currently a junior in high school. I read that you’re from the Bay Area, and i am also!! haha Anyways, i’ve been really interested in northeastern for nursing and was wondering if you had some tips. Is the school diverse? How’s Boston? Do you like the school? Thanks!!

Hi Ella!

Yay for another Bay Area kid interested in NU! I don’t know too much about the nursing program, but I can tell you that being in Boston--with all the famous hospitals--affords a lot of great co-op opportunities.

Diversity was something I looked for when I applied to schools and I liked how diverse NU was compared to other schools in this area. People come from all sorts of backgrounds and countries and it’s awesome to meet students from all over the world. That being said, no school is perfectly diverse and NU has room to grow, but I’m happy here.

Boston is an incredible place to go to school. There’s so much to do here, including: shopping, eating, museums, athletics, concerts, historical sites, and more. I’m never bored here and I love the array of activities. When it’s warm, I like to rent a bike (there’s a few bike rental stations around campus) and ride along the Charles River Esplanade. When it’s cold, we have a few great museums nearby (MFA and Gardner).

I love Northeastern. The school provides so many experiential opportunities you won’t get at any other school. I wouldn’t be who I am without Northeastern.

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My favorite places to eat in Boston–2019 edition

Most college students spend way too much money on food, myself included. In our defense, food is a fun way to see more of the city and eat something other than dining hall food. Here are some of my favorite places in Boston:

Earl’s

Earl’s is in the Pru, which is about a 15-minute walk from campus. It has a long wait, but you can make a reservation in advance and breeze past the line. I love going here with my friends for their happy hour dishes like tacos, fries, and chips and guac. On weekend mornings, all the brunch dishes (like avocado toast and chicken & waffles) are $10. The ambiance is fun and classy and a wonderful place to spend an evening.

Veggie Galaxy

It’s a bit of an expedition to get here (take the orange line to the red line to Cambridge), but so worth it. My friend is vegan and loves this place because all the dishes are vegetarian and vegan. I’m not vegetarian, but I still crave the vegan mac n cheese from here all the time. The desserts and frappes are excellent, too. But I still can’t used to calling milkshakes frappes.

Blaze

Blaze is on Boylston Street in the Fenway neighborhood. I’ve talked about Blaze on lot on this blog, because (1) I’m basic and (2) it’s affordable and indulgent. I can get a personal cheese pizza for $6, and I can get two meals out of it if I exercise restraint (no thanks).

Saus

Rumor has it that Saus was started by a Northeastern professor. Pronounced “sauce,” this Haymarket establishment (on the orange line) is famous for their...you guessed it, sauces. From fancy ketchups to curry or cheese sauces, this place has lots of options to dip your fries in. I like getting their strawberry and coconut sauces to eat waffles with. Yum.

Poke Station

Poke Station is the newest restaurant on Northeastern’s stretch of Huntington Avenue. It’s pretty filling and a good bang for your buck. I’m a Bay Area poke snob, so I have to say this isn’t the best poke I’ve ever had. But for the convenience and value, it’s a great option. They also have sushiritos, which are yummy!

Ali’s Roti

Gotta give a shoutout to this small roti shop on Tremont Street, which is the edge of our campus. I feel like the NU people who know about Ali’s should belong to a secret club. Ali’s serves up delicious Trinidadian roti skins stuffed with curried meat, cabbage, chickpeas, mango, etc. It’s a taste of home for me. It’s only open Wednesday through Saturday, which drives me insane because I always crave a roti when Ali’s isn’t open!

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Warning: journalism nerd story ahead

You know that feeling when you almost pass out after meeting a celebrity?

Just me? OK.

On Tuesday, Northeastern hosted a talk with four of the nation’s top political journalists. They report for Politico, CBS, Bloomberg, and NBC. I’ve watched NBC my entire life and always freak out when I meet someone I recognize from NBC. From a local reporter to AL ROKER (yes, he is worthy of all caps), you can trust that I’ll be starstruck. And that I’ll document the moment on this blog.

That’s what happened on Tuesday when I met Hallie Jackson, NBC’s chief White House correspondent. Most of you probably don’t watch NBC, but let me tell you: her job is the job to end all jobs. She works in the White House, knows the ins and outs of our political landscape, and has a network of incredible political contacts.

Hallie and the other three journalists gave us the inside scoop on the Trump White House. For example, when he hosts press conferences, he likes to host them before boarding his chopper so he can pretend not to hear a question he doesn’t want to answer. Another interesting tidbit I learned is that White House reporters work in really cramped quarters. One print reporter might get a space about the size of an economy plane seat.

I got to talk to Hallie after the panel and it was a surreal pinch-me moment. I’ve watched her on TV for years and she is a huge celebrity in the journalism world (at least to me). We talked about student journalism, political reporting, and internships. Then, we took a picture and I walked out ShOoK. I know that’s not a ~professional~ word, but it’s the best way to describe how I felt.

I tweeted about the panel like any good journalism student would. Hallie liked my tweet, so I think I can retire now.

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An experiential spring break

Northeastern has one of the earliest spring breaks of any college. This meant I got to attend NICAR without missing any school.

NICAR is a data journalism conference. This year, it was hosted in Newport Beach, California. Thanks to the School of Journalism, I got to attend on a scholarship. At NICAR, I ~casually~ met reporters from the NY Times, LA Times, CNN, NBC, and more.

Actual footage of me learning data journalism in SoCal.

Attending conferences is one of the little known benefits of Northeastern. NICAR was the second conference I was lucky to attend on behalf of Northeastern. It’s an invaluable opportunity to learn, make connections, and remind yourself why you love what you’re studying. If you know where to look or who to ask, you can find conference funding at Northeastern.

I wrote a post for Storybench, the School of Journalism’s website, about my experience at #NICAR19. You can read it here!

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Meet me this month!

Hey admitted students!

Congratulations on your acceptance! I will be in California this month to share my Northeastern experience at two admitted student events. If you’re from NorCal, join me in San Jose on March 24 or San Francisco on March 25.

You’ll get to meet students like me, admissions officers, and even a professor. We’re so excited to share why we love Northeastern and think you’ll be happy here, too.

As a student from the Bay, I’ll give you my hometown perspective. I’ll tell you how different Boston is from our home and give you my best advice for moving across the country.

Head here to register or find admitted student events in your area!

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Hi Alyssa, I am interested in applying to Northeastern as a Computer Science major and was wondering what comp sci classes you took in high school. I am worried that I got into coding too late in the game and and will not be prepared enough to have a strong application for Northeastern next year. Please let me know.

I took a few online CS classes, but I really didn’t have any coding experience before college. Only about 1/3rd of Khoury students have experience before taking Fundies. 

I remember in my first week of college, all the CCIS students met up in Curry. One of the deans asked us to put our heads down and raise our hand if we had prior experience. Only a third of us raised our hands. She said people without experience should take comfort that most students didn’t know how to code yet.

You can always take free online classes if you want to get ahead. But you don’t need any CS experience to apply! Fundies is designed so experienced students don’t have an advantage.

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Questions I had before attending NU: Part Two

Will I be homesick?

Probably. The best cure for homesickness is time. It also helps to keep yourself busy with activities or hanging out with friends. If you’re an international student, we have organizations for people from your part of the world. Don’t forget that you can always pick up the phone and call home.

Will I make friends?

Yes. Some people hit it off right away and they’re all set. Other people have to put in more effort to meet new friends. It will all work out. Put yourself out there and give everyone a chance.

How do I navigate the T?

You’ll get a welcome pack from the Student Government Association with a Charlie Card, which is what we use to get around Boston. Right now, it costs $2.25 per ride. But I believe the fare is going up a little bit. It’s cheaper to get a Charlie Card than to buy individual paper passes every time you ride the T. Also worth noting that a monthly or semester pass isn’t necessary unless you’re commuting every day.

What do I do on weekends?

You have lots of options. You can hang out on campus with friends or go out and explore the city. I like going to Cambridge for a change of pace, or you can check out Downtown Crossing, the Pru, or the North End.

Who do I eat meals with?

You can plan to go to the dining hall/Rebecca’s/wherever with friends or dormmates. There are also plenty of off-campus options. Something you’ll learn quickly is that there’s no shame in grabbing a meal by yourself. It can be nice sometimes.

How do I do laundry?

You have $45 laundry dollars every semester and it costs $3 for a wash and dry. That should be plenty unless you like to do your laundry frequently. Buy a laundry hamper (not a basket: they’re too bulky). The machines aren’t that hard to figure out, so you’ll be just fine.

How do I get to and from the airport?

If you’re in a rush, take Lyft or Uber. Otherwise, you can take the T. You just need to switch to the Blue Line and take a free shuttle to your terminal. Another good option is the Logan Express, which costs $3.50 per ride if you have a Charlie Card. The closest shuttle stop is Hynes Convention Center, and it’s a 15-20 minute walk from campus.

It’s been a while since I’ve been a freshman (I don’t know how this happened. Send help.). These are the questions I remember, but I’m sure I had more. Drop me a line with your questions and I’ll answer them!

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Questions I had before attending NU: Part One

As a big sister, I’ve never had a person growing up who I could ask about relevant life things. Like taking the California driver’s test (spoiler: I passed) or standardized testing tips (spoiler: I passed). But now I’m here to answer your questions about NU!

What is a middler?

A middler is a third-year completing a five-year undergraduate program (because they’re in the middle of their college years). Notice that we don’t say sophomore, junior, or senior. We call students freshmen/first-years, second-years, third-years, etc. I guess you could say we go to Hogwarts.

With people coming and going for co-op, is it hard to keep friends?

If you’ve been reading my blog a while, you know I always keep it real with you. Lots of people co-op in Boston, but many study or co-op abroad. You have to put in the work to keep in touch with people, like you’ll do with your friends from home. If your friends are also away from Boston, it’s easier because you’ll both pick up where you left off. But if your friends are in Boston and you’re not, sometimes life goes on for them. You just have to work a little harder to keep in touch.

Which LLC should I pick?

I’ve touched on this before, but LLCs won’t really impact your experience here. It will determine where you live, and then everyone will forget about it except for a few LLC-related RA programs. Seriously, don’t sweat it.

I’m coming from out-of-state. Where should I buy stuff for my room?

Target on Boylston is an absolute zoo during back-to-school season. And they actually raise prices on college dorm supplies during this time. Head to the Dorchester Target or try Bed Bath & Beyond. Make sure you have a BBB coupon! You can preorder stuff from BBB and pick it up in store, but their items are a bit overpriced. I recommend buying things from Target or shipping items from Amazon first, then checking out BBB. I can write a packing list if you’re interested...just let me know.

What’s the deal with the meal plan? Is 10 swipes per week enough?

10 swipes is more than enough. You won’t have the time (or desire, after a while) to go to the dining hall or other meal plan establishment more than 10 times a week. You can use your dining dollars to buy food around campus if you want to spice it up. You can redeem swipes at Rebecca’s, Cafe Crossing, Outtakes, or one of the three dining halls (International Village, Stetson West, Stetson East).

Where can I buy food?

We have a decent selection of grocery stores near campus: Trader Joe’s, Star Market, Whole Foods, and Stop & Shop. There are too many restaurants in Boston to name them all here, but some of my favorites are Veggie Galaxy, Blaze (#basic, I know), Mumbai Spice, and Earl’s. Unrelated PSA: Milk Bar opened a new store in Harvard Square and it is earth shattering! Go eat a compost cookie, crack pie, and birthday truffle!!

Want more? Here’s part two.

[northeastern-alyssalukpat]

The Routes of All UnEvil

I often joke that the only form of public transit in my hometown was on the back of a horse. Some KY schools even host “drive your tractor to school” days, though mine was not one of them. Instead I drove my beaten down third-Stravitz-generation ‘99 Oldsmobile, which I loved. However, and I’ll put this lightly, I am not the best driver and I always prefer riding passenger. One of my favorite things about Boston is how it’s big enough to get everything you need, yet small enough to get anywhere you need to go by public transit or walking.

In the last 4 years, I’ve been loading up my Charlie card, riding on buses, trains, and commuter rails, and I’m constantly surprised by the number of people I meet who have never taken a bus in Boston before. The sheer number (100+) may be more intimidating than the four traditional rail lines, but you just need to get to know a few routes well and the confidence to ride any route will come naturally. If it helps, go with a buddy or six before any solo rides!

Today I’ve assembled that squad of the most useful bus routes for Northeastern students based on what you might get your first tattoo, where you might co-op, and where you might go for great Chinese food.

THE NUMBER 1

Route: Dudley to Harvard

Bus length: smol

Crowd: Usually busy

Highlights: Boston Symphony Orchestra (get on here!), Newbury St, Smoot bridge crossing!!, MIT, Central Square (go to HMart), Harvard Sq

THE NUMBER 8

Route: UMass Boston to Kenmore

Bus length: smol

Crowd: Usually busy

Highlights: Ruggles (get on here!), Longwood (co-op baby), South Bay Plaza (UTLA, Target, Olive Garden, the whole gang’s here), Fenway Park

THE NUMBER 39

Route: Forest Hills to Back Bay

Bus length: long boi

Crowd: Pretty empty

Highlights: Northeastern (get on here!), Flour on Dalton St, Trader Joe’s on Boylston St, Central branch of the Boston Public Library (great place to study), Centre St in Jamaica Plain (go to City Feed and the best Goodwill in Boston)

THE NUMBER 47 (the 47 and the 8 share part of their routes between Ruggles and Longwood)

Route: Broadway to Central Sq

Bus length: smol

Crowd: Pretty empty

Highlights: Ruggles (get on here!), Longwood (co-op baby), Boston University, Central Square (seriously go to HMart), South End, SOWA (markets during the summer!)

THE NUMBER 66

Route: Dudley to Harvard Sq via Allston

Bus length: smol

Crowd: Busy busy

Highlights: Mission Hill (get on here!), Stingray Tattoo (everyone and their mom goes here to get piercings ask for Bradde!), Coolidge Corner (BIG trader joe’s, awesome little shops, great Jewish deli, and a neato oldschool theater that plays Miyazaki movies like once a month)

“Heyoooo River!” - Portlandia

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Northeastern Secrets Only Students Know

I’ve learned a lot of random facts about this school. Now you can learn these secrets before you even begin your freshman year.

Don’t worry about going to a local pharmacy for a flu shot. You can get one from University Health and Counseling Services, or UHCS, free of charge and without an appointment.

Need to print a giant (and I mean GiAnT) poster? Club Snell has printers for that.

Dialogue of Civilizations is the literal best thing ever. Participants get credit for two classes and go on the international adventure of a lifetime. Cannot recommend this enough!!

Richards Hall has a fancy golden mail chute. It actually works, so you can drop off letters #retro

Going on a global co-op? Apply for the Presidential Global Scholarship (it’s the quickest application ever) and you might receive between $1,000 and $6,000 from the university to offset your living costs abroad.

When you’re applying for co-op, we’re not just going to throw you to the wolves. NU students get access to our very own job database: NUCareers. Employers add job postings for co-ops and full time jobs. Even better, when you apply, you usually submit a resume that’s already in the database. Easy as pie.

It’s not the best kept secret, but you can get someone to take notes for you during class. The Disability Resource Center hires notetakers who will send you notes after every lecture.

Thousands of us students share jokes about our school on a secret Facebook meme page. If you commit to attending, you’ll learn what I’m talking about.

Every holiday season, campus gets decorated with festive twinkling lights.

The School of Journalism hosts Pizza Press every Thursday in Holmes. All are welcome to listen to a working journalist and eat free lunch.

I will keep adding *secrets* as I think of them. Some of them are buried in the deep recesses of my mind.

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Ah yes, Northeastern’s iconic #throwback video. This is a pretty good idea of what to expect here, sans Taco Bell (rip). Also, shout out to the HuntNews crime log!

So, i’m in the dining hall when two girls walk up to me and say this, “Uhm, you look pretty familiar, we’ve seen you around and we just pulled up the video to see, are you the guy from Northeastern State of Mind???” “Hah, yea, that’s me.” *jumping up and down* “OMG NBLANBVJDSBNALVJDFNALBNVDFKA!!!! WE KNEW IT!!!”

i’m still smiling from this.

[northeastern-alyssalukpat]

So, what’s next?

After six months of no homework on co-op, it’s going to be an adjustment to have work to do after 5 p.m. But I am so ready to be back in classes and learning from professors who are at the top of their fields!

I’m taking four classes (16 credits) this semester: web development, Spanish, journalism ethics, and digital storytelling & social media. I’m really happy with my courses—they’re super interesting and will be useful in my future career.

My schedule, however, is a bit more spread out than I want it to be. I was really spoiled last spring because my weekends started at 11:35 a.m. on Thursdays. Here’s my schedule this semester, courtesy of every NU student’s favorite class planning website: Courseoff.

It’s still a decent schedule, but I wish I started my classes earlier in the day (read: 8 a.m.) because I guess I love to torture myself in the mornings!! But I’ve met likewise crazy people who don’t start classes until 3 or 4 p.m. because they enjoy being nocturnal. You really meet all sorts of different people at this school.

On the professional side of things, I’m applying for my next co-op. I would love to work outside of Boston, but there are some jobs in this city that I’m really interested in. So we’ll see! I’m going to dig for opportunities like there’s no tomorrow, because that’s what we do at NU!

I’m still an RA, and I’m in the midst of scheduling all my meetings, programs, proctor shifts, duty shifts, one-on-one conversations with residents, etc. It’s a lot. I will be doing some freelance work for my last co-op, as well as giving tours for Husky Ambassadors and writing for Huntington News. 

As the cool kids say these days, let’s get this bread!! I’m excited for this semester and so ready to kick things off on Monday.

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Hi Alyssa, Can you share your thoughts on the following: (1) Why did you choose to go to Northeastern University (2) What's the best thing about Northeastern University Computer Science department compared to other schools in terms of academics and research opportunities?(3) What's the faculty access like? And classroom setting?

Hi,

1) I chose Northeastern because I love our urban-but-suburban campus. I thought our co-op program and global experience opportunities were special. I just had ~that~ feeling when I visited campus my junior year of high school and I knew I would be happy here. I talked more about my decision in this post.

2) In one simple word, the (newly named) Khoury College of Computer and Information Science is more competitive than other colleges at NU. You see that word manifested in the college’s academics, culture, and opportunities. CCIS (or KCCIS??) funds a lot of students to attend conferences (read my experience here) and has plenty of resources to finance other opportunities. I found that CCIS’ deans were very accessible and friendly.

3) Something I’ve learned in my last 2.5 years of college is that no matter where you go, your professors are accessible. It’s easier at some universities more than others, but you can still access your professors if you put in the effort.

Faculty access varies by college at Northeastern. My CCIS professors tend to juggle a lot more students than my journalism professors, so I find it easier to establish relationships in CAMD. But like I said, you just have to put in more effort in CCIS. Computer science professors are still accessible and open, especially if they see how hard you’re trying to make connections with them.

What I love about the School of Journalism is that it’s easy to form relationships because we’re a smaller school. One of my professors in fall 2017 knew I was interested in computer science, so she connected me with another journalism professor who was looking for students to take a data journalism class.

Classroom settings range from small classrooms with 10 students and fun spinny chairs to large lecture halls. I’ve only had two classes in lecture halls and classes get smaller the further you advance in your major.

Hope this helped :)

[northeastern-alyssalukpat]

Nov. 15: the first snow of the season!

Taken shortly before I ~WIPED OUT~ in Centennial (pictured here). Casualties include the right side of my body and my oreo milkshake (or frappe for you East Coasters).

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Does Northeastern require students to write the essay on the SAT, if not, do students have any advantage by taking the Essay?

Hello there!The SAT essay is optional for NU applicants. My best advice is to write it if you believe your score will improve your application. Otherwise, no sweat.

I wrote the essay and I got in. But I know people who didn’t and they’re here, too. So it’s entirely up to you!