User Profile
ashan
Northwestern University '12
Majoring in Psychology
Member since 7/1/2010
A
What's It Like Being a Psych Major?
Psychology is one of the most popular departments in WCAS, and for good reason. There are some really great professors and great classes (Human Sexuality is pretty legendary). There are some core psych classes to take (psych 101, stats, and research methods—ick), but once you get those out of the way, you are free to choose the classes that interest you most. Some related classes in other science fields are required. There is also a lot of opportunity to get involved in research. Beware potential clinicians! Most Northwestern professors are science-orientated, so therapy is not the focus! And Freud? Forget about it!
Jul 01, 2010
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A-
Beautiful Campus: Outdated Student Center
Northwestern has some great facilities: The Great Room, The Library, SPAC, The Shakespeare Garden, Willard, I could go on. The campus is gorgeous in fall and spring. There are also some not so great facilities too: Blomquist Gym, Norris (the student center), the architecture of the main library, and some of the dorms are ancient (and not in the Hogwarts kind of way). But the good outweighs the bad by far, and there are a lot of plans in the works to make Northwestern a better functioning campus (freshman quad renovations, new late-night dining place in Willard).
Jul 01, 2010
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C+
You Win Some, You Lose Some.
Well, winter quarter gets an F, and spring and fall are As, so that averages out to like a C+/B-, don't you think? It's cold walking by the lake in the middle of February, but I promise, it gets better!
Jul 01, 2010
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B+
Mixed Bag-Not the Best Dating Scene
I would say, on average, girls are more attractive than the guys. But there is a lot of variety. I've seen some gorgeous girls on campus and good-looking guys too. I prefer tall men, and Northwestern guys seem to run on the short side. Not everyone is beautiful, but everyone makes up for it in some way or another. Dating is pretty rare on campus. A lot of people have boyfriends or girlfriends from home (including me), or they just hook up casually. I have no idea if it's because people are socially awkward or people like not having a dating scene. Maybe a little of both.
Jul 01, 2010
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Be Safe, Not Sorry
Campus is pretty safe at night. I never feel scared walking alone. Right off campus it gets a little shadier, and there have been muggings in the past. Use SafeRide or the shuttle if you can, or walk in groups and you should have no problem. Use more caution when in Chicago or riding the El late at night or alone, obviously.
Jul 01, 2010
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A-
Something for Everyone
With around 40 chapters, there are a lot of opportunities to get involved in Greek Life on campus. I'm a member of Panhellenic sorority, and so far I've had a great experience. Chapters are very diverse, and in my experience, there is no hazing or pressure to drink alcohol. One bad thing about Greek life at NU is all the ridiculous gossip blogs and websites that insecure and immature people use to bring down certain chapters and even individual people. It's quite childish. But for the most part, Greek life is a positive institution at Northwestern.
Jul 01, 2010
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Some self-segregation, but if you make the effort, you can find diversity
I've found that there is a lot of self-segregation by religion, race, ethnicity, sexual-orientation, etc. Many people choose to hang out with carbon copies of themselves. It's easily avoided, if you make an effort to step outside the box. Join a lot of groups, go out and meet people. It only seems like NU is homogeneous if you're sticking around people who are just like you.
Jul 01, 2010
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Go U!
I personally LOVE LOVE LOVE Northwestern. The campus location is great, right on the lake and next to one of the greatest cities in the world. The student community is vibrant, with millions of things going on every week. The academic community is thriving, and our sports teams aren't too shabby, either. The social scene is a bit tricky to figure out, but most everyone settles comfortably into place sooner or later. Overall, Northwestern is a great school, and I wouldn't trade my experience for anything.
Jul 01, 2010
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B
Residence Colleges are Great
They aren't for everyone, and some are better than others. Willard is the best, for its spacious rooms, non-theme, celebrity alums, and serious pride. But housing is a mixed bag at NU (res hall or college), but in the end, it's the people you live with, rather than the dated decor of your dorm. But seriously, things are getting better, and NU's putting some money into renovating housing.
Jul 01, 2010
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