By Jill Campbell
Like most college students, Briyah Paley has opinions about her life on campus. Last year the junior journalism major had the opportunity to express those opinions by publishing a book.
Paley first heard of College Prowler, a newly-founded college guidebook publishing company based out of Pittsburgh, through an e-mail newsletter for aspiring journalists.
“I e-mailed [them] right away and said I’d like to do it,” Paley said. “They already had someone doing one from NU, so they didn’t need me. However, a few months later, I got a phone call saying the student had decided not to do it and I had a phone interview for the position. Then I got hired.”
“Northeastern University: Off the Record” hit the shelves of the Northeastern bookstore at the beginning of this school year.
The book is part of a series in which each installment is partially written by a current student who collects other students’ opinions about several categories of campus life. Each category has its own section, consisting mostly of student quotes. The author then offers his or her own opinion on the topic and gives the university a grade of A through F on it.
“It took about six months [to collect all of the quotes],” Paley said. “Students’ opinions were a big factor in the final grades because I don’t think it’s fair to write a guidebook with just my own opinions.”
In addition to topics such as academics, housing, dining and athletics, College Prowler also includes more socially-relevant categories: nightlife, Greek life, guys/girls and campus strictness.
“My own college search experience taught me the importance of gaining true insider insight,” wrote Luke Skurman, CEO and co-founder of College Prowler, in his introduction to the book. “After all, shouldn’t you hear about a school from the people who know it best?”
The highest grade went to “Local Atmosphere.” The anonymous students quoted all seem to love Boston, which, according to one student, is “positively the best college town.”
The only drawback mentioned is the high cost of living. Students generally agree that classes related to their major are interesting because they are passionate about the topics, while classes that are just core requirements can be boring. In other high-scoring areas of Northeastern life, students concur the food is decent, the facilities are beautiful and the A-minus girls are slightly hotter than the B-plus guys.
The worst grade on NU’s report card is a D for parking. Interviewed students agree Boston is not the greatest place to drive, and great public transportation, combined with the high price of parking, makes having a car inconvenient unless needed for co-op.
Nearly as low are the C-minus grades given to “very limited” Greek life and “atrocious” weather, Paley wrote.
Student quotes provide an insider’s point of view for prospective students, but students’ remarks often contradict each other. In her introduction to the book, Paley mentions Northeastern’s trend toward more difficult academics, citing the increases in freshman class GPAs and SAT scores from 2003 to 2004. A few pages later, students are quoted as saying that “[exam] questions were pretty basic,” and that “on the whole, academics are on the easy side.”
Overall, Northeastern’s students seem to like their school a little too much to fit the College Prowler image. The orange and black cover looks almost sinister. It also includes a disclaimer that “The Opinions Expressed in This Book Have Not Been Reviewed by the University,” implying the book will contain information the university would not want released. The image is a bit misleading, since the majority of student opinions and ratings in the book are positive.
“Once the book is written,” Skurman wrote, “additional students serve as editors to check for accuracy even more extensively.”
While the book may have been edited repeatedly for accuracy of opinions, general editing was apparently not as extensive. There are numerous errors in punctuation and style, as well as incorrect or absent words.
“I was in touch with one editor, but they added another one toward the end,” Paley said. “I didn’t get a final look at the book, which is unfortunate. I don’t think [the errors] are too harmful, because hopefully students will realize that they are incorrect. I wish I could have had the opportunity to change them.”
Some of the most amusing typos include the description of West Village A, B and C as housing 100 percent first-year students, and a page that claims to provide “The Lowdown on Visiting Towson” (a completely different university).
A list of “Famous NU Graduates” includes Justin Timberlake as a 1994 graduate, which is not exactly possible, since the well-known pop singer was only thirteen years old in the supposed year he obtained his degree.
“It’s not the Justin Timberlake you are thinking of,” Paley said. “There is actually another musician named Justin Timberlake. You can Google him. I do see that it is a little deceiving, but it is not wrong.”
Despite some editorial errors, “Northeastern University: Off the Record” provides a positive view of NU. Paley is pleased with the result and with the experience.
“It feels great. My friends all got copies and I signed them,” she said. “I’m excited to put it on my resum
