“What’s your major?” 

This is the ever-so-classic unavoidable question most college students face. Typically, it’s one of the first things you share when introducing yourself. But there’s often a question that comes soon after, one that can be harder to answer — “Why did you pick Northeastern?”

I started seriously looking for colleges in my freshman year of high school. I zeroed in on Ivy Leagues and high-profile STEM colleges, my sights set on being an engineer. I never could’ve predicted that four years later, the course I’m on now — somewhere along the communication studies path — would be the one I’d eventually choose.

When application season rolled around two years later, I didn’t apply to any Ivy League colleges. I realized that focusing on prestige over happiness wouldn’t do anything positive for me. I needed to find a place that fit me, rather than struggling to fit into an environment that didn’t work out because it looked or sounded “better.”

In the midst of struggling to find colleges that would fit me better, I found Northeastern mostly by accident. My dad and I were driving through Boston in early 2023 and passed by the campus, and on a whim decided to check it out. I was tired, having already been on a weekend of college tours, but within 15 minutes of looking around campus, I’ll admit that I was absolutely in love — the (unfortunately now-gone) “book stairs,” beautiful buildings and the amount of outdoor space, and more, were amazing.

I decided to apply Early Decision I, and I found out that I was accepted in December 2023.

The co-op program was a huge draw for me, as it is for most students at Northeastern. Combined majors offered more opportunities for me to explore and find what major I’d like without having to take on a double major. 

My dreams of being an engineer had toned down by then, and I was looking into pursuing art and design. As I went further into the list of majors that Northeastern offered, I came across communication studies. I didn’t know that existed as a major before then, but it looked interesting and I wanted to know more. I talked to my adviser about what I wanted to do in life, and she recommended communication studies combined with design. While I’m not on the design part of the track anymore, communication studies really was a perfect fit for me.

In regards to location, Boston is a wonderful place to spend your college years. There’s over 30 colleges in the area, so there’s no shortage of people your age to meet and connect with. This is especially important for those struggling to find community at their own school, those with a less common major or niche interest. There’s tons of affordable activities to do and things to see, and you’re not limited to a tiny college town. The city around me has ensured I don’t feel stuck or stranded.

I’m not sure what I thought college would be like. A lot of media depicts it in a glorified light, with flashy parties and an astonishing amount of alcohol and drugs. On the flip side, if studying is a main focus in a piece of media, it tends to be cliche or hyperfocused on elite institutions like Ivy Leagues. Both of these sides tend to be very exaggerated. 

I wasn’t sure which side Northeastern would fall on — it’s a very academically rigorous school, but there’s a lot of access to nightlife and other “party” activities. I’ve never been much of a partygoer, and I find myself sticking to the academic side of the scale. 

But the thing is, college is different for everyone. College life is more of a spectrum, with some preferring social aspects like parties or nightlife, and others preferring academics — a spectrum that’s prone to shift depending on a students’ schedule or workload, but the shifts are different for everyone. 

Personally, I’ve found more fulfillment in my small group of friends and focusing on clubs and classes, but that doesn’t mean that’s automatically what’s right for someone else. At Northeastern, there’s plenty of room for students to participate in whichever activities they find best for them, allowing them to explore new interests and figure out new things about themselves. If Northeastern was in a place like a small college town, there wouldn’t be those same opportunities.

Although, a lot of media focusing on young adults in college fail to show the struggles and challenges that many students face in a realistic manner. 

Moving away from home and learning to live independently isn’t easy. While I’ve found so much joy in my friends and the connections I’ve made at Northeastern, there’s still a lot of stress. Northeastern’s resources aren’t always able to provide the level of support that I need, and learning to find alternative resources can be difficult.

I love Northeastern — I really do. Though, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t fall short in several aspects. These issues include their removal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, overcrowding and unsafe dining halls for people with allergies. 

Every institution, by nature, will have issues. There’s no such thing as a “perfect” college. But instead of rejecting the institution entirely, it’s better to work together to put pressure on the higher-ups to fix said issues, and continue to apply pressure until the problems are fixed.

I firmly believe that, with enough work, we as students can help remedy these issues. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and giving up does no good.

College has brought many surprises, both positive and negative. But no matter where I ended up, I would still be facing a lot of these challenges. I’m not sure of what the future holds.

But I know one thing for sure — if I could go back and do it all over again, I’d still pick Northeastern.

Antaine Anhalt is a first-year communication studies major and columnist for The News. He can be reached at [email protected].