My first semester at Northeastern University, Boston

Ranked 39th in the US, Northeastern University is a great place to study. I study Computer Science as a graduate student. I joined in Spring 2016.

University

Coming from a non-computers background, I found the first semester real challenging. We spent a lot of hours in the library. The lecturers and Teaching Assistants are helpful and approachable. I had the opportunity to take some great courses with the best professors in the school. Every subject was a learning experience for me.

You may have less time for fun if you are in computer science. Still, you can find time in the summer or on an occasional holiday. Be prepared to spend a lot of time in the library on weekends, as there will be assignments. Midterms, class projects, team projects, assignment submissions, quizzes will be common terms in daily language.

On-campus jobs are hard to find in your first semester. I got my first on-campus job after 8 months.

Boston

Founded in 1640, Boston is a small and well-connected city. The roads are small compared to other cities, as it is the one of the oldest cities in the US. Students usually live near their university, despite high rents. Various types of transport – the Boston T’s green, orange, red, and silver lines and ferry –  connect the different parts of the city. There are many awesome restaurants. MIT, Harvard, and Boston University are all less than 15 minutes from one another. The Museum of Fine Arts is a 3-minute walk from the university.

Enough text – here are some pictures from my camera:

Above: University entrance, January 2016

Above: My first winter

Above: Walk to the College of Computer Science

Above: Walk to Boston Harbor. Great place to hang out on a summer evening

Above: The sun peeping out from under Tobin Bridge

Above: 4th of July celebrations on the Charles River

Above: Quincy Market at Thanksgiving

Above: Vinayaka Chaviti celebrations in our apartment

Above: New York City is just 4 hours by bus. Tickets start at $5 on Wanderu.com

Above: The Niagara Falls are 6-hour drive from Northeastern University. An Indian driver’s license is valid for a year. Be sure to insure yourself and your car before you drive (the rates are unbelievable)

Above: Amazing food in Boston, and meals cooked in our apartment

Above: Groceries at Patel Brothers and Indian Market. Monthly expenses for groceries and utilities when you are on a budget is up to $ 150. We buy vegetables from Haymarket (outdoor market)

Overall, Northeastern University is a great place for to study (at least for computer science).

Text and images by: Seshasai Srivatsav. This is a slightly edited version of a post that originally appeared on Quora. You can read the original post here.

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