NEIU: A transfer student's view

On my first day of classes here, something struck me as odd. As I navigated my way from class to class, I tried to put my finger on it. With the sun shining and the campus abuzz with the conversations of new and returning classmates, I struggled for a moment trying to figure out what was so different about NEIU.

Then it hit me. There were no beeping horns, blaring sirens or rattling L tracks included in the ambient noise around me. I was walking to class without fearing for my life amidst heavy traffic. The people who crossed my path were just students and professors; there were no businessmen, tourists or homeless people to compete with for sidewalk space. I was able to look up and see a big, blue sky instead of tall buildings. I'd never experienced being a part of a traditional college campus before that moment.

I've just transferred to NEIU from Columbia College in the South Loop, and the two campuses could not be more different. I loved it at Columbia, but I decided last year that I wanted to major in education instead of journalism, and NEIU was the obvious choice. I had been to NEIU's campus before, so it wasn't completely foreign to me, but I never really got it until that first day.

NEIU is this hub of learning and making friends, tucked into Chicago's north side, that maintains its own unique college culture. It's different from other universities because there is no on-campus housing, and that makes for an interesting observation. While no one lives on campus, many people seem comfortable hanging around after classes let out, and making friends seems to be almost effortless.

At Columbia, making friends wasn't easy. Many people just went to class and went home, and the people who lived on campus already had their own little bubble of friends that was never easily popped. That's not to say I didn't make friends because I actually made some really amazing ones, but it wasn't until I immersed myself in the campus culture (for me it was an on-campus job) did I really get to know people.

At NEIU, many students seem willing to get involved with the school and immerse themselves in its college culture. Perhaps part of it is because it's a commuter campus and being involved makes it that much more worthwhile to make the commute.

Whatever the case may be, I'm glad to be attending NEIU, and I look forward to the (hopefully) two years it will take to get my degree. While I do miss Columbia, I'm happy to be majoring in education at Chicago's best school for it, and the fact that I actually enjoy being on NEIU's campus is just an added bonus.