So you spent Summer 2015 on campus, and it was everything you imagined it to be and more. From being able to go outside without twelve layers of clothing on to having a more flexible schedule, summering in Boston was exactly what you wanted. What you seemed to forget along the way, however, is that a summer spent on Northeastern’s campus is sure to be followed by a new semester that can feel baffling for more than a few reasons. No matter how overwhelming your first semester of freshman year was, nothing can compare to the shock of a new fall semester after summering on campus.
10. Mile-long lines at Rebecca’s.
During the summer, you could stroll into Rebecca’s at any hour of the day and expect to wait only a few minutes for a freshly made Bello Bello or Rebecca Roll. Now that fall semester is back in session, expect to wait in lines for up to 30 minutes for your coveted sandwich. Some savvy students even try to schedule their classes around a Rebecca’s break (not a joke).
Pro-tip: Check out the new Café Crossing! Located at the back of IV and replacing Jamba Juice is a tiny yet delicious cafe that accepts meal swipes in exchange for a salad or sandwich, chips, and a drink. The cafe can be counted on to have a shorter wait than Rebecca’s, and also allows you to make your own sandwich or protein bowl if that’s your thing!
9. Clubs take up a lot of your free time.
Even though many Northeastern students choose to spend their summer in Boston due to co-op, summer classes, or apartment leases, clubs and student activities usually tend to wind down in the summer. Groups may forego their weekly meetings for more casual meet-ups, or put club business entirely on hold until the fall. The excitement of having your schedule once again full of club meeting is coupled with the sudden stress of no longer having the same free time you did this summer!
8. How does one “Friday class”??
Summer classes at NU aren’t typically scheduled on Fridays, allowing for many students to travel out of state or relax at home over numerous three day weekends. Sitting in a Friday class during this new semester can feel pretty bizarre, especially with temperatures still in the 90s. Remind me how to Friday class?!?
7. The wonderful convienence of a lunch hour.
It’s not out of the ordinary to love your co-op dearly, yet still count on your lunch hour as the only thing getting you through the day (and work-week). Whether this block of time was paid or unpaid, you relied on it as not only time for you to eat, but to breathe! It’s totally normal to have made the mistake of not scheduling lunch into your class schedule, and to now sit hungrily through lectures longing for the days of the office cafeteria.
6. People are scary. Large hordes of people are terrifying.
During the summer, you got totally used to strolling across campus and expecting to run into very few people. Library computers were always available, dining halls were empty, and you never had to slow down your walking pace after getting stuck in a crowd. So now that everyone’s back, you’ve realized you’re totally afraid of people. Like to an extreme degree. And it’s really freaking you out that they are EVERYWHERE.
5. How to dress like a college student/adult/real person.
Whether you spent your summer waitressing at UNO’s or continuing to work at your co-op downtown, chances are your daily uniform was a little different than what you might wear to class. Instead of relying on your few pieces of business professional attire, you’ve now got too many options in your closet to choose from. Why does everything you own suddenly feel too revealing??
4. Freshmen can be an anxiety trigger.
I love freshmen. I loved being a freshman. I love getting to know new freshmen and welcoming them to Northeastern. However, their lack of Boston/campus wherewithal can sometimes be a little shocking, especially if you spent all summer on campus in an upperclassmen-only zone. You can look forward to the days when the new freshmen will feel comfortable entering the dining halls in less than groups of twenty, but for now any interactions with their packs cause your stress levels to skyrocket.
3. Your friend group would someday return!
One side effect of spending your summer in the area surrounding the great Huntington Avenue is that you sort of forgot you had non-summer friends. While you were here these last few months, those few friends who were in Boston with you became your life-line. Maybe you made new friends, or became closer with acquaintances as a tactic to ward off loneliness. It’s too bad that now that your old friends are back, you’re so busy it’s hard to meet up with them! If only they had spent the summer here with you…
2. Winter is coming.
This past year, we as a city strongly overcame superstorm Juno and never looked back. As the days got longer and longer, you let go of any memory of climbing over snowbanks only to get splashed with slush by the MBTA buses. Now that it’s fall, everyone’s favorite Game of Thrones phrase seems eerily too fitting: “Winter is coming.”
1. College goes by incredibly fast.
When spending lazy summer days enjoying the Public Gardens or getting your tan on at Revere Beach, it can seem like summer (and college) will last forever. This past summer, you entirely forgot that college is continuing to race by, and this fall you find it hard to believe how little you actually have left. No matter how much a summer on campus made you forget about the real Northeastern, it’s safe to say that nothing could allow you to forget your incredible years spent at college. Here’s to another year, Huskies!