Details

• United States of America
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

Application tips: -(interview)Have a clear explanation for why you want to go. Don’t try to say what you think the interviewers expect to hear; instead, talk honestly about what truly inspires you to go on the exchange semester and how it can help you grow both personally and academically. By doing this, you’ll not only improve your semester abroad experience, but you will also stand out, because interviewers will not just hear your motivation they will feel it. -When selecting universities for your exchange, make sure to check the types of courses they offer, as these can be a deciding factor in your choice of universities. Semester abroad preparation tips: -Make sure to research the cost of living in the place you want to go -Check what vaccinations you need to do. Sometimes universities require translations of the vaccines you have got, as well as ask you to make new ones -Carefully read the insurance policy, and estimate how much it would cost to visit a doctor or the emergency room -Decide if you plan traveling during your exchange semester or not, and estimate how much it would cost

2. Accommodation

I didn’t mind living on campus at first, but they didn’t guarantee a spot until it was too late to look for something more affordable, and the rooms were extremely expensive, often shared with at least two other people. The only advantage was living close to campus, but for the same price you could share an apartment with three other people nearby and have your own room. Because of that, I decided to look for accommodation off campus, ideally somewhere very close to the metro, since I don’t trust U.S. buses. At one point, I checked whether any families were offering rooms in their homes for students, and I found one at homestay.com . Honestly, it was the best money-saving decision I made in the United States. My room was huge, I shared a large bathroom with another girl living there, and I stayed in a quiet and safe area in a big house for less than I would have paid for university housing. Toilet paper was even included at no extra cost. The only downside was that it took me at least 40 minutes to get to the university. My advice would be: If you don’t mind sharing a room with others and want to meet more people at the university, I highly recommend living on campus. Otherwise, it’s better to look for other accommodation options.

3. Academic life at host university

Our campus was great, even though sometimes it was hard to tell where the campus ended and the city began. We had plenty of study spaces, including multiple libraries. I found the professors to be far more engaging and open compared to my experience at WU. They genuinely try to get to know you as a person and understand your life experience, and they’re also interested in learning from you. Northeastern University offers a wide variety of courses across many fields, which was a real treasure for me. I didn’t have to choose only business-related classes, so I decided to challenge myself by trying engineering instead. As a student, you also get access to labs, workshops, a free gym, an ice skating rink and much more. Please take full advantage of these opportunities!!! You will never regret it, and you might even discover a new hobby. There are over 600 student clubs, and they’re well funded - you learn something new even with no prior experience. I joined the aerospace engineering club, and within one semester we built a mini rocket that was later launched. I don’t think I would have ever had an experience like that otherwise.

5. Every day life in the host country

Boston’s public transportation is good by U.S. standards, but you should expect significant delays and occasional shutdowns, usually at least once a month. If I needed to arrive on time for sure, I would leave about an hour before class, even though the trip itself took around 40 minutes when nothing went wrong. The trains and buses are clean, travel is generally easy, and as a student I was able to get a semester pass for about 320 dollars for 4 months. There are also commuter rail lines that connect Boston with nearby cities. They’re usually expensive, except on weekends, when you can travel unlimited for just $10 with a weekend pass. Boston is very safe overall. Walking in the city center at night felt fine, and there are relatively few homeless people. If someone stops you on the street, especially if they appear homeless, it’s best not to engage and to keep walking. Boston hosts many public events, such as outdoor movie screenings, drone shows and more. However, most sports and other events I attended took place on my university campus.

6. Testimonial

I feel like I experienced things I would have never had the chance to experience otherwise. I attended a rocket launch, worked in labs alongside other engineers, and took part in numerous workshops.