<p>-Like others said, coming into NEU undecided is not usually a problem. HOWEVER, if you have lots of APs or transfer credits or any sort of oddity that would knock out your core curriculum courses, it will be a little more difficult. That was the situation I was in, and while it has allowed me to complete my courses faster, I have not had as much room for electives outside my major. Because I had filled lots of my core, I started taking my major classes immediately.
With regard to undecided and co-op, as long as you’re decided by the end of freshman year, you should be all set. I was even able to coordinate with the co-op adviser of a different major to get access to more jobs (I’m psych, I wanted to work in a school, had to go through the ed dpt).</p>
<p>-Boston itself IS a college. I have friends at Emerson, Berkley, and Wentworth (our neighbor). You just tend to meet people everywhere, like at college night at the museum of science. Or bars. Or concerts. Or on the T.
Boston is definitely a walking town. Even though you can’t drive from anywhere to anywhere, you can certainly walk it. Hell, I even walk over the bridge to Harvard Square in Cambridge!</p>
<p>-Co-op is not a university-wide requirement. That being said, some majors require you to take one co-op. Some, like architecture, require three. The way it works is that you’re allowed to take it starting in the spring of your sophomore year. If you took that first opportunity, you would not take classes during that spring and summer 1 semester, you would just work at a full time 9-5 job with pay. Then, in July, you would start classes again (two in July/Aug for summer 2, and four in the fall semester). Wash rinse repeat. You could also start co-op in July (summer 2, through the end of December of the Fall semester). That schedule means you’d take summer 1 (May/June) classes before going out on co-op. There is also a mandatory class (about 5 sessions of resume/interview/professional stuff) to take during the fall/spring semester before you plan to go on your first co-op.
Regarding money: depends on your major. Personally, as a psych major, I made 10.50/hr on my first co-op and 10/hr on my second… before taxes. I made more at my summer job between HS and college. My friends in comp sci? 17-20/hr. I hate them.</p>
<p>-I’m not sure about the grad school stuff. I plan to go eventually (cause you can’t do anything with just a BS in psych), but not until I work for a little while to figure out what I specifically want to go FOR. I thought I was all set to be a high school guidance counselor, but after working in a school for six months on a co-op, I’m having second thoughts.
I, like many people, thought that co-op would be just as hard as classes. That I’d be constantly tested and challenged. For me, in my major, I wasn’t. It was an entry level job that gave me experience and references. Your Mileage May Vary, but I will emphasize that co-op is a 9-5 JOB, not a school or any sort of formal learning experience.</p>