<p>Parents, be sure to sign up when given the chance for emailed newsletters from NU for parents of freshmen; they were very helpful. The parent sessions in the first two days of Wildcat Welcome were great, including career services and health info.
Also be sure at WWelcome that you and your child sign the form to get you access to your child’s health records (I even talked once to an NU doctor at Health Services about my son so I could reiterate her advice to him) and to their grade records (or just ask your kid for their full password for CAESAR for grades; this password must change every 90 days or so.). Lots of financial info online; we got our FA package online before even heard about it through email, etc. CAESAR password also gets you into the course schedule and CTECs (student evals of profs); my son, now a junior, still wants help from me in finding classes to take.
I learned on CC (somehow missed it in the newsletters) that you must send in proof of your child’s health insurance or buy the pricey insurance from NU.
As I recall, incoming students filled out a survey on their living habits (messy v. clean, sleep schedule, etc.) in May or June, then a form with their top 5 dorm preferences in June, and got the dorm decision and name of roommate in late July. This all was a lot later than my son’s friends who were going to semester schools that started classes a month earlier than NU.
We got lots of good advice on CC on dorm prefs (such as – if you put one of the small themed residential colleges anywhere in your top 5, you will get it, as they are not very popular). Some large non-theme residential colleges, like my son’s Shepard (which he loved) and Willard have their own websites with links from NU housing site.
My son learned a lot from the NU student Facebook group as well; some NU student groups “recruited” new members on the FB group, so he was hired by the campus newspaper before he even set foot on campus. Some kids find roommates on the FB group, but seems like NU does a good job of matching kids up by habits; even if they don’t become buddies, they have no issues sharing a room.
My son loved his pre-orientation program, Freshmen Urban Program (Google for FUP website). There are several other pre-WWelcome programs which are great to have when your child’s local friends have already left town. These programs costs extra, but were well worth it (FUP I think was $200).
In early summer the incoming freshmen in Weinberg also turn in their preferences for their freshmen writing seminar (small class–around 15). The seminar prof is their frosh advisor (good to talk a few minutes before class or after), and a student peer advisor also attends the seminar.<br>
My son and I also recommend NOT trying to ace the placement tests and instead do NOT take the highest level course you are qualified for through AP credits or placement exams. It is a rare high school class that gives you as good a foundation in a subject as an intro NU course. Plus it’s nice to have one or two easy classes your first quarter when so much in your life is new. It’s hard to go from being a top HS student to an average student at NU…
And buy your kid some Wildcat apparel if you haven’t already!
Enjoy!
From a proud Wildcat Mom</p>