2022 Orientation Issue

Letter from the Editor

"In many ways, NU has become home for me, and our community is incredibly vibrant. I hope this Orientation Issue helps you see the start of that and answers a few of your questions along the way. But we can always do better, and there are always students pushing to improve the future of the University. In your own way, I encourage you to be a part of that process, leaving NU better than you found it."

— Jacob Fulton, Editor in Chief

Navigating Northwestern

Campus

Everything you need to know coming to campus this fall.

Year in Review: NU’s top stories from 2021-22

In Northwestern’s first year fully in person since 2019, students saw evolutions in COVID-19 policies, labor fights across campus and a range of student protests. Organizations were also able to gather in person and host campus traditions, allowing students to come together for the first time in more than a year and a half.

Northwebster: A dictionary for translating Northwestern’s dialect

We’re all too familiar with the feeling when you’re introduced to a new atmosphere and you’re using Google Maps to get around campus. And when you ask for directions, you get hit with jargon like “Norbucks” and “SPAC,” and your phone returns no search results. The Daily has compiled a reference list to help you navigate this seemingly foreign language.

Welcome home, Wildcats: breaking down dorm life at Northwestern

Living in a residence hall is a huge transition, and feeling at home on campus is an integral part of adapting to life at Northwestern. We’re breaking down the ins and outs of living on campus.

A guide to Associated Student Government, Northwestern’s body of student representatives

Alongside dozens of student organizations, incoming Northwestern students have the opportunity to become involved with Associated Student Government during Fall Quarter. Ahead of the fall election cycle, here’s a guide to everything you need to know about NU’s body of student representatives.

Community spaces for marginalized students at Northwestern

Entering the first-year of college can be both difficult and stressful for anybody. However, these challenges can be even more present for students with marginalized identities entering a community they may not be familiar with. Luckily, Northwestern offers resources and communities for students of various backgrounds throughout their college experience.

Here’s how to survive Northwestern on a budget

If you identify as FGLI, here are some tips and tricks to deal with attending an institution with an abundance of wealth and an environment that isn’t always conducive to accommodating your needs.

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Exploring Evanston

City

The city is more than a college town.

Year in Review: Top stories in Evanston of the last year

In the last year, Evanston has looked to reckon with its racist history by kicking off a Restorative Housing Program, introduced mental health initiatives to provide policing alternatives and has aimed to pack its downtown with office buildings, threatening small businesses that are fighting rising food costs.

Moving to Evanston for the first time? Here’s what you need to know

When people who aren’t familiar with Northwestern ask me where I go to school, I often find myself telling them my university is in “a suburb just outside of Chicago.” Once you’re here, though, you’ll quickly realize Evanston is a strong community of 78,000 people with a long history and many sites to explore. Here’s The Daily’s overview of the city we call home.

Your guide to public transit on campus, in Evanston and around Chicago

The abundance of public transportation in Evanston and Chicago will help you move quickly around campus and head downtown to explore the U.S.’s third largest city. But with seemingly endless transit options, finding the quickest and most cost-efficient ways to get around can be daunting.

Evanston study spots you won’t want to miss

Throughout your time at Northwestern, you’ll eventually grow tired of the silence and Gothic structures of Deering Library or the rambunctious core of Main Library. Here are some of the best study spots around Evanston — if you can find a table, of course.

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From our staffers

Opinion

What we've learned being in college so far.

By Isabel Funk

Funk: Letter to my freshman self — what I wish someone had told me

After two years at this school, I’ve learned a thing or two. I might not always be the greatest at taking my own advice, but I’m here to try to put some of your worries about college at ease.

By Angeli Mittal

Mittal: Finding cohesion among polar interests

People tell you college is about trying something new, and here I was just trying to fill in the gaps high school left behind. It was nice to feel like I created some home away from home, but I quickly realized it’s not easy trying to do the same things in a new setting.

By Joanna Hou

Hou: You belong here, and you don’t need to sacrifice your well-being to prove it

Establishing boundaries ultimately made me more confident in myself and what I deserve, and I’ve fostered better relationships with friends and work as a result.

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