On the busiest moving day of the year, Northeastern helps hundreds of students settle into off-campus housing
Northeastern students and their parents didn’t have to go it alone as they move into nearby housing in the Mission Hill and Fenway neighborhoods.
Northeastern University student Leila Charles hadn’t even finished unpacking her belongings before she saw a familiar face walking the streets of Mission Hill.
It was a fellow Northeastern student with whom Charles was close friends, Annabelle Lien.
The two fourth-year business major students had become fast friends their freshman year, and they just so happened to catch each other on Monday morning as hundreds of Northeastern students moved into off-campus housing in the neighborhood.
“There’s so many people around,” Charles said after the chance encounter in excitement.
They were in good company. Sept. 1 is considered one of the busiest move-in days in Boston, especially for college students, explained John Tobin, vice president of City and Community Engagement at Northeastern University. That’s when many leases begin to coincide with the start of the academic year.
Luckily, Northeastern students and their parents don’t have to go it alone as they move into nearby housing in the Mission Hill and Fenway neighborhoods, Tobin explained.
“Even though these are private residences and leases with the student and their landlords, we just realized years ago it’s really important for us to come up and help run the process in conjunction with the city and Boston Police,” he said.
More than 40 volunteers working with Off Campus Engagement and Support were on hand Monday, providing students and their families with parking passes, water and helpful information about living off campus and being good neighbors.
Among those volunteers were Ahona Azman, a fourth-year business and psychology major, and Namrata Shajwani, a master’s degree student studying extended realities in the College of Art Media and Design.
Both live off campus and are community ambassadors, serving as resources for new students going through the off-campus move-in process.
“One of the things that we are doing today is helping people with parking, letting them know about the rules and regulations and letting them know how long they can park” on a certain street, said Azman.
In addition to giving them parking passes, the volunteers also provided other helpful information on local government services, added Shajwani.
Both said they decided to volunteer this year because they know how stressful the moving process can be. Azman said it took her a few years to get a handle on the move-in process, especially off campus.
“When I came across the community ambassador program with Off Campus Engagement and Support, I thought that was a great opportunity for me to help out people that are looking for support of that nature,” she said.
In addition to providing face-to-face support, the university also hired a private trash removal service to assist in the cleanup from move-in day.
“It takes about 19 to 20 tons of extra trash off Fenway and Mission Hill just to help our neighbors because we know it’s stressful for them when you get a new group of kids who are moving in Sept. 1 to start the school year,” Tobin said.
Editor’s Picks
Thanks to the university’s hard work, the move-in process went smoothly for many off-campus students, including third-year business students Sean Piazza and Andrew Milnes, who were thankful for Northeastern’s support, particularly for the free water.
“We’re making great time,” said Milnes. “We did a lot of pre-packing yesterday and loaded it all up.”
Piazza and Milnes are rooming together with one other roommate in Mission Hill. All are doing co-ops in Boston’s financial district and are excited to gain some more independence from living off campus.
Nicole Swan, a third-year business administration student, said she appreciated the university giving off-campus students access to move-in carts, which made the process of carrying some of her larger items much easier.
“You just need to show them your ID,” she said.
She added she’s excited to be within close distance to Newbury Street.
Imogen Slavin, a third-year student studying data science and public health, was thankful for how easy the parking situation was. She was able to park and unload her belongings right in front of her apartment.
“Having the parking passes has been very helpful,” she said.
University News
-
Northeastern grads launch health care startup to reduce post-surgical infections and optimize clinical workflows -
Northeastern research finds aerobic fitness and lower body fat are associated with better mental health outcomes in children -
From finding friends to finding a major, Northeastern students share advice for first-year students to ease their transition
