On October 18, first year College of Science students attended the College of Science Organization Fair!
First-year students at Northeastern University who are a part of the College of Science are required to take the class INSC1000, Intro to Science. This introductory course allows these students to become familiar with the resources Northeastern offers to students who pursue a major within the College of Science. The COS Student Organization Fair is just one of these resources.
In total 31 student organizations participated and over 250 students stopped by the event. Organizations spanned all areas of science, from subject-related clubs to clubs offering volunteer opportunities to clubs that help connect undergraduate students with research opportunities.
“As a newer club, we really count on fairs like this. As such, it was really cool to find some students passing our table starting to recognize us from our repeated tabling efforts,” said Eddie Berman, a third-year student double majoring in mathematics and applied physics who represented the Mathematics Engagement and Mentorship Association (MathEMA).
MathEMA pairs underclassmen studying mathematics with upperclassmen mentors to help them learn more about the mathematics department at Northeastern. They also host informative workshops that aim to familiarize underclassmen with skills needed in the field of mathematics. Berman said that the fair was successful for this organization, and that they were even able to recruit a few new mentees!
Thira Boonrawd, a fourth-year behavioral neuroscience major, represented the College of Science Student Diversity Advisory Council (COSSDAC). COSSDAC creates a supportive space for underrepresented students in the College of Science through general meetings, activities, mentorship programs, and volunteering opportunities.
Boonrawd enjoyed the experience of being able to talk to the first-year students. She said she “felt that we were able to get them excited about volunteering and being involved in the College of Science.” COSSDAC also considered the student organization fair a success since they received signups from first-year students who seemed passionate about the opportunities that the organization provides.
Jamie Stump is the vice president of PsyClub, Northeastern’s student run psychology club. She thought the Student Organization Fair was successful for PsyClub and is excited to see new faces at their next meeting.
PsyClub holds a variety of academic and recreational meetings during the year, with one of their most popular meetings being a co-op panel where psychology students who have been on co-op already discuss their experiences.
“The most impactful interaction I had was meeting a couple of students who gave me suggestions for what TV show we should watch at our next movie night,” says Stump.
For both first-year students looking for student orgs to join and the representatives of the student orgs, this event was an overall success. This event is the only extracurricular fair where exclusively College of Science student organizations are present, so students studying science were able to easily find clubs that align with their academic experience.
The COS Student Organization Fair was sponsored by the COS Student Leadership Council (SLC). The SLC is comprised of representatives from over 30 COS student organizations, and it aims to connect student leaders from science-related clubs.
