Sinanation

Picking a college is like picking a home for yourself. You have to fit its budget and it has to fit yours. There is always a possibility to transfer, but it is harder than it seems. All the guides and college tours aside the best feedback is to talk to the friends, students and the residents living around the campus. Yet, most of the time we are not lucky enough to find people who are close enough to be frank about their experiences.

I had a great time at Northwestern because I already had close friends attending the school there. I jumped right into a great comfort zone. Despite its academic excellence, I wish someone warned me about these few points on NU before I made the happiest transfer of my life from Carnegie Mellon University. Here are my takes on my college as an international undergrad:

• Beware of the quarter system. It means you will have three shortened semesters per year with equally intense schedules. 3x the huge stress of having finals. 3x the stress of getting into the classes you want with the recommended professors. School will start in September. You will say farewell to all your semester friends at the end of August. The summer will be over, but you will have another 3 weeks to kill without great weather or social life. The Christmas vacation will be tougher as you will be required to start classes right after new year’s. Your semester friends will be back home relaxing and partying until the end of January. Comes May, 90% of the college life will be done for the year, but you will wait until June to start the summer.
• Northwestern has a really weak international crowd. Kellogg is better in that aspect, but the graduate students might be too mature for your first 2 years.  If you think, you will get the chance to have friends from all over the world, you will most likely be mistaken. You might find a few Turks, French, Arabs and Indians here and there, but most of the time you will hang out with American friends from the Midwest who have never been to Europe or Asia, let alone your country. You will be bombarded with basic introductory questions like “Where is your country located?” and “How long is the flight there?”.
• Although Northwestern is full of fraternities and sororities, it is not entertaining like Brown, Syracuse or UVA. People come here for engineering and most live by it for 4 years. Do not expect a lot of weekend campus parties.
• Getting a job in the East Coast (a.k.a. New York) will be tougher at and after Northwestern as all the career fairs and companies will focus on Chicago and the rest of the Midwest.
• Winter time at Northwestern can be compared to the North Pole. Your eyes will want to cry but your tears will be frozen before they make it to your cheeks. The cold Michigan wind will give you migraines, but the snow will give you some of the most amazing scenery along the campus and Evanston. Scarves, gloves, hats, multiple jackets and hand warmers will be common accessories.

Going through all the above, you have to keep in mind that I haven’t been the most active or successful undergrad in school. I hang out with my friends from home most of the time, not giving much of a chance to expanding my social network. That was my mistake and I know that I would try harder if I were to go back a few years. I would have also focused only on the classes I was passionate about (that means skipping the multi-dimensional math classes) to keep the grades high and boost the GPA. Maybe then the job search in New York would have been easier. Still in all the instances when I gave it a try, I found myself struggling more in the points I listed above. I had to point them out.

Once you are aware of these 5 points, you should expect one of the most amazing campuses in the U.S. constructed right beside the Michigan Lake. I believe Northwestern needs no introduction when it comes to prestige and academics. If you have room in your schedule, take the Undergraduate Leadership Program. It will give you a completely new vision that will apply to your life post-graduation. You should also know that Evanston is a great town to be in school with luxurious off-campus residences, good restaurants, a few dive bars and a great movie theatre. If you are looking to shop or go more urban, the Old Orchard Mall and downtown Chicago are both minutes away by car or train.

This new Asian restaurant, opened in March 2009, is a blessing for Chicago. A very close friend took us this weekend and everything he ordered were unique and delicious. Sunda was named after the Sunda Shelf, an Asian area of rich, innovative culinary cultures. The interior is just like what should be expected from a high-end Asian restaurant with minimalistic touches and dimmed lights.

Here is what I strongly recommend from the menu:

• Crab Cake Crusted Ahi Tuna Sashimi
• Miso Bronzed Black Cod
• Pan Roasted Duck Breast
• Seared American Kobe Beef Tartar
• Lobster & Wagyu Roll
• The Number Ten Roll

Sunda New Asian, 110 W. Illinois St., 312 644 0500, www.sundachicago.com

The favorite Chicago restaurants:

Ralph Lauren:

This time it is not about the clothes, but the food.  While in college this place (at 115 E. Chicago Ave.) used to be a favorite of mine and my family. I would go for the mimosas, the tomato soup, the steak sandwich and the burger. My aunt and mom would go for the smoking section in the bar area, where you can also enjoy the full menu. No matter what this place will always be exceptional with its homey interior design and delicious, fulfilling food. The cozy bar area with a working fireplace does not accept reservations. The dining room does.

Avec:

First became aware of Avec by mistake while driving around. Since then, I have been a dedicated customer. The restaurant (615 W. Randolph St.) is a modern wooden corridor with communal tables and a bar running through it. If you are lucky your scenery from the huge rectangular window will be the owner’s red classic corvette parked right in the front. Avec has the most interactive kitchen I have seen so far at a restaurant. Customers sitting at the bar can actually watch the chefs cook in the open kitchen. Don’t worry about stinking as the vents work pretty well to keep the smell away. The wine menu is exceptional and a cheese platter with almonds, grapes, parsley and jam is recommended with it. If you are a light beer fan, try the Blanche de Buruxelles. Keep in mind that all the dishes are to share. Although the menu partially changes seasonally, I strongly recommend the focaccia, the whipped brandade, the hanger steak, the pasta and the Nicholas Farm cauliflower and potato salad.  Remember that there is always a long wait for dinner.

Bistro 110:

Perfect especially for lunch after a long morning of shopping on Michigan Ave. The steamed garlic spread on butter on a warm homemade bread is delicious. There was once a special risotto with lobster, which was the best I have ever eaten anywhere. The french onion soup and the Bistro 110 steak frites are the other favorites. Located at 110 E. Pearson St.

Fogo de Chao:

Typical Brazilian “eat until you burst”, fixed-menu steak house. Still it is one of the best in America. Make sure you enjoy the salad bar while you are having your steak and chicken. If you separate the two, you will never have enough room for the protein and you will regret it. Chunks of Parmesan from the salad bar and the Picanha from the steak menu are definitely recommended. Located at 661 N. Lasalle. You need reservations.

Tavern on Rush:

Rush St. in Chicago is equivalent to Madison Ave. in New York. It is the street the fancy cars choose to drive by and park on during the weekends. So, all the action happens around Tavern on Rush (1031 N. Rush St.). Besides people and car watching, this place should be famous for its tomato soup, Papardelle with shrimp and 7-layer chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Sitting outside during summer is the best. The leather couches next to the bar inside are great for cold winter days.

Stash’s:

Located 40 min. away from the city in Highland Park, the “Mansion” zipcode of Chicago, Stash’s has one of the best burgers and hot dogs in town. Do not expect a fancy restaurant. This is a typical fast food spot founded to satisfy the comfort food cravings of its quiet ultra-rich neighborhood.

Potbelly Sandwich Works:

New Yokers wouldn’t know about this place since the franchise did not land here yet. If you are looking to grab a quick bite, you have to try Potbelly. The breads are freshly baked and the ingredients are delicious. It has multiple locations around downtown Chicago.

Home to some of the best jazz, biggest gangsters and most talented architects, Chicago grows into the sky right in front of the Michigan lake. It is the New York City of the Midwest.  5th Avenue becomes Michigan Avenue here. The Plaza hotel turns into The Drake. Madison becomes Rush. Lincoln Park is the Central Park. Long Island makes way to Highland Park. JFK becomes O’Hare and LaGuardia becomes Midway. Despite all the match-ups, the Chicago landmarks are the only reminiscences of what seems to be left behind in Manhattan.

You quickly realize that people are more friendly here. A quick, smiley nod and a short “hello” loosens you up. You start taking wider steps on the pavements. You can make a turn without making a million calculations not to hit any other pedestrian. Nature is always nearby, bursting all around the cold concrete buildings. The fresh and sometimes vicious winds from the Michigan lake make their way around the wide streets.  You are shocked to see the amount of space here.

Life in Chicago is an urban retreat compared to the life in Manhattan. You quickly become accustomed to not rushing. You can’t deny the happiness of taking a break from the fast lane. You know you can take it easy here. Easy until the day this slower, cleaner and quieter “big apple” reminds you so much of the real deal that you constantly think about what else you might be missing back in New York. You then realize you can never give up one for the other.