Packing up my belongings on the eve of move-in day, I was nervous. I had already registered for classes, found a roommate, and printed out photos to hang on my dorm room wall. Everything was ready to go, but one thought still rattled around in my head: what if Northwestern is too competitive?

In high school, I had never sat in classes where every student was at the top of their academic game: valedictorians, class presidents, overachievers galore. I was sure I would be the most dim-witted one in the room, and that my peers would be climbing past me to get to the top.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. After four years in Evanston, I can confidently say that Northwestern couldn’t be more collaborative. Pass through any room in Main Library, and you’ll see groups of students working together on everything from an engineering project to a theatre scene. Not only do I have collaborative study groups with students from all of my classes, but by collaborating with these students who have different interests, I’m always learning something new.

It’s funny: many of my good friends are people I met in the classroom. As a Computer Science minor, I’ve spent my fair share of time in office hours, working on code with peers as we got progressively sleepier and swapped delirious jokes, heading to the dining hall for dinner after finally getting our code to run. 

Not only are students eager to collaborate, but professors encourage it, too. In journalism classes, professors often assign us proofreading partners. Having a second pair of eyes on my work is invaluable, and reading and giving feedback on a peer’s writing helps me to improve my own.

My biggest success story of collaboration at Northwestern? I took Linear Algebra my sophomore year, and met a math major who became my go-to partner for assignments. Three years later, we’re good friends and roommates.

As a senior, I can say that learning about the passions of my friends has added significantly to my Northwestern experience. I love talking with peers about their fascination with sketch comedy or the ways they envision modern medicine transforming. Northwestern has given me the opportunity to evolve my own passions, but also to let them intersect with the passions of others.

If I could tell my freshman self anything, I would offer this reassurance: the people in your classes will be one of the greatest gifts of college. You won’t ever be at a loss for resources to help you succeed. A peer will always be open to explaining a concept, and you won’t be ruthlessly fighting your way up the curve. Some classes will be challenging, but you’ll grow from them as a student and as a person.

Looking back on four years of classes, what I remember most was not my grades, the midterms or the finals, but the people I learned alongside and the collaboration and friendships that evolved as a result.