Northwestern University (NWU)

All classes are conducted in English.

Buy second-hand household items from thrift stores such as Village Thrift or Salvation Army. Almost every neighborhood has one (or at least a dollar store). Check the yellow pages for one closest to you.

Northwestern is very generous with grants and arranging financing for students. The administration is very easy to deal with. Registering for courses is a breeze. Chicago has a lot to offer, so try not to get too distracted by the local attractions.

Wicker Park is the neighborhood with the highest concentration of young people and interesting bars. I am not into sports, so I avoid bars with televisions or fanatical sport clientele. Rainbo on Damen and Division streets is my usual hangout. Earwax on Milwaukee Avenue has progressive crowd. Myopic books two blocks south of Earwax has a great selection of used books and they allow smoking in the store. For an unpretentious night on the town, I would go to Irazu, a Costa Rican restaurant on Milwaukee south of Western Avenue, for a vegetarian burrito; see a show at Big Horse or Empty Bottle. For foreign films, the best places to go are Landmark Century Theatres on Clark Street in Lincoln Park and the Gene Siskel Film Center located downtown on State Street.

I own my house, so my housing costs are manageable. For students looking to rent appartments in Chicago, check out the Chicago Reader which can be found in most cafes and bookstores. Their listings are also online at www.chireader.com. The neighborhoods close to Northwestern's downtown campus, the Gold Coast, Streeterville and Old Town are very expensive. Lincoln Park is popular with young professionals and students, but it is also pricey ($1200/month for a modest apartment). Compared to New York City, Chicago is an affordable place for students to live if you look for housing in the less gentrified areas, such as Humboldt Park, Logan Square or Pilsen although these neighborhoods have been getting more expensive lately. In my neighborhood, Logan Square, a few one-bedroom apartments can be found for under $700/month.