How to make the most of Welcome Week 2025 on Northeastern’s Boston, Oakland and London campuses

A wide range of student activities and events has been planned by Northeastern University on the Boston, Oakland and London campuses as part of Welcome Week. 

“At Northeastern, we see an engaged student as a successful student,” says Lisa Commendatore, senior director of Boston orientation and family programs. “We have something for everybody.” 

The goal of Welcome Week, Commendatore says, is to help new students acclimate, build connections with one another and introduce them to campus resources, including libraries, research opportunities and student clubs.

Boston

About 5,200 students will arrive at Northeastern’s Boston campus this fall for the first time, including about 2,800 first-year students and 2,400 transfer and Global Programs students. 

Programming for early arrivals will start Aug. 26, but the official Welcome Week runs Saturday, Aug. 30, through Saturday, Sept. 6. 

All activities will be led by Orientation Leaders — current Northeastern students who know the university well. 

Since move-in takes place over several days, some activities will run multiple times.

Students will have a chance to explore such Boston landmarks as the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Public Garden, the Charles River Esplanade, the Boston Public Library and Faneuil Hall.

To help students navigate the subway system, Orientation Leaders will accompany them on trips to Mike’s Pastry in the North End, Levain Bakery in Back Bay and bubble tea shops in Chinatown. Each first-year student will receive a CharlieCard — a reusable pass for subway and bus fares.

On campus, current students will host new students for meal meetups in the dining halls. Some days they might be organized by college.

A full schedule is available on the Northeastern Orientation app.

Signature Welcome Week events include:

Sunday, Aug. 31

• Husky Night Out — a silent dance and glow party on Krentzman Quad, starting at 9:30 p.m. 

Monday, Sept. 1

• Northeastern Welcome 2025: BBQ, Beats & Beyond — an outdoor celebration featuring food, a live DJ, airbrush tattoos, tie-dye T-shirts, crafts, lawn games and a foam party, from noon to 2 p.m.
• NUPD Squad on the Quad — meet Northeastern police officers and community resource dogs Cooper, Ryder and Sarge, learn about self-defense classes and campus safety, and win giveaways, from 2 to 4 p.m.
• New Student Night at the Movies — watch “Shrek” (2001) under the stars on Centennial Common, with sundaes and green popcorn, at 8 p.m. 

President Joseph E. Aoun will welcome first-year students during convocation 2025 at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Matthews Arena, marking the beginning of their academic journey at Northeastern. Each college will also host mandatory academic welcomes.

Directly following convocation until 4 p.m., students will have a chance to explore some of the nearly 600 student organizations Northeastern offers at the annual Fall Fest.

Additional activities during Welcome Week include library tours, paint nights, trivia, Target trips, yoga classes and sports. Classes begin on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Oakland

About 760 first-year undergraduates will move into the Oakland campus on Saturday, Aug. 30, and Sunday, Aug. 31.

Community activities start right away. On Saturday, students can play glow-in-the-dark games. On Sunday, the Rothwell Theater will host an “Around the World” event where students can pin their hometown on a map and sample global foods. 

On Sept. 2, the campus will celebrate Welcome Day with Taste of Oakland — a showcase of local businesses, including several food vendors, community partners and organizations. Students will be able to sign up for service opportunities. 

Welcome Day also kicks off Weeks of Welcome — two weeks of fun events and activities organized by the Center for Student Involvement.

“The purpose of our Weeks of Welcome is really exposing students to all of the opportunities and services we offer on campus,” says Gianna Pappas Moore, director of orientation and family programs in Oakland.

Students can learn about different clubs on campus during Club Speed Meeting in the Student Union at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. 

Disability Access Services will hold a series of workshops on a strong semester start, self-advocacy and note-taking on Sept. 3, 4 and 10 at Sage Hall Testing Center.

Trefethen Aquatic Center will host a pool party and crafts afternoon at 3 p.m. on Sept. 5. 

Student Involvement Fair will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.10, in the Student Union.

The first kickball game for the Res Hall Royale/Neighborhood Cup will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12.

Students can also join nightly drop-in sports such as pickleball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, soccer and volleyball. A weeklong sampler of group fitness classes will be offered by Campus Sports and Recreation.

Other events include a farm bouquet workshop, an Oakland Pride excursion, a concert of Blue+Bob, an extended reality scavenger hunt, a notebook-making workshop, board games at the library, a Shabbat dinner and screenings from Oakland International Film Festival.

The full schedule of events is available here.

London

More than 1,100 first-year students will begin their studies at Northeastern’s London campus this fall.

Welcome Week runs Monday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Sept. 7, while classes will start on Sept. 8. A complete schedule is available in the NU London app.

As students move into their off-campus housing and register on campus, they can join a walking tour around the city, a city bus tour or tours to Tower Bridge and London Eye.

“The idea is to get the students familiar with London for those that aren’t from London,” says Kate Raavi, a student life manager.

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, students can join the Student Union for a picnic or attend a West End performance of “Hercules.”

Convocation will take place on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Indigo at The O2 Arena. Afterward, students can participate in a social mixer at Hollywood Bowl, playing bowling, pool or arcade games, or at TOCA Social, featuring interactive soccer experience, or join a quieter walk on Greenwich Peninsula public art trail.  

Academic workshops, taking place on Friday, Sept. 5, will introduce students to the academic system, academic advisers, some faculty and some systems used on the London campus. In the evening, students can choose to paint-and-sip, play some games or join the Student Union for a pub hop.

Weekend activities feature a Buckingham Palace tour, a Thames River cruise, a visit to Columbia Road Flower Market and even a trip to IKEA.

On the first day of classes, the London campus will also host a mini festival — Husky Fest — introducing students to a variety of campus societies.