Dear Northeastern - Psalm 105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

This is an old letter I sent to Northeastern University after they mistreated me and my mother. If you are going through this or something similar, I want you to know God loves you and he cares. He will work this out; just trust in him. It was meant for me to leave, so if God is telling you to depart, please listen. He has something better in store.

Romans 12:19

¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Ephesians 4:26

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Northeastern, before my definite departure, I must say…

I am very disappointed in how my experience at Northeastern has been. From dealing with being bullied and getting no help until it was too late (I still was not given all the help I needed), to dealing with the unreasonable and overwhelming course loads, deadlines, and expectations from nearly all my classes, to being made to feel as if I am retarded, and to having my scholarship of over 90,000 dollars be at jeopardy. I definitely can’t stay. I am disappointed because I wanted to learn about my passion, so that I can make it my full-time career and secure financial stability through my education to give my mother a better life and to provide everything we’ve ever wanted by getting my degree. 

But my dream major, Music Industry, will no longer be accessible to me as I can not pursue it anymore due to the circumstances. I am also sad about Northeastern’s educational system. I understand that it is a place of rigor and hard work, but it feels to me that Northeastern doesn’t truly understand that for us (students) to soar and succeed in such a place, we need our mental health to be cared for first by the school. What I mean is, I’ve been given so many bulky pages to read, things to study, and new formulas to memorize and process in such a short amount of time. Then, after the deadline approaches, I am expected to do it all over again. I am expected to dedicate so much time to all classes, when in reality, nearly all classes demand too much time. How am I supposed to do everything, remember it, apply it, and study it in such the short amounts of time we are given? Then, if I am given more time in one class, other classes assign so much that I can’t make the deadline for the class that gave me more time. I thought we were supposed to learn. But it seems as if we are expected to just be given large amounts of information from all directions and process it like we are computers. 

We are also expected to learn things that take years to learn in months, then somehow apply it to the work field and be great at it. Northeastern consists of nothing but amazingly intelligent minds from all over the world. But what really hurts is that if you are in a class that is not right for you, you are told to use resources to solve that; but sometimes the class is just not right for you. Everyone has different learning styles with different learning paces no matter how smart we are. It’s not fair to make a slower learner work at the pace of a faster learner and expect them to succeed. 

Imagine the blood, sweat, and tears that students and parents put in for this school. 

To explain, think about the Parents working late hours, taking out loans, and getting in debt to help their babies pursue an education at an institution that doesn’t always prioritize or accommodate what the students need for them to be able to truly thrive. Take a moment to look around, really analyze the faces of the students walking around everyday. Not all of them are jolly. Look at the faces filled with sadness, frustration, anger and pain. There are students stressed out over the fact that they are failing because of how their classes are and more. And remember, just because some students don’t show their pain and stress, doesn’t mean they aren’t going through it. 

 Students are getting upset and breaking down because of the unrealistic expectations to process and understand so much information in such little time while having other work to do simultaneously. How many of us aren’t thriving, but surviving? How many of us are hiding pain and being in a bad mental state because of Northeastern's flawed system? How many of us are not soaring, but just barely getting by? This isn’t learning. I’m not truly learning like I should.

 There should be different levels for slower learners and faster learners. For those who can keep up with the super fast pace and for those that can’t. Why try to fit someone in a box they weren’t made for, rather than providing them with the box they need? How many parents wish they could help their kids but are told to back away while seeing their children deteriorate? How many more students are being bullied and/or suffering from depression due to not being able to get help? How many students wish they could go back home, but can’t because it is too far and expensive? How many people feel insignificant or dumb if they can’t keep up with their classes and it’s expectations? How many students are graduating with college degrees, not even truly understanding what those degrees mean or how to be good at it? Remember, Northeastern’s students are very smart, but not invincible. Has Northeastern ever really taken the time to deeply hear or see the state of their students? Or is it just concerned about the status and image of itself? Its reputation. 

Northeastern failed me… it’s failing other students, too. I understand that there are other resources but how can one feel comfortable to reach out to even more resources when getting mistreated by some of the current resources. As someone with trauma from my past and now because of NU, it's made it hard to reach out to other outlets. 

I say to Northeastern 

Please, help other students so that they won’t have to suffer my fate. They can make it, but not without true care from Northeastern's staff, teachers, and students (students should be nice too and support each other). They shouldn’t have to be like me, dropping out and worrying about employment, and if they will possibly have to pay the school or government back with money they don’t have. The problems I’ve mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg. Students have more issues than you know. I’m going through more issues than you know. Please truly ask them, hear them, help them, and each other. Everyone, parents, staff, professors, students, and others involved with NU matters! And we should all care for each other because no matter the status or position, we are all human, and showing love and kindness to one another, no matter the age or race, goes a long way. Lastly, keep in mind that not everyone at NU is nice, so if someone needs help, please look deep into the situation and do what you can to help before they end up like me, broken, tired, and in a midlife crisis. Thank you. 

Much love

Sincerely, 

    Amanda

John 13:34: "...I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

Matthew 22:39: "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"

Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness….”

Matthew 7:5 “...first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

Remember, Justice shall be done for those who love, seek, and serve the Lord our God Jesus Christ. He reigns on his throne forever and ever. Though I am not glad of the pain I experienced, I hope what I wrote will help other people; because of my pain, I can help people in a way that i would not have been able to before. I can empathize and reach out to others because of my Trials and Tribulations. God will use me to help other people; he will use my pain for his Good and to help grow my wisdom and to help others.

Did I battle hate. I think so, but they are not worth my soul; Jesus is worth it. He tells us to forgive so that is what I will do because of how he forgives me for all of my sins, and because he died on the Cross for me. Justice will be done for those who love the Lord, so I will leave my enemies in his hands, and pray that they get it right with the Lord before they permanently send themselves to eternal damnation.

Have your heart, mind, eyes, and ears open to the Lord so that when he speaks, you will hear and listen. When he guides, you will know where to go. He will help you get through, I promise, and you will heal, have peace and joy. We will be shunned in the world for Jesus, but that is going to happen because of how evil the world is. Remember, standing up for Jesus means more than anything. We are in the world, but not of it. And if ever you are discouraged, think of this...

Matthew 5:10 -12

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Psalm 37

37 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

³ Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

⁴ Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

⁵ Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

⁶ And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

¹⁰ For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹² The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

¹³ The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

¹⁵ Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶ A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

¹⁸ The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

¹⁹ They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

²⁰ But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

²¹ The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

²² For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

²³ The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

²⁶ He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

²⁷ Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

²⁸ For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

³⁰ The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

³¹ The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

³² The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

³³ The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴ Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

³⁵ I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

³⁶ Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷ Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

³⁸ But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹ But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰ And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.