<p>@socal23 I love living in NYC. I visited a friend on campus and I really didn’t like the whole feeling of it. A few friends agree with me, however I read your question aloud to my roommate and she says that she does wish it was more of a campus (though she followed up with “at no other college can you can take a subway to central park, ellis island, anything you want…that’s better than a frat party” so there’s that)
It’s worth mentioning that NYU has frat parties–Greek life makes up a really small percentage of campus activities/social life/nightlife, but it’s there and you could probably find a frat party to go to on any given weekend.
Personally, I love living in NYC instead of having a campus, but in the end it comes down to what kind of experience you’re looking for. NYU isn’t the place for people who are looking for a more traditional college campus and community, but if you do come here, you get to take advantage of everything that NYC has to offer instead, which is, in my opinion, way cooler.</p>
<p>Any not-so-obvious resources or tips incoming freshmen should be aware of?</p>
<p>Thanks! I feel like I’ll end up loving that the school is in New York City instead of shielded by campus walls. Is the social life mostly dominated by going out to bars and clubs, or are there a lot of dorm/apartment parties too?</p>
<p>@sloth83
I guess the first one is join clubs…it sounds obvious, but a lot of freshmen don’t and then end up regretting it and resolving to join in Sophomore year. This is especially important at NYU because there is no centralized “community,” but there are many many mini communities within the school, and clubs are a great place to start looking!
Figure out the subway early and don’t be scared of it
Don’t be nervous about going to events alone–NYU is a kind of daunting place at first socially, so putting yourself out there can take a bit of nerves. Just go for it!
Go like the NYU secrets page right now.
Watch your budget (and consider getting a part time job!) NYC is an expensive city. Show tickets don’t come cheap, but even if you’re doing simpler stuff like going to the movies or to a bar, that money adds up! I got a part time job as a babysitter, which pays pretty well (average in NYC is $15/hour) and is a really easy job (once the kid goes to bed, I can just do homework until the parents come home!). That helps a lot because I’m able to save and still go out on the weekends without worrying too much about my spending, so I really recommend doing that!
Some NYU students have this weird thing about “elevator etiquette,” where apparently you’re not supposed to go to the floor below another person in the elevator (ie, if someone has already pressed 7 and you’re going to 6, they might expect you to get out at 7 and walk). I’ve lived in NYC for 7 years before coming here and I’d never heard of such a thing, so personally I think it’s a dumb rule that no one should be expected to follow, but everyone seems to have an opinion on this issue so it’s good to know about I guess.
Try to get an internship–and start looking soon! There aren’t as many opportunities for freshman
Two of the security guards at third north are honestly the nicest people I have ever met, so if you end up dorming in 3N make sure you get to know them!!!</p>
<p>Lastly (and this is more of a pitch for NYU than a tip or resource but my roommate is answering questions on facebook and she just said this and it struck a chord with me so I thought it was worth sharing):
NYU is more of an adult situation than a campus college. Yes, you have an RA and there are clubs, but you are also living somewhat alone in the middle of a large and tough city. There is really no hand-holding here, and you get out of school and your social life what you put into it. NYU students therefore become independent and self-sufficient as they learn to navigate NYC, their classes, their social life, etc. Yes, the adjustment is harder because of this, but now I am so unbelievably happy. There are stresses and panics about academics and social life and my job and family crises and existential crises, but despite all that NYU has made me so, so happy. I love this school and honestly I would not have my college experience any other way. I really hope you guys choose to go here because it’s really just the greatest.</p>
<p>@sloth83 I just found this blog post and most of them are pretty on the money so it could be helpful!
<a href=“http://newyorkminutemag.com/17-tips-nyu-class-2017/#prettyPhoto”>http://newyorkminutemag.com/17-tips-nyu-class-2017/#prettyPhoto</a></p>
<p>@socal23 For nightlife there’s really whatever you want. In my experience, dorm parties tend to just be small-ish groups of friends in the dorm room. RAs are usually pretty chill, but if you try to throw a big party in your dorm room they will probably descend on you. There are a few apartment parties–my roommate is in Tisch for acting and one of her classmates has an apartment so they’ve had a few studio parties this year over there. Most people go out to bars or clubs because it’s available and way more fun.
One party tip–the ones advertised on facebook are probably not the best ones out there. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for all your help!</p>
<p>Thank you, all these responses have been great.</p>
<p>Do most parties have drinking and drug use? How influential is peer pressure? </p>
<p>Oh and Is it easy to get financial aid for study abroad programs? I’ll be attending on a scholarship. so how much more than my estimated COA will I need to end up paying? The costs listed on the website include tuition+dorm+health insurance expenses which sum up to $72,577. </p>
<p>@kaybee3 I don’t drink much and don’t do drugs, and I’ve never felt pressured to by anyone. I’ve been to parties where there is drinking and opted out, and I mostly stay away from the drug scene because it’s really not my thing. Overall, I say easy to avoid and no peer pressure in my experience.
I’m not sure if FA for study abroad is very different from FA in the square. I’m paying closer to $60000 than $72577 and I don’t have any FA (thx NYU).
<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/financialAid/documents/tuitiongeneral.pdf”>http://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/financialAid/documents/tuitiongeneral.pdf</a></p>
<p>Any experience with study abroad? cost? logistics? etc…</p>
<p>@sloth83 I don’t have any personal experience, but two of my friends applied and got into the LS Fall in Florence program for their sophomore year. The application process is just an online form and essay; pretty much everyone in good academic standing gets in. Tuition etc is the same as in NYC, I think. There is housing in all the abroad campuses, and students are required to live on campus. Also, while you’re there you have to take the relevant language course.</p>
<p>@sloth83, I studied abroad in London, feel free to message me with any specific questions about study abroad!</p>
<p>How do you apply to be in an exploration floor, and what does being in one involve? Theres a cool movie-themed one in Brittany that im interested in, but i’m not a film major. Should i still apply? </p>
<p>I heard that we need to take subway to take course. So I am afraid that I will get exhausted even before I attend the class. Do u have experience like that? Is our dorm safe? My mother is pretty worried about my safety considering that NYU does not have campus. And do we really have some place to settle down to study? because I heard that some students complain about living in the most crowded place, they cannot even find a place to focus on study. thank u very much!</p>
<p>I have watched the video about the dorm room in NYU. I know that we have kitchen in our dorm so can we cook by ourselves in the dorm? Is there so many academic pressure in NYU that we barely have leisure time? </p>
<p>@sloth83 it’s part of the housing application. I’m not sure exactly what it involves but when you get closer to te housing application deadline, you should get a pamphlet thingy in the mail. If you’re interested in one, go for it!</p>
<p>@PansyYue
All the freshmen dorms are within walking distance of classes. Some upperclassmen dorms require a subway or bus trip, but if you ever need that, it’ll become part of your daily routine. By no means should it make you exhausted before you get to class to sit on a subway!
The dorms are pretty safe. NYU public security is very good (and the security guards tend to be very nice!)
NYU has a huge library (Bobst) that is great for studying. There are quiet study rooms there with complete silence, if that is what you’re after, and also other areas within the library where you can study. You can also study in your room, and some halls have study lounges in the dorm.
Not all the dorms have kitchens!!! For freshmen, Third North is the only dorm that has kitchens. If you’re in third north, you can use it to cook by yourself all you want. However, NYU requires freshmen living on campus to have a meal plan, so you will also have access to the dining halls.
Academics is a huge part of NYU, but everyone seems to have plenty of leisure time. I maintain a good GPA, have a part-time job, and still have plenty of time to go out and have fun.</p>
<p>@asldkjgaldsh thank u very much. The information ur offered is really helpful for me. And I also want to know that what are the strongest majors in CAS? Do u have any idea about that?</p>
<p>@PansyYue
It depends what you want out of your major. What do you want to study?
Here is a list of all CAS majors and minors: <a href=“http://cas.nyu.edu/page/majorminors”>http://cas.nyu.edu/page/majorminors</a>
You don’t have to declare right away, you’ll have loads of time to think about it and mull over all your options. At NYU there will be lots of people and resources given to you (ie academic counselor) to talk everything through and make sure you make the right decision. I’d be happy to answer any other questions on the subject if you can be more specific by what you mean about “strongest majors” but I advise that you enter NYU with an open mind to explore all your options instead of rushing a decision in the few months before school!</p>
<p>@@asldkjgaldsh thank u for ur advice. (<em>^__^</em>) </p>