As I finish my last finals, I look back at my first year with a mix of regret and sadness, but happiness that I experienced it all. These past 9 months have taught me more than 4 years of high school put together. However, as stressful and sometimes ridiculous as it may have been I would not trade living in Manhattan and going to NYU for anything. Here’s a list of 5 things that NYU has taught me this year.
1. That one guy that wears purple eyeshadow in your Gender & Sexuality Studies class is not the first gender-bender you will come across.
NYU is FULL of gays, so much that we should probably have our own gay pride parade. These people are not like that one guy who daringly came out in your high school – they are out and proud and ready to descend upon a city known for its LGBT nightlife scene. Most of them are pretty popular and most of them are so likeable and witty that it’s hard to NOT be friends with them. The ones who take it one step further and experiment with nail-polish, make-up, and high heels? Those are the dudes you want to meet.
2. You are not a real NYU student until you’ve pulled an all-nighter in the Lower Levels of Bobst.
I actually avoided the library for a while in freshman year. I just didn’t see the point of doing work there when I had my dorm. Finally after one too many nights of laboring away by the light of my desk lamp and trying to not disturb my sleeping room-mate. I packed my books and headed for the library. Bobst has its own nightlife indeed – there is a special time around 3 AM when you look around the room and almost feel a sense of togetherness. All of us are wrapped up in work, shaking from Red Bull induced anxiety, and we are in this together until we stumble out toward our respective classes, squinting in the light of the morning sun.
3. Oh yeah, Red Bull, 5 Hour Energy, and coffee = your new best friends.
After that all-nighter it’s the only way you’ll be able to survive. And be careful with your coffee budget. No lie, I’m pretty sure I spent over $100 one month on that combination. (This is where your dining dollars come in – free Starbucks!)
4. You WILL feel lonely, but it’s okay because most everyone else does.
NYU is known for its lack of community. NYULocal had a whole post on it after Maddie Gilje (That girl who put that cute youtube video up of her opening her acceptance letter) expressed her desire to transfer because she felt too lonely. It’s true – it’s hard to find community at NYU but I found out that I was not the only one who felt that way and finally decided to do something about it. NYU is not gonna hold your hand. You have to go and talk to people and you have to initiate hang-outs. Also, join a club. I met some great people doing that.
5. You will have LOTS of opportunities to meet or sight celebrities.
In November I went to a free screening of Love and Other Drugs and it turned out that Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway were there to answer questions. I talked to both of them. I’ve also seen Amanda Lepore, Daniel Clark (of Degrassi fame), Andrew Jenks, Emma Stone, and the entire Glee cast. The amount of celebrity book signing around the city are great opportunities as well; I know some people who met James Franco, Tim Gunn, Kathy Griffin, and Tina Fey. That’s a nice perk of going to NYU.
Another word of advice: get a Twitter, kids. Your life will be so much better with it.
