NYU Other Major

Undesirable boys - The female/male ratio here is 60/40, and there is a general consensus that all the boys are either gay, taken, or unattainable.

Hipster - Before coming here, I was very intimidated by the image of an artsy East Village student. It seems that everyone dresses well and is into seeing shows, going to art galleries, and clubbing a lot.

To an extent, these stereotypes are accurate. These stereotypes are very prevalent, but there are also very "normal" people here. However, what passes for normal here would not be considered normal elsewhere. New York, especially the downtown area in which NYU is located, is a quirky and interesting area, and it shows in the students' personalities and appearances.

The best thing about NYU is, of course, the city. It's a very different experience and it requires independence and a willingness to make your own way, but if you dedicate yourself to all your efforts, you will enjoy the NYU experience. Being right in the middle of the Village, NYU is very close to the East Village, West Village, Soho, Chinatown, and Little Italy - all very fun places that are perfect for a college student. Other neighborhoods are just a short walk or a subway ride away. Everything in New York is easily accessible and it is good to know that there is always something to do. Each neighborhood has such a different personality that there is something for everyone.

The lack of campus that everybody talked about is really not that bad. I run into plenty of people on the streets and in dining halls. Especially in Kimmel (the student life center), there are always plenty of students and friends around. It would be nice if the upperclassmen dorms were closer to campus to prolong this sense of community beyond freshmen year, but that is the tradeoff of being in fun places like Soho and Chinatown. If you make the effort, maintaining relationships is easy.

In such a large school, there is never a single thing going on. Each weekend, everyone has different plans. Other than the occasional club, there isn't a party that all of NYU is expected to show up to. However, you make your own communities - in dorms, in classes, and in clubs. There are so many groups at NYU, with most people being a part of more than one, that it is very easy to make friends.

There is a lot of red tape to get to the administration. Making an appointment with your advisor isn't easy, and even then, they aren't too useful. They just give general guidance that the NYU website could, and probably does, provide. Trying to pay bills or register for something is annoyingly difficult too. In general, NYU needs to update its technology so that NYU Home and Albert are more user friendly.

Classes are large in the general level classes; it is hard to get small classes early on, especially if you haven't chosen a major. Even the recitations are larger than I had expected, over 30 people. I have had some really good professors, however, who really care about the students and reach out, sometimes to the point that it is overbearing, but it is nice to know that you can get help.

The freshmen honors seminars were hyped up to be the best thing at NYU, but mine was a disappointment, and so were most others. Most of them met for two and a half hours at a time, which is way too long for anybody to be sitting still listening to a professor. The topics probably could have been interesting had they been presented well, but the seminars just did not carry out its original ideals.

The environment at NYU isn't quite academic, outside of class. People do know when to study, however. It is a work hard, play hard environment. Outside of class, people don't think much about school; they are mostly focused on doing things - participating in clubs, entertainment, exploring New York neighborhoods, and many other choices. Nobody ever stays still; people go out and enjoy what is available to them.

Many students here seem to have their life planned out and most came into college with a major defined. Especially in Stern, the students are focused on getting a high paying job and making it big, although classes seem to be towards learning for its own sake. The classes I have taken so far provide more theoretical and abstract knowledge that I'll have to figure out on my own how to apply to a job, but I prefer it that way instead of a more practical training.

NYU's academic requirements consist of a core curriculum called MAP. Some classes in MAP, such as Natural Science, allow you to use AP credits to place out, but there is no way to get around Writing the Essay, Conversations of the West, and World Cultures. These classes are generally torturous and annoying, and provide more work than is necessary. They are very narrow in what they teach, and it is frustrating to have to deal with them when you could be in classes you actually like. The only MAP requirement I like is the language requirement.

NYU is extremely diverse in terms of race, religion, and sexual orientation. It is not uncommon to see these students interact and be in the same group of friends. Usually, there are a lot more girls than boys in each group, but that is not necessarily by choice, but because there are simply more girls.

However, socioeconomically, NYU mostly represents only the upper middle class. This might even be necessary to attend NYU, considering its high tuition and terrible financial aid. More importantly is the spending money required to come here. The temptation that arises from passing many clothing and food stores just on the way to class is hard to overcome. Not only that, entertainment is expensive. On most other college campuses, frat or house parties are free, but at NYU, Greek life is practically nonexistent. NYU students have to find their own fun in bars, clubs, concerts, and the theater, the price of which escalates quickly.

Students here are overwhelmingly liberal. During the primaries this year everyone was excited and eager to hear the results after each voting. When Barack Obama spoke in Washington Square Park in September, it was the talk of the school for the next week. People get really passionate about their political beliefs, and it is interesting to hear everybody's views.

Students in dorms generally leave their dorms open, but cliques on each floor form quickly. That being said, many of your friends freshman year will be those that you met in your dorm. It just comes with the territory of seeing people in their rooms, in the elevators, and in the halls 24/7.

NYU is huge on partying, though there are not too many gigantic house parties that are typical to other colleges. They usually occur in a person's dorm and only friends can attend; random people do not wander in. Thursday night is a huge night, as NYU students regard having no class on Friday as a God given right. 18+ club events tend to be on Thursdays. It's general knowledge which bars card and which don't, although it is getting more difficult to get into places. Many people have fakes, and they often split their groups into those who have fake ids, and those who don't, to make it easier to get into bars and clubs.

Something I had to get used to when I came here was how everything was pushed back several hours. Because you don't eat dinner until 8 or 9, you don't get dressed to go out until 11, and you won't leave until after 12. Nights out often become early mornings out, and it isn't unusual to come back after the sun has risen.

Fraternities and sororities aren't very important, although those who have joined are very active. Because the fraternities and sororities are located in the Lafayette dorm, in Chinatown, it is often inconvenient for students to go there. There are usually better things to do anyway.

There is excellent eating in New York for very cheap prices. Spice is a favorite of NYU students, located on University and 10th right by campus. New York, of course, has the best pizza in the world and most places are delicious. Little Italy and Chinatown are favorites; their food is probably the cheapest in the city. During Restaurant Week, when expensive restaurants had prix-fixe menus, a lot of people went to get a taste of these fancy places at a fraction of their original price.