Finding My Fix: Chronicles of a Travel Junkie

So the university I attend, New York University, has been ranked America’s number one dream college for the second year in a row by Princeton Review.  I suppose I would have to say I can see why.  For anyone considering it or considering study abroad here at NYU, some things to be aware of…

It’s dormitory housing (which was at one time guaranteed) is the nicest of just about any American college.  The simple fact that we get our own bathroom rather than having to share one down the hall is enough to make you forget about the roaches and rodents that occasionally move in next door. As often as the bureaucracy makes me want to scream, if you know how, you can always manipulate the system to your advantage.  Know the loopholes, know the weak points, don’t give up, and you’re set. 

The food the university serves is plain and simple, shit on a plate, but then again, what American college dining hall doesn’t serve shit for dinner?  I managed to gain the freshman fifteen (pounds) when I first came to NYU not because I was some lazy pig who drank too much, but because I felt guilty if I didn’t fill up when I was spending approximately $8/meal.  Get to know the city, and you can live on less than $5/day for food, good food.   

 

So yes, the best part about NYU, and the part that makes it so appealing (and rightfully so) is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.  The main “campus,” which isn’t really a campus, but a cluster of buildings around Washington Square Park, happens to be the part of the city with the most life–The Village.  You got the West Village, the East Village, SoHo, NoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, all within walking distance, nightlife, good eats, culture, job and internship opportunities galore.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, it’s a good school with a good reputation, and is rapidly becoming highly selective, already letting in fewer than 30% of applicants.

So now some things that aren’t so great: 

NYU is one of, if not the, most expensive university in the United States, and it happens to be in one of the most expensive areas of the world.  With tuition approximately US$15,000 per semester, plus expenses, plus room and board, plus transportation, plus books, I’m amazed I can afford it at all.  My bill for this semester, just tuition and my dorm room was over $22,000.  Furthermore, NYU is notorious for being stingy on financial aid.  This is largely because the university’s trillion dollar assets are almost all invested in its properties, and very little of it is really fluid.  And this is also, because our government under the Bush administration is slashing funding for education (I received about a $4,000 cut in my financial aid package between last year and this year in federally subsidized loans and work study.  It may shrink another $3,000 next year while tuition and housing costs continue to rise).   

Another downside about the university, which has largely been criticized following the string of suicides last year by jumping (we got lots of tall buildings), is a lack of community.  It can be surprisingly difficult to meet people.  With little in terms of community building, such as clubs or athletics, you can easily find yourself feeling lost.  One reason I came to NYU was the anonymity aspect, and yet I occasionally find myself feeling lonely.

But overall, if you asked me whether or not I’m satisfied with NYU and glad I gave up a $20,000 scholarship to another school to come here, I would have to say yes.

Tags: 7. USA, 7A. New York City

This entry was posted on Monday, March 27th, 2006 at 6:10 pm and is filed under 7. USA, 7A. New York City. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.