FRESHMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE

MoneyCreate a budget : It doesn’t have to be exact, but make sure that you have a general idea of how much money your spending versus how much you’re getting. Be sure not to waste money - eating out 7 nights a week isn’t practical if you’re living on a hundred bucks a week.Cheap Books : Don’t buy the books before you go to the first class. Be sure to shop around at sites like amazon.com, biblio.com, a1books.com or abebooks com. And be sure to get a NYPL card. It’s free, it’s easy, and you can use their website to get books reserved and sent to the library branch nearest you.Self-AdvocateBureaucracy : Individually pleasant and helpful, but together it can form into an intimidating morass of rules, red tape and going from point a to b to c,d,e to change classes. Ask for help, and ask upperclassmen for advice, they’ve gone through it before. Be patient, we’ve all gone through it before.Speak up : Don’t be afraid to ask questions during class, you’re there to learn, and you’re paying a pretty penny to do it. Fairly universally the professors are open and keep good office hours if you need more help, there’s also the learning center. And if you see something you want? Say something!SocializeJoin : This school has many fine organizations and club. Almost every major has its own club, and if you can’t find one that suits you, make one. It only takes ten people. Joining an organization is best way to meet new people and make lifelong friends. You are in New York City, a city which does not lack in organizations. Such as Young Decomgrats/Republican, Amature Astronomy, Critic League.Network: You will meet many different people in college. Take advantage of that. Get to class early and get to know the people you are being educated with. You already have something in common, NYIT. You never know when connections can help.Getting AroundPublic Transportation: There are many different ways to get around the city. The fastest way to get around is the Subway. The subway travels the same directions as traffic. If you are on the west side, you are going down town and the east side goes up down. Be sure to get the 30 day unlimited metro card. If you have more time the bus is a nice way to travel because the view is a bit more pleasant.Know how to get between A and B: Hopstop.com is a great way to make sure you don’t get lost. You can plan your trip and know ahead of time what subway to take. Also, learn to read a map. It is not just good to know it now, but for the future. There free at all the stations.-Chronicle Staff