“Fashion” School

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Hi everyone!

Whenever I tell people I go to the Fashion Institute of Technology, they usually jokingly ask “how’s my outfit?”. A lot of people assume that everyone that goes to a fashion school is a fashionista, but that couldn’t be further from the truth at FIT! This school has so many types of people pursuing many different goals, and not always in fashion. We have majors like Toy Design, Advertising and Marketing, Interior Design, and other programs that do not center around apparel. We have students who routinely dress to the nines, and others who wear whatever they found in their closet first (me most days). One thing I love about FIT is that everyone is focused on their own outfit. I have worn pajamas to school and no one has batted an eye. You don’t need to have a massive closet, shop every weekend, or wear designer to fit in. People all have their own personal styles.

When I first got to FIT it was strange going from being known for liking fashion to being way out-dressed, even at 8am. I at first felt the pressure to adapt and be more on trend, but over time I realized that literally no one cares what I wear. I now enjoy curating things I like to wear. Comfort is more important to me than anything else, and I enjoy having unique jeans.

Another assumption is that fashion is frivolous. I would strongly disagree with this! Everyone needs to wear clothing. Why not make it fun? And if not fun, why not make it perform better, last longer, be better for the environment? FIT has “technology” in the name for a reason. During my time here I have taken 3d Modeling (which some day might replace the extra and wasteful samples required), Quality Management (making sure your clothes do what you want them to), and spent time in the sewing and testing labs learning what it takes to turn fibers like cotton and nylon into tee shirts and windbreakers.

FIT is more than just fashion. Between the 3 schools that make up FIT, we have 29 programs, 18 of which are not related to apparel. There are so many ways to express creativity and innovation at our school. And clothes are just the beginning!

Sam

Minoring Strategically

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Hi everyone!

FIT has so many great minors available for students to work towards during their time at school here. From Ethics and Sustainability, to Dance, and foreign languages, you can dive into topics of interest to you outside your major’s course requirements.

There are two main ways to work on a minor – one is choosing one that compliments the classes required for your major, and the second is picking something you are interested in and feel will better round out your education.

The first approach requires looking at the required classes for your major – for example, my program (Production Management) entails taking Macro and Micro economics. This is essentially 40% of a minor in Economics, built into the classes you already have to take anyways. Additionally, most degrees require two foreign language classes. This means by taking three more you can obtain the minor in the language of your choice.

The second approach might take more planning. I would recommend looking over the classes for your degree and the classes for the minor with your academic advisor. There may be some classes that fulfill the same SUNY requirement – for example, instead of taking Quantitative Mathematics I took Math Modeling. Both met the SUNY standards, which meant that I no longer needed to take Quantitative Mathematics. There may be some classes for a minor that you can swap in instead of the suggested class for your major. Again, working with your academic advisor and reviewing your DARs degree audit report can help you find these areas of overlap!

More than anything, I would suggest starting your minor early. I had started a minor in Japanese my Sophomore year but ended up running out of time in my schedule. With language classes they usually build upon each other, so sequencing and timing is very important!

What do you want to minor in?

Sam

Jury Duty

Hi everyone!

This week I had jury duty! I was definitely more excited about it than the average citizen, but even still I was a little nervous I would get selected to sit on a long case and be sequestered for six months. Thankfully, it was incredibly uneventful, and I’ve done my part in the American legal system and won’t have to worry about it for a few years at least.

I was originally summoned during midterms this past semester, but after calling the jury summons office got it postponed to winter break. I definitely wasn’t the only student who did this as I heard heaps of other people state that they too were college students. I would recommend doing this if you are in school – if you go anyways they will just reschedule you for a break anyways.

Every court is different, but my experience was a lot of “hurry up and wait.” I regret not bring a phone charger and a book, as I spent most of the day looking out the window. I did get pulled into one “empaneling” room (where potential jurors are questioned by the attorneys) but out of the 16 called, only eight where questioned. I was in the half that didn’t get questioned, but it was a nice change of scenery. After the jurors were selected from the eight, the rest of us were sent back to wait some more. After a day of waiting, we were given a confirmation of service and sent on our way.

Overall, it was an easy way to do my civic duty. Voting is one of the duties you hear about the most, but jury duty, while more time consuming, is just as important. It’s easy to try and dodge it as much as possible, but I would say it is a good way to see the legal process at work. Your voice can have an impact if you serve on a jury, and even if you don’t just showing up allows the process to work.

Have you ever done jury duty?

Sam

Winter Break

Hi everyone!

Currently I am on winter break! While I have a hard time just relaxing and taking it easy, I have been doing my best to spend as much time with family as possible. As I am a senior, this will likely be my last long chunk of time off, and I am trying to enjoy it while I have it!

Last summer I was talking to someone who had graduated a few years prior, and she emphasized how she missed winter break the most. Since pretty much everything winds down around the holidays, it’s a great time to hang out with family and get some rest. Thinking about what she has said has made me appreciate this time a lot more. My birthday is also around the holidays, so overall it has always been a time of rest and celebration. I’m going to do my best even when I do start working to set aside time off to make my own mini “winter break”.

As I get ready to start my last semester at FIT, I’m reminded how great my time has been. As excited as I am to be done, I will definitely miss the little perks of being a student. Seeing my friends in class every week, having access to the sewing labs and other resources, the student discounts, the knowledgable professors, the interesting coursework. It has been a great three and a half years, and hopefully this last half is just a cherry on top.

What’s your favorite time of year?

Sam

What’s the Real Cost of Attending?

Hi everyone!

Recently I was asked how much food for the semester would cost roughly. It all depends what and where you eat, but it’s a good thing to consider! NYC is an expensive place, and it’s good to know what expenses you might encounter when attending. Below I’ve listed out some expenses you might want to consider.

Estimated Food

If you’re on the meal plan, it’s pretty easy to calculate based on the amount of meals you usually eat in a day. You can find that official information at this link.

Personally, I have not been on a meal plan during my time at FIT. I go grocery shopping about once a week at Trader Joe’s and a local shop, and spend about $120 a month on pretty much everything. This will definitely differ person to person, and if you eat out often that can raise the price. A to-go meal near campus is typically $7-12 and a sit down meal is about $20 including tip. But of course, there’s also a McDonald’s near campus as well as a dollar slice place (one slice of pizza for $1). Once again, every person will spend different.

Estimated Travel

Uber and taxis aren’t cheap in the city, but public transit can add up too. An unlimited monthly metro card is $127, and single rides are $2.75 as of time of writing. However there are plenty of things to do around campus within walking distance!  Freshman year I walked to my part time job from the dorms.  It’s a free “gym” membership – although we do have a real gym on campus you are free to use.

Also, if you live outside the NYC metro area you might want to travel home for holidays and to visit. There’s always flying, but if you live on the east coast many bus companies offer service to Boston, DC and other hot spots. I go home for $55 round trip using one of the many bus services in NYC.

Estimated Learning Materials

I would recommend contacting your professor to see if you really do need the textbook. Sometimes, there are just a few key pages that the professor will photocopy and hand out to the class. Some semesters I didn’t spend a penny on books, others I needed to buy a $100 code to do homework. It is hard to estimate how much you will need to spend on books, but if you buy used books from a friend or online, you can save. Many FIT Facebook groups have students selling past text books for many popular classes.

FIT does offer free tutoring services too. This, coupled with the Writing Studio (an on campus service helping you refine your essays and work) is a great resource provided that you don’t need to spend money on. All of your professors will have office hours where you can go to them directly with questions and for help.

Additionally, especially in the art school, the bulk of your expenses will be for materials and supplies. These depend on your sources and your tastes.

Estimated Entertainment

Movie tickets can run up to $15 in the city, but look for student discounts. Museums also offer some discounted nights. MoMA has free admission for SUNY (which includes FIT) students.

A broadway show can also be a pricey treat but FIT offers raffles where you could end up with tickets as low as $20. Also, look for fun on campus! We now a have new Students Activity Board (SAB) that plans things like carnivals, movie nights and other events that are free for students.

Health and Wellness

FIT has an on campus Health Services office, so if you catch a cold or want a checkup you can schedule an appointment with them.  This is paid for up front by a fee added to your semester’s tuition so it’s not technically “free” but you do not need to pay to visit.  They even have a meditation session you can book, and an acupuncturist.  There is also a gym available for use.

At the end of the day, it’s impossible to give an exact number of how much you will spend attending school. As much as you plan, it is hard to know exactly how much you might need for a semester. Every school will come with expenses outside of tuition, but it is good to get an idea of the costs associated with the location of the campus!  Being in NYC has so many perks, but things might cost a bit more than you might expect.

Sam