Author Archives: Zorya

Happy Friendsgiving!

Hello there!

So last year I wrote a post all about different ideas you could do for Friendsgiving. This year I thought I would switch it up and talk about what I’m planning on doing during the thanksgiving holidays. And maybe who knows might give you some inspiration to do the same.

This year I decided to go away, but like most of us I didn’t want to spend a lot. My friend and I wanted to pick a place that was not too close from Manhattan, but not too far either. We came to the conclusion that Washington D.C. would be a great idea. I’ve never been to Washington D.C., and researching more about it, there was a list of things to do. Washington has some of the best museums and it’s literally only a 4 hour bus ride from Manhattan. In total we spend $64 for the bus ticket, and picked a hostel right in the center and paid $29. Honestly, I was shocked that I paid under $100 to go to Washington (for some reason it felt so much further) and stay over night. This would never be the case where I live, the train ticket in itself would be more than $100. Anyways, if you are feeling a little homesick, or need a little break from school and the city, I would highly suggest taking a short one day or two day trip to a city close by. For example, a few weeks ago I went to Philadelphia by bus for really cheap and it was amazing. I feel so closed off living here in New York, it feels like the center of the world and I forget that there are cities so close, that are incredible too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

-Z

Online Classes 101

Hello there!

Today I thought I would talk to you about my experience with online classes and let you in on a few tips and tricks I have for nailing an online class. Personally before attending FIT I had never taken an online class and just the thought of it terrified me. However, in a few instances, I had no other choice than to take an online class, because my schedule didn’t allow me otherwise.

Don’t be fooled! Often times we take online classes because we think they will be easier. That is so wrong! Most times than not, they actually require much more work and time than physical classes do. Yes, they are more practical, because you can sleep in and work on your own time, which makes planning more flexible.
Is this class for you? What I mean by that is that taking an online class pretty much means teaching yourself. So I would really suggest taking a class, you know won’t be too challenging and require too much work. But once again it’s all up to you. If you have a full schedule and decide to take an online class, I wouldn’t take a class you no familiarity with. For example I never took a math classes online, because I knew it was going to require a lot of work and time on my part, because from experience I know math is not my strong suit.
Make sure you have time. If you have a full schedule, taking 7 classes, and on top of that you are working, I would really think twice before taking an online class. Taking online classes do require you to participate and keep engaged, if it’s a subject you know will be easy to keep up with, then go for it, otherwise I would suggest taking it next semester.
READ what is expected! This is in my opinion the most important tip. You never know what a course will entail before you read the syllabus. Since you don’t have a teacher to tell you, make sure the first thing you do is check Blackboard and look at the syllabus. From there on you’ll be able to make a final decision and decide if this is the class for you. Last semester I wanted to take my internship class online, thinking it would be easier and less work. I took one glance at the schedule, and dropped out immediately.
Create a schedule. If you decide that yes, you are going to take that class after reviewing the syllabus, I would start organizing your schedule. How will you split your time, with physical classes, work and your online class. Don’t forget to write ALL deadlines somewhere you won’t forget them, because online classes are all focused around deadlines (and there’s a lot of them).
Manage you time. OK, so now it’s time to start splitting your time. When are you going to be working on your online class, how long, what day/s. etc. I would invest in a time planner and write down the days you’ll be working on everything, as well as the deadlines all the way through the end of the semester.
Take notes. This is honestly what helped me pass my online statistics class I took two semesters ago. Online classes can throw a lot of material at you, and it accumulates very quickly with new material coming along each week. Videos, tutorials, pdf’s, word docs, charts, slides etc. What I would do is every unit or section of the class, I would watch the tutorials, read the material and write notes on the most important information. Yes, it takes longer, but a least I didn’t need to go back and scramble to find the material again, it was all in my notebook. This is especially helpful, during quizzes and exams, because you can look at your notebook and everything is in front of you.
Make sure you have stable WiFi/internet access. This is especially important during quizzes and exams. This happened to me a couple of times during my exams, when the WiFi wasn’t strong enough and would have to reload. This is the most frustrating thing ever, especially if you under a time constraint.
There’s no time for procrastinating. If you are someone who procrastinates, I would strongly reevaluate taking online classes. With online classes there is no procrastinating, you are constantly under time pressure and deadlines. If you miss a deadline, you cannot just resubmit or re upload it later. The session are closed down and it will affect your grade (harshly).

Anyways, I really hope this was helpful and insightful. Online classes can be really great for students who commute from far away or have busy schedules. However, although I’ve had my few shares of online classes, I personally prefer taking a physical class. But once again we are all different and work differently, some people might enjoy online classes much more than others.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share? Leave them down in the comments below.

xoxo

-Z

Ocean Photography: Inspiring Conservation

Hello there!

Two days ago I got to attend a short conference lead by the acclaimed photographer Keith Ellenbogen in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. The presentation was titled Ocean Photography: Inspiring Conservation. Basically Keith Ellenbogen, showcased his incredible images and talked to us about his various experiences and stories on his environmental and marine science expeditions. Going into this I didn’t really know what to expect, since I’m not much of an ocean lover or really at all interested in this particular subject. But seeing his photography and the way he was so passionate about this topic and what he did, struck me. The images he showed us were absolutely incredible, I never realized how much patience and thought goes into snapping an image (of an ocean creature/wildlife). He talked about how his images serve bigger purposes than just a simple image of an oceanic creature. It is really an art form to itself. I also never realized how much innovation goes into the art of photography. Everything is calculated and planned ahead (at least in his case). He will sometimes spend months and months in one spot, just to get the perfect shot, which might never happen. But that does not seem to bother him.

This made me realize that I shouldn’t restrict myself to subjects that only interest me, because like in this example it opened my eyes to a completely new world I was completely ignorant of, and showed me a new found love and interest. It also made me realize how little I know of my own planet, and has encouraged me to educate myself more. Sometimes going out of your comfort zones, can actually be beneficial and allow you to discover different sides of yourself you wouldn’t otherwise.

Hope this inspired a few of you!:)

xoxo

-Z

How do I fit in and make as an International Student?!

Hello my fellow international students!

As an international students myself, I found it quite hard to make friends and feel integrated when I started studying at FIT. American students intimidated me, they spoke so fast and I was afraid that I wouldn’t understand them or they wouldn’t understand me. Every time I met a student from abroad or someone that spoke the same language, it felt like such a relief, like I wasn’t the only one facing these crazy fears. But as an introvert I found it quite hard to go up to people or force myself to start a conversation. Here are some tips that helped me throughout the semesters.

Interacting with students in your major. I know what most of you think… But don’t let it intimidate you, most students (even American) feel exactly the same way. Don’t be afraid to talk to them, at least you have something in common that you can talk about, which won’t make you feel going in completely blind. Group projects too are a great way to make friends and start becoming more social, I know they can be annoying, but they give you more time to talk with them. That’s how I met my best friend at FIT.

Become part a group. Clubs are a great way to make friends, feeling integrated and part of a team. You see the same people every week at the meetings, but also outside during events, fundraising etc. What’s great about clubs, is that you are with people who have the same interests you do, so it will make it so much easier to find similar interests and things to talk about. What I found really helped me was being accepted in the presidential scholars program, it was a much smaller group of people, which made it less intimidating to go up to people. Also most of us were there for the same reasons. Something I really liked about the honors program was that I didn’t only have one class with them, but I would see them on a regular basis at the colloquiums and various event throughout the semesters, which made us get closer without even trying.

Attend events. FIT has so many social events throughout the semesters, just go to one and see how you feel. It won’t hurt trying. That’s how I met my two first American friends at FIT, was during one of the orientation parties.

Community Service. Sign up for community service. You won’t be around only FIT students, but other people from different schools etc. It’s a nice way to meet people, not just from FIT.

Internships. They not only look great on your resume, but they’re a great way to make friends. Most of the friends I made through my internships are older, but I in a way enjoy it much more, because we have more adult conversations and I feel challenged (in a good way).

Campus Jobs. It’s a cool way to make extra money, but also friends! I loved working as a tutor, because without knowing, there are a lot of international students that worked there, so it felt like a very mixed and diverse group of people, not making it so intimidating.

But remember to be yourself, don’t ever try to be someone you are not!

xoxo

-Z

Great Volunteer Spots in the City

Hello there!

Always looking out for new finds in the city (for free), I came across a list of volunteer spots I’ve never heard of before, which spiked my curiosity. For the past three years I’ve volunteered at a number of organizations from Food Kitchens to various social events. However I’ve never really heard or seen around FIT (or city) organizations revolving around art. If you are an art lover and want to help an Arts Organization below is a long list of various non-profit organizations in the city. I’ve never realized how many there were until now, they range from books, music, painting etc. I’ve linked all the websites so you can go on them and contact the organizations for more information or volunteer work.

The Art Therapy Project

Artists Talk on Art

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

BWAC

The Center for Book Arts

CITYarts

Delivering Good, Inc.

The Field

FREE ARTS NYC

Groundswell

Materials for the Arts

Museum of Chinese in America