Category Archives: dorming

Roommate Contracts

Hi everyone!

If you’ll be dorming at FIT there’s a good chance you’ll have a roommate or two or three! One of the mandatory things your RA will have you do is sign a roommate contract, basically agreeing to how you plan to live together. It can be hard knowing what to talk about before moving in with future roommates if you’ve never had any, so here are some of my tips.

  1. Ground rules

I don’t like surprises so I usually ask my roommates to text if they have a visitor and I do the same. Also we usually let each other know if we won’t be home for the night or if we’re traveling – which is also a safety measure. It’s good to talk about things like when you typically go to sleep and wake up, especially in a small dorm room! Anything else you feel passionate about is good to address ahead of time, wether it be dish washing policy or on overnight guests.

  1. Household supplies

It’s good to figure out how you intend to split or divide the buying of household supplies. I’ve done both “I buy toilet paper then you buy next” as well as just going 50/50 on expenses. If you want to take the 50/50 route, the app Splitwise makes it really easy – I’ve been using it since freshman year and it has been great for both household stuff and for when I travel with friends. Deciding how you’ll handle household shared expenses can help make sure you never run out of toilet paper.

On the flipside, I would say someone should own things that don’t get used up outright – splitting the cost of physical items up front may be cheaper in the moment, but when it comes time to move out it’s hard to decide who keeps the coffee maker. For my freshman year dorm, I bought all the kitchen stuff and my roommate bought all the bathroom items. This way when we moved out we knew who was taking what.

  1. Cleaning and upkeep

Some people like to have a cleaning calendar where you trade off week to week, but personally my schedule has always been kind of wild so I usually agree with my roommate to clean up after ourselves, and then give the dorm/apartment a good cleaning once a week or so. Others like the set schedule of cleaning periodically. As for doing dishes, I like to have a different set of dishes than my roommate so I always remember to wash mine. If I see my bowl in the sink, I know that it’s mine to clean! To prevent creatures moving in, it’s best practice to wash dishes before going to bed every night.

Obviously there is so much more to discuss with your roommate before moving in, but make sure to iron out what you expect in terms of ground rules, money and cleaning. These are easy pain points to avoid by discussing up front!

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

What do the Dorms at FIT Look Like?

Hi everyone!

This is a popular question – what do to the dorms at FIT look like?  FIT offers three “freshman” (for your first year attending FIT, whether or not it is your first year of college does not matter) dorms and one “upper classman” dorms (where you can live after the first year on 27th st).

When I dormed, my favorite part was definitely the distance from class!  FIT is essentially one city block, and the freedom to get out of bed 10 minutes before class and make it there with 5 to spare is pretty sweet.  Since classes are on the north side of 27th, and the freshman dorms on the south side, it takes moments to cross the street to get to school.  For sophomores and beyond, Kaufman Hall is located on 31st, right next to the new Hudson Yards mall and developments.  It is about a 12 minute walk but there is also a shuttle service for rainy days or for when you just need a lift.

You can learn more about FIT’s dorms here, on our website!

As for what the dorms look like inside, you can see one on a campus tour but the best way to really peek inside is on YouTube!  Many FIT students vlog about their student life, and show off how they decorated their dorms. Their videos are a lot easier to relate to than a staged room.  I would recommend researching on the FIT website which of the three halls might be best for you, and then searching youtube with the dorm hall name, and “dorm tour”.  For example, “FIT Nagler Hall dorm tour” will turn up loads of videos on how students before you made their dorm room home.

Which of our three entering students dorms are you interested in?  Let me know below!

Sam

Dorm Essentials

Welcome FIT newcomers! Wether it’s your first year of school, or you’re transferring in, we’re happy you’re here! Hopefully you’re feeling more settled in, but if not here are some of my favorite dorm essentials you might not have thought of that helped make my first year at FIT so much better.

Reusable grocery bag

My personal favorite- the $1 Trader Joe’s plastic reusable bag- is incredibly versatile! Use it for laundry, use it for groceries, use it to carry plants, use it for moving. What’s nice about it is that it’s big enough to fit quite a bit, and easy to carry over your shoulder. There are many options other than the TJs one- but I like that it’s easy to wipe down in the sink. Even if a tote bag is organic cotton, the amount of water used to make it negates a lot of the benefits. Also, for messy tasks like taking home plants from the market, canvas totes have a tendency to stain. That’s why I’m a big fan of using and reusing a sturdy plastic tote shopping bag!

A personal light

When it comes to dorming it’s likely you’ll have a roommate or two – and everyone has different schedules. Having a small personal light can help for when your roomie needs some rest but you need to see. I personally suggest every night turning off the overheard lights before bed and you and your roommate having a non-intrusive personal light to read or do homework by. That way when one wants to call it a night, they can flip off their light without inconveniencing the other.

A fan for white noise

It depends on your roommates preference, but if they don’t mind a bit of white noise a fan can really help at night. Dorm rooms are small and every little noise can bother each other. Fans help drown out the little things that might inhibit sleep, and the airflow is always a good thing!

Simple cleaning supplies

Yes, it can be hard to keep things clean – but I have found that having cleaning supplies I like makes the job tolerable. I love the way my all-purpose cleaner smells, and it makes cleaning a lot more relaxing. Giving your space a quick wipe down every week keeps any mess from becoming a Mess. By using products you like and find fun it doesn’t feel like as much of a chore.

Bedding from home

This might not be possible – say if you have a queen at home your sheets won’t fit a twin xl – but bringing your pillow from home and your personal sheets or comforter does help ease the transition to a new space. While it’s tempting to buy a whole new room set in the back to school frenzy, that little bit of home can be pretty comforting.

 

Those are my top essentials – have any others?  Let me know in the comments!

Sam

 

Welcome 1st Year Students!

Hi everyone!

Welcome back – or if it’s your first year at FIT, welcome!  I know it is a big transition going from high school to college, so I have a few (FIT specific) tips!

 

Make friends in your major

Of course don’t limit yourself to your major, but having a few people whom you can talk to about classes, homework and major related things has been probably the most important thing I’ve done. Especially in small majors (my program, Production Management, has 50 student a year roughly) knowing the people you’ll be spending the next 2 to 4 years with helps! It’s also a key part of networking. These classmates are your peers now, and also after you graduate- you might be working with them some day. Even just knowing peoples names and being friendly can help you and them out a lot.

 

Take a walk

You’re in NYC! If you didn’t grow up here, and even if you did, there is so much to see and do! Check out Hudson Yards, check out the floral district, check out Madison Square Park. Walk the Highline, stroll Chelsea Piers. There’s so much to see in a 15 block radius.

 

Poke around campus

It took me way too long to find the student lounge at school- I wish I had walked around the halls more and seen what areas for students there are. Sometimes it’s hard to know what happens in buildings where your classes aren’t. There is even a bridge between the library and the main classrooms on campus. Don’t be like me and find all the good spots your last year! Enjoy them all 4.

 

Looking forward

Think you might want to be an RA? Now is a great time to start the process! Talk to your RA and find out what steps you’d need to take – there are some long lead time requirements so it is important to understand them if you think this is something you’d want to do. The process starts earlier than you’d think, so start exploring the option now if you’re interested!

 

Enjoy your first year at FIT, and don’t be afraid to invest in yourself.  Make time to study, make friends at your pace, and enjoy what the city has to offer.  There is no “right” way to be an FIT student – we’re all unconventional students following our uncommon goals!

See you around campus,

Sam