Category Archives: Commuting

Commuting to School

Hello Everyone,

Just ten days until Orientation week at FIT!

I will be directing this post to all my fellow classmates that are new to commuting……Yes you! To those who come from all 5 boroughs of New York City. Why? Well, I myself commuted from Queens since the very first semester, and, understand all of what one might go through when trying to get to school. So, for those of you who are new to commuting here are some tips:

Leave from your starting point 10-15 minutes earlier than needed. Don’t always trust your GPS! It is a very useful tool; however, it may not be accurate all the time.
Have a backup route that you can also count on.
Take an express train if possible.
Be at the station a few minutes earlier than what train schedule shows.
Be aware of your surrounding!
Avoid busy and touristic stations, try transferring before or even after.

Let me tell you, the NYC subway is all about finding tricks for a better commute. These are just a few tricks that can be useful to make sure you aren’t running late for class. It is also very important to stay safe! Most of the time I love jamming to my favorite tunes and forget to be watchful of what’s going on around me, but this shouldn’t be, especially if it’s late at night.

What are some of your tips for commuting?

– Maria

Listen and Learn- Podcasts to Check Out!

Podcasts are popular in New York City, especially if you commute in any way! I love listening to podcasts, and subscribe to a lot- some purely for fun or personal interest, and a few that have helped with my major and general education classes.

Here are my top picks for learning on the go!

Planet Money/The Indicator – An NPR podcast duo that translate economics and international trade into relatable and tolerable bites. The Indicator comes out almost every weekday, and has helped me keep up to date with all the changing trade tariffs and duties- a big part of Production Management, my major at FIT!

Freakanomics Radio – Another economic podcast, but this one is much more goofy- a recent episode is solely dedicated to Trader Joe’s grocery stores. I’ve also enjoyed series they have done on what CEOs actually do, and their unconventional approaches to solving the world’s problems.

How I Built This – The host, Guy Raz, interviews founders of all kinds of companies, from Eileen Fischer to Kate Spade, Bobbi Brown to Glossier. Hear how they built their companies, and get inspired! FIT offers a bachelors degree in Entrepreneurship, but graduates and students of many programs at FIT have gone on to build their own companies.

Every Little Thing – Got questions about every little thing? So does Flora, who won’t rest til she finds the answers. Why do we keep goldfish as pets? What do the laundry symbols on your clothing tags mean? Listen and learn tidbits of trivia that can start a conversation or answer a question you’ve never even known you wanted to ask.

These are just a few edutainment podcasts I subscribe to! Have any suggestions? Comment below!

Best,

Samantha

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

Restaurant Review: Eatsa

The new restaurant, Eatsa has made its way to New York City, located at 285 Madison Ave (41st St). I managed to stumble across it while I was walking around the city and I immediately fell in love. When you walk in, you are greeted by very kind staff members assisting you if you have never been inside before. There was a row of touch-screen devices where you go and place your order. They have pre-set meal options such as various quinoa bowls and salads, but you are also able to customize it yourself.

Eatsa

The restaurant allows for zero communication between the cooking staff and the customers dining. You pay on the touch screen with your debit or credit card prior to heading over to the cubbies where it states your name on it. The cubbie will illuminate when your order is ready and your touch on the cubbie will open the door where your food awaits you.

Conveniently for New Yorkers, you are also able to place an order on your phone and go into the restaurant, find your cubby and head out the door with your food. Not only is the restaurant concept convenient, the food is absolutely delicious! I will be making many trips to Eatsa this semester!

Ashley

A Guide to Finding the Perfect Roommate

We all wondered if roommate horror stories are true, and the reality is, they can be! Here are a few tips to get all of you prospective students prepared for selecting a roommate…

1. New/entering students are able to choose from our three residence halls on 27th street: Alumni, Coed, and Nagler. Research the halls, and figure out which one best fits your preferences.

2. Selecting roommate(s) increases the chances of choosing your preferred accommodation. It is to your advantage to have the roommate with the earliest selection date/time choose a room type. So don’t be afraid to reach out on Facebook after you are confirmed for housing!

3. Once a room type is selected, all mutually selected roommates will automatically be assigned. Students eligible for room selection can use Advanced Roommate Search to find other students seeking roommates. Use of this feature is strongly encouraged as there is an advantage to selecting roommate(s). If you do not choose a roommate, one will randomly be assigned.

4. Be sure to completely fill out your MyHousing assessment that will gather information about your living preferences to help find a right match for you.

5. Don’t be afraid to get social – we all have have had to get used to new surroundings, don’t let your shyness get in the way of making connection with people during your roommate search!