Category Archives: FYI

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

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

Internship Class at FIT

Hi everyone!

Ever wonder what it is like taking the internship class at FIT? I have done it twice (once in my Associates degree and once in Bachelors), and will share a bit about it below!

Why take the internship class?
In New York State, work must be compensated. This means that you either need to be paid or receive credit in exchange for the work you do at an internship.

Receiving pay at an internship might take some advancement in your career or academics (they are more competitive) which leaves interning for credit as the usual starting place for some students. My first official internship was unpaid, which meant I had to take the FIT internship class to receive school credit while I did it. I had to work my part time job on the side, so it wasn’t ideal, but having it on my resume really did help me land future paid positions so I think it was a worthy tradeoff.

How do you get the internship?
Once registering for the class, you will meet with your internship counselor. This person will help you find a position and fill out the appropriate paperwork, but at the end of the day you will do all the legwork of applying, interviewing and co-ordinating. This is all part of the learning process too in my opinion, as it is pretty similar to what it’s like when you apply for a job outside of school. I’m a big fan of the FIT database of internships though, as it narrows down the field to companies looking to hire YOU!

What do you learn?
As you are required to spend 121 cumulative hours (this does vary depending on the exact internship class) on the “job site,” the actual class itself only meets 6 times over the semester as a touch base and career development opportunity. This means you spend about 10 hours a week (roughly a day and a half, but some people do more) at the office you intern in, and every third week or so you have the class.

In those 6 class meetings, you go over things like office etiquette, interviewing tips, resume workshops and sometimes have guest speakers. The instructor also has your back at your internship – if anything goes wrong, FIT can step in and help make things right. However this is rare and more insurance that you have a good experience than anything else.

Is it worth it?
Well, if your degree requires it, yes! And even if it doesn’t, taking the class can help you better determine what you are interested in while you are still in school, so after graduation you have a better picture of what you really want to do. Working for “free” can be tough sometimes, but it also forced me to try and get the most out of it possible. I asked lots of questions, did lots of snooping, and got a better idea of what actually happens in an office. Also, earning 3 credits while working was a fun change from instead sitting a classroom three hours a week for a semester.

Overall, the internship class at FIT was a good way to get my foot in the industry door, and gave me more confidence to search on my own. After interning my 4th semester (Sophomore year), I got an offer to intern at Guess in LA. I credit a lot of that to having the chance to add to my resume and improve my communication skills with the internship class. You never know what will lead to your next move!

Where do you want to intern?
Sam

Runway 27 Presents Artistry

FIT is home to 60+ student clubs, one of which is Runway 27. Runway 27 host student organized fashion shows every year. The club allows students to experience the vast roles involved in putting on a show, such as the role of merchandisers, designers, models, photographers, general business management, advertising and P.R. The shows always follow a theme, and this year they are presenting their annual show “Artistry”.

Runway 27 was established in 2013 and has been putting on shows ever since. The Runway 27 website shows all previous sponsors that have supported the annual shows and all active team members. The Runway 27 Instagram page keeps followers up to date with any events and covers a behind the scenes experience of all club activity, along with posting artsy photo shoot teasers. If you won’t be able to make it to the Artistry show this Thursday, Nov. 21, then make sure to watch the show through the live stream set up. Details are on the Runway 27 website’s homepage.

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