Category Archives: Resources at FIT

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

FIT Career Fair

Hi Everyone!

Career and Internships fair in full swing!

This week FIT had its biannual Career Fair, hosted by our Career and Internships Services!  This was my first time going but I was surprised by how many employers were there, and by the amount of students as well.  It was totally worth going to, and I wish I had printed more resume copies to take with!
I found that while booths like Micheal Kors and Saks 5th Avenue got long lines, it was a great chance to talk to companies that are more “behind the scenes” in the industry.  I enjoyed speaking to Haddad Brands, Centric and Li and Fung, all companies that produce products for major brands like Nike and LEVI’s.  The list of attending companies gets sent out ahead of time, so it is a great chance to look up companies you might not have heard of before.
FIT gives a great education, but opportunities like this are what makes attending here really worth it!  Getting to speak to HR recruiters for your field is a great chance to hear about opportunities and internships you might not have otherwise.
What companies would you like to meet at our career fair?
Sam

Production Management Club Guest Speaker

Hi Everyone!

One of the cool things FIT offers are our many clubs. Students can easily join a club, or even start their own! My major, Production Management, has its own club, and this past Thursday had a guest speaker. G-III is a massive and successful player in the apparel manufacturing field, and we were lucky enough to have one of their Vice Presidents of Sourcing and Production.

She shared with us her usual day to day responsibilities, and what a business trip typically looks like. Production Management can involve lots of travel, especially to Asia, and she walked us through the process of visiting up to three spread-out factories in a day! She also shared photos of the manufacturing facilities, and the sewers working on goods.

Another part I found helpful was her discussion of what can help propel an intern/student/new graduate. She emphasized the importance of taking things off your bosses plate, instead of adding to their work. Anything you can do to help those above and around you will help you work your way up in a business. As a student, hearing from someone so advanced in their career is incredibly invaluable, as one day I want to be like her! She was also generous enough to share her business card and email for if we had further questions.

Clubs at FIT are a great way to get involved, network, and meet great people. I would really encourage checking them out during your time at FIT!

Sam

Career Services Job Bank at FIT

Hi everyone!

Last week I blogged about working a part time job as a way to gain invaluable experience while an FIT student. While finding a job might be daunting, FIT offers a fantastic job bank where you can look for industry related jobs!

I find this really helpful as my major Production Management can sometimes be confused for event production or music or construction. The FIT job bank lets you sort by major, or other similar key words so you can find something similar to what you are interested in.

FIT students are in demand around NYC, especially for retail jobs and other part time work. We have a good reputation and it helps when it comes time to apply to jobs. A lot of the time, you’ll even be working with other FIT students at your job, and can meet people in other majors and departments at the school this way.

My experience with the career bank has been great – I found a part time job I spent a year working that I really enjoyed. It also was a great learning experience, as I got to work at a small business and see how their processes worked.

The career services are available to all FIT students, past and present. You’ll always have the FIT services backing you, wether you’re just starting out or a few years into your career.

Learn more at this link!

What are your career goals? Let me know!
Sam

 

Resources at FIT

Hello TIGERS!

I want to share with you some of the most useful resources at FIT that can be helpful in your journey here.

The Admissions Office

Since the day you think of applying to FIT, the admissions office is with you. There are major decisions you need to take when starting college and FIT has counselors to guide you all the way. From choosing a program to choosing a specific major, and many more topics can be discussed with a counselor. For more info visit: http://www.fitnyc.edu/admissions/index.php

 

Counseling Services

Along with the counselors from the admissions office, FIT also offers counseling services for more personal issues that can affect the student’s well-being and academic progress. Services are private and confidential and are with licensed staff. For more info visit: http://www.fitnyc.edu/counseling-services/

 

Career and Internship Center

“Whether you’re about to graduate, just beginning your FIT education, or anywhere in between, the CIC can help you plan your future, with, self-assessment to identify your interests, personality traits, and life and career goals, resume development, job search, online job bank for Students, internship preparation and placement, career counseling and advising”. For more info visit: http://www.fitnyc.edu/academics/cic/index.php

 

FIT Writing Studio

There has been a point in your academic life that you may have been stuck with an idea, or maybe you just can’t put it down on paper. Maybe you just need someone to revise a draft and give you some feedback and this is where the writing studio comes in. Consultants are there to assist you with any writing projects you may have. For more info visit: http://www.fitnyc.edu/writing-studio/

 

Disability Support Services (FIT-ABLE)

FIT is full of diversity and for this reason the office of Disability Services “ensures equal access for students with disabilities in their curricular as well as co-curricular college experience through accommodations that contribute to a holistic learning and development experience.” For more info visit: http://www.fitnyc.edu/fitable/

These are just five of the many other great resources at FIT that will make your journey here more enriching. To check out more resources, make sure to visit FIT’s website.

Till next time,

Maria