Tag Archives: Commuter student

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2022!

Congratulations one more time! As FIT sends out your acceptance letters / emails about housing that tell you got accepted but you’re still freaking out because you didn’t receive the actual acceptance packet yet….literally me, lol. Here’s some FAQ’s that I constantly get asked!

What are some of the things to do at FIT?

FIT is home to over 50 clubs and organizations. From W27, the campus newspaper, to Black Student Union. Our institution provides an array of activities throughout the school year. With New York City as our greater campus, there is never reason to be bored!

What is the best dorm for me?

Depending on your personal preferences, FIT offers an array of dorm types. As a freshman at FIT you’rerequired to stay in the 27th street dorms if you choose to live on campus, these include Alumni, Nagler, and Co-Ed Halls. From traditional to apartment style rooms, it really is up to you! To find out more information on the dorms, check out the Residential Life page on FIT’s website!

What is the best meal plan?

Similar to choosing your room, it really is up to your personal preferences! The FIT Cafeteria provides an array of healthy choices to satisfy your appetite! FIT does it’s best to provide for those certain dietary requirements or preferences. Choose a meal plan that you feel would best satisfy your needs!

Do you feel safe at FIT?

The Fashion Institute of Technology is one of the safest schools in the nation. Security is very tight and IDs are required to enter any campus building. The campus also obtains emergency kiosks for any time of need. An additional shuttle service to 27th Street is provided for those who reside in Kaufman Hall.

I hope these questions help make your decision or clarify any confusion. Feel free to leave more questions, I’ll be happy to answer them!

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

How To: Spend Time Alone

As I get further into the semester, I begin to find that I have less and less down time. So when I do get time alone finally I tend not to enjoy it as much as when I am with others. It’s not an ideal reaction but it is truly a normal one.

One thing that has really helped me ease into alone time has been hobbies, the less time I spent with all my friends and whoever else the more hobbies I discovered I had. Use the silence to read, paint, knit, draw, whatever interests you. Recently I learned how to cook by just getting some random recipes’ online. Next, while you are doing these things do not check your phone. Checking it defeats the purpose of alone time overall. Everyone tends to get FOMO aka, Fear of missing out.

Also spending time alone doesn’t mean you need to spend time locked in your room or apartment, go for a walk, treat yourself to coffee, or go shopping alone. This still counts as alone time even if you aren’t really alone. I find that my taste in things tends to change with the people I am with so if I am alone I find more things that I love that maybe I wouldn’t think of before.

Lastly, enjoy the ultimate relaxation, when you’re not running around or doing things for others its quite relaxing. My favorite moments are once a week when I climb into a bubble bath with a book and some candles. So my suggestion is cancel your plans, put down the social media and texts and just hang out with yourself.
Xoxo
Kailee

Commuting Tips

Going to a school in New York City, you’ll find that a majority of students commute to school every single day. Between subway and bus delays, general traffic, and the dreaded rain on too narrow of a sidewalk, commuting can often be unpredictable. While I may not have a long commute, I have a few tips and tricks to help your day go by a little smoother.

Show up early. While it’s easier said than done, try your best to take the earlier train, even if it is 10 minutes, just to ensure that you make it to class on time. While this may be difficult for students commuting from Long Island, if you are within the city, this is definitely a helpful tip! Nothing is worse than the conductor saying “We are being held momentarily. Thank you for your patience.”
Bring your own food. Commuting can be EXPENSIVE. The unlimited monthly metrocards and passes aren’t cheap, so there’s no reason why you should have to spend $15 on a salad. If you bring your own food, it will save you time, energy, and money.
Get a locker. Talk to your department head to see if your major offers lockers for commuters. For Art and Design students, you especially want to consider this because you typically have a lot of supplies. It will also be a huge lifesaver in the winter when you don’t want to carry around your big puffy coat.
Bring a phone charger. This is most likely a staple in anyone’s daily life, but if you have a long commute, your battery may already be at a low percentage by the time you get to school. I highly recommend having a portable charger as well just in case there isn’t an accessible outlet.
Carry the essentials. From gum to chapstick and band-aids, to hand sanitizer and deodorant, you’ll never know when you’ll need your emergency stash, especially once you get off the train.
Wear comfortable shoes…or bring a spare. Depending on your commute and where you get let off, you may still have to walk a ways to get to campus. Wearing uncomfortable shoes may result in serious blisters upon arrival (another reason to always have bandaids).

Best of luck commuting!
Ashley

Life Hack: How to be an Optimist

As we begin to get further into school it can be difficult to be optimistic when you are stressed out. But finding ways to stay optimistic about the future and your life will allow you to be positive even when your life isn’t exactly all rainbows.

First, It is a very important goal to set and accomplish larger goals , as well as follow through. We need to make ourselves believe we are capable of doing anything. You are what you reach for and it tends to become easy to forget why you came this far sometimes with a negative mindset.

Next, Remove any negative things in your present life. I cant tell you how amazing it feels when you do. Negative energy feeds off negative experiences so when you remove these things it opens many doors for change. Also, take responsibility for your own actions. While it tends to seem easy to blame others , it wont allow you to grow and feel good about yourself. The most successful people don’t blame anymore, not even themselves. They evaluate the situation and think of what they could do differently. We can use our set backs as a learning process for the future to keep improving.

Work in a positive environment. How can you change your outlook on life if you surround yourself with negative people who don’t care about their future ?Positivity can be contagious and once you inspire yourself you can inspire others as well. So being in the right environment is key to any amount of change.

Lastly, take baby steps, none of this will happen over night. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you think about everything you want to accomplish. Take small easy steps to frequent success , this will keep you motivated and moving forward.

Stay Positive!

Xoxo,

Kailee