Tag Archives: Life changing experiences

Florence, Italy at Your Hands!

HELLO FELLOW TIGERS!!

My name is Maria, I have started my 4th semester in FIT. However, I started classes a little far away from campus. Where? In Florence, Italy! Now you may ask “what is she doing over there?” Well let me explain….

At FIT there are many options for studying abroad, it all depends on the major you are studying. As a fashion design student one of my options was to study in the “the cradle of the renaissance”, that is Florence, Italy. And so I chose this option for my second year of AAS.

You cannot imagine how excited I was to start my journey abroad. In the month of August (2018) I had my bags all packed and ready for what was coming. I heard great stories about my classmates’ experiences abroad and was ready to start my own.

Our host in Florence is Polimoda fashion institute right in the historic center. The main campus itself is a gem, with frescoed ceilings and walls, it sure takes you back in time. The design lab in Scandicci has everything you need for the realization of projects. Since the program admits a certain number of students, professors are by your side to assist you.

In the following blogs I will be going in deeper into my experiences during the last and this upcoming semester.

Ciao, Maria

A view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

Florence, Italy: A view from Piazzale Michelangelo

Happy Friendsgiving!

Hello there!

So last year I wrote a post all about different ideas you could do for Friendsgiving. This year I thought I would switch it up and talk about what I’m planning on doing during the thanksgiving holidays. And maybe who knows might give you some inspiration to do the same.

This year I decided to go away, but like most of us I didn’t want to spend a lot. My friend and I wanted to pick a place that was not too close from Manhattan, but not too far either. We came to the conclusion that Washington D.C. would be a great idea. I’ve never been to Washington D.C., and researching more about it, there was a list of things to do. Washington has some of the best museums and it’s literally only a 4 hour bus ride from Manhattan. In total we spend $64 for the bus ticket, and picked a hostel right in the center and paid $29. Honestly, I was shocked that I paid under $100 to go to Washington (for some reason it felt so much further) and stay over night. This would never be the case where I live, the train ticket in itself would be more than $100. Anyways, if you are feeling a little homesick, or need a little break from school and the city, I would highly suggest taking a short one day or two day trip to a city close by. For example, a few weeks ago I went to Philadelphia by bus for really cheap and it was amazing. I feel so closed off living here in New York, it feels like the center of the world and I forget that there are cities so close, that are incredible too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

-Z

Ocean Photography: Inspiring Conservation

Hello there!

Two days ago I got to attend a short conference lead by the acclaimed photographer Keith Ellenbogen in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. The presentation was titled Ocean Photography: Inspiring Conservation. Basically Keith Ellenbogen, showcased his incredible images and talked to us about his various experiences and stories on his environmental and marine science expeditions. Going into this I didn’t really know what to expect, since I’m not much of an ocean lover or really at all interested in this particular subject. But seeing his photography and the way he was so passionate about this topic and what he did, struck me. The images he showed us were absolutely incredible, I never realized how much patience and thought goes into snapping an image (of an ocean creature/wildlife). He talked about how his images serve bigger purposes than just a simple image of an oceanic creature. It is really an art form to itself. I also never realized how much innovation goes into the art of photography. Everything is calculated and planned ahead (at least in his case). He will sometimes spend months and months in one spot, just to get the perfect shot, which might never happen. But that does not seem to bother him.

This made me realize that I shouldn’t restrict myself to subjects that only interest me, because like in this example it opened my eyes to a completely new world I was completely ignorant of, and showed me a new found love and interest. It also made me realize how little I know of my own planet, and has encouraged me to educate myself more. Sometimes going out of your comfort zones, can actually be beneficial and allow you to discover different sides of yourself you wouldn’t otherwise.

Hope this inspired a few of you!:)

xoxo

-Z

Great Volunteer Spots in the City

Hello there!

Always looking out for new finds in the city (for free), I came across a list of volunteer spots I’ve never heard of before, which spiked my curiosity. For the past three years I’ve volunteered at a number of organizations from Food Kitchens to various social events. However I’ve never really heard or seen around FIT (or city) organizations revolving around art. If you are an art lover and want to help an Arts Organization below is a long list of various non-profit organizations in the city. I’ve never realized how many there were until now, they range from books, music, painting etc. I’ve linked all the websites so you can go on them and contact the organizations for more information or volunteer work.

The Art Therapy Project

Artists Talk on Art

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

BWAC

The Center for Book Arts

CITYarts

Delivering Good, Inc.

The Field

FREE ARTS NYC

Groundswell

Materials for the Arts

Museum of Chinese in America

Time In Children’s Arts

xoxo

-Z

Saying Goodbye

It’s truly hard for me to believe that the day is actually here. This post will be my last post as an Admissions Blogger. When the Admissions Office was first starting the Admissions Blog 4 years ago in October of 2013, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. 18 year old, freshman me was excited for new opportunities in New York City and I was going to take advantage of every door that opened and every opportunity that knocked. 145 blog posts later, here I am; older, wiser, stronger, and a completely improved version of myself compared to 4 years ago.

Working for the Admissions Office allowed me to be a part of something greater than myself. From working Junior Day to Admitted Students Day, it gave me perspective on how fortunate I was to go to such a prestigious university. I can only hope that these blog posts and student events have helped some of you along the way and gave you some insight on life here at FIT. I wanted to thank all of the fellow bloggers from when I started 4 years ago, to the current bloggers on the team, and to Joe, Mercedes, and Vernon for all being such incredible leaders. Above all, thank you to FIT for providing me with a path, wonderful memories, and excitement for the future of my career.

Best,
Ashley