New York University is in The Big Apple. The city is a maze of continuing, action-packed adventure, and there is so much going on ALL THE TIME. College is an experience we should all treasure, and it is a time for learning life lessons. Some of these lessons are funny in retrospect, but they are hard at the time. I experienced college at New York University, and college in NYC. Let me tell you from experience, there are some things you should never do. Let me save you some heartache.
1.) Never Walk Through Washington Square After Midnight Alone
While New York University is a community onto itself, New York City is still New York City. So since you’ll be out on the town while at New York University, here’s some handy info. Washington Square Park becomes sketchy at midnight, and students have gotten mugged coming home from the library, rehearsal, etc.
Basically, it is just like it sounds. Some homeless druggie mugged them while they were minding their own business. Thank God they were smart enough to just give them the wallet, watch, etc. But it doesn’t have to get there. When in doubt, hail a cab or ask a friend to walk with you.
2.) Never Go To Webster Hall
I know you saw Party Monster and want to go to New York University because celebutante James St. James did, or want to stomp your studded platforms here like Lady Gaga until you get discovered. So you go to Webster Hall, the last throwback to the Limelight. DON’T. Webster Hall should be known as Roofie Town.
At least one student gets drugged a year, or is “experimenting” and receives a bad batch. They wind up in the hospital. FYI, it’s not uncommon for them to get sexually assaulted. Being glamorous and creative is wonderful; having a traumatic memory or dying young is not.
3.) Never Use Campus Counseling
Life gets hard in the big city, and academics at a top-notch university are rigorous. You figure you will walk into campus counseling which is great, IN THEORY. First things first: it takes weeks, if not months, to get an appointment. Second, despite their claims, it is not confidential.
In the wake of the suicides at New York University, your counselors, FYI social work grad students, report anything and everything they hear to the administration via school policy. Students who were just stressed over a bio lab were being recommended for a psych leave of absence.
If you truly have a mental health emergency, find a therapist in NYC. Many will see students on a sliding scale. Not only is it licensed and confidential, but they won’t press eject on you, automatically.
4.) Never Wait to File Your Graduation Paperwork
As soon as your coursework is complete, apply for graduation. No, I mean it. Your admission counselors are swamped, overworked, and people get lost in the shuffle all the time. Plus if you wait, you might not be able to graduate for six more months, which is awkward.
Also, after you file it, make sure you fulfilled all requirements. Just like your academic advisor could make a mistake, so can you. That’s why it’s important to check-in.
5.) Never Do Drugs In Your Dorm
There are drugs at New York University, so let’s just get that out of the way. The urge to try new things is also intriguing. There will be those who will tell you about the cool “towel and Febreze” trick. Leave, now. First off, you will be caught.
RAs patrol the floors nightly, and there is always one who feels that they are Wyatt Earp, and technically they are. After you are written up, due to New York University’s history of suicides, you will be mandated to mental health services.
The University will threaten to put you on a leave of absence unless you are cleared. Additionally, this might result in loss of scholarship money in some cases. Oh, and lest we forget these are NYC street drugs. Often, they are laced with a surprise your body might not like to say the least.
There you have it. Avoid these urban bear traps in the concrete jungle. If you do, you will be a happy camper. Study hard and see you at graduation.
For some good vibes after that harsh reality blow, check out the things you should do at New York University.
April Brucker received a BFA in Acting from the Tisch School of the Arts in 2007. She is the author of I Came, I Saw, I Sang: Memoirs of a Singing Telegram Delivery Girl. For more on April please go to April Brucker.
Frequently asked questions
- Why should you avoid Washington Square Park after midnight?
- The park becomes sketchy at midnight, and students have been mugged walking home from the library or rehearsal, so the author advises taking a cab or walking with a friend.
- Why does the author warn against Webster Hall?
- She calls it Roofie Town: at least one student a year is drugged or takes a bad batch and ends up in the hospital, and assault is not uncommon there.
- What is the problem with campus counseling at NYU?
- Appointments can take weeks or months and, despite claims of confidentiality, the author says the counselors report what they hear to the administration through school policy, with stressed students recommended for a psych leave of absence.
- When should NYU students file graduation paperwork?
- As soon as coursework is complete, and then double-check that all requirements are met, because waiting can delay graduation by six months.
- Why not do drugs in an NYU dorm?
- RAs patrol nightly, students who are written up are mandated to mental health services, scholarships can be lost, and NYC street drugs are often laced.