Within the days following the chaos and pleasure of your dorm move-in, you’ll get to expertise NYU’s model of scholar orientation — NYU Welcome. From Aug. 26 to Sept. 15, you’ll have the chance to participate in actions, occasions, bonding experiences and extra along with your fellow incoming college students. Will probably be your official introduction to NYU and its group earlier than lessons start.
From themed gatherings to events, NYU Welcome can definitely be enjoyable, but additionally jam-packed and overwhelming at occasions. It may be laborious to know how one can take advantage of the college welcome festivities, so right here’s a information for among the highlights you’ll expertise and navigating your first encounter with NYU’s social scene.
Marquee Occasions
Every single day of NYU Welcome contains a number of small occasions equivalent to themed hangouts for folks with totally different pursuits and excursions meant to acclimate college students to campus. The tip of every day, nevertheless, has some kind of a giant marquee occasion for the entire college. These occasions are supposed to carry collectively the whole incoming class, and are an effective way to get an concept of the tradition round campus. They’re additionally key locations to go to along with your roommates or to make new mates, as a result of the activity-filled hours assist keep away from awkward silences.
Whereas this yr’s itinerary has but to be introduced, a few of final yr’s highlights included the Presidential Welcome and Actuality Present — which was required for all first-years — in addition to drag bingo, a disco ball, a movie competition, a Bob Ross paint evening and a comedy present. These occasions have been all comparatively properly organized final yr, and NYU did a reasonably good job of choosing actions that weren’t corny, however have been nonetheless applicable. Our private favourite was the movie competition, which featured brief movies by incoming Tisch Faculty of the Arts college students and was a testomony to only how gifted they’re. Drag bingo and the paint evening have been additionally large hits, and possibly prone to return, though I’d suggest displaying up early as they refill rapidly.
Presidential Welcome & The Actuality Present
The Presidential Welcome & Actuality Present is a quintessential NYU Welcome expertise, and one of many extra distinctive elements of the week. Sure, you’re going to get misplaced in your manner there. Sure, NYU does have a totally choreographed musical about life on campus. Sure, there’s a track a couple of homosexual celebration. Tacky because it sounds, the present is among the solely occasions you’ll get to be along with your entire class earlier than you graduate years from now, and the joy all through the entire occasion is certainly palpable.
The Presidential Welcome begins off with an introduction to each faculty at NYU — even those everybody forgets about — and their deans, in addition to a speech from the college president. It then transitions to the Actuality Present, which might solely be described as an explosion of songs and skits in regards to the many obstacles you’ll face as a brand new faculty scholar. It feels jarring at first, however you’ll really study rather a lot about NYU’s id for those who listen. One factor you’ll discover is that this college loves a manufacturing. Extra importantly, it is aware of lecturers, sexuality, psychological well being and each different facet of faculty will get overwhelming, and offers you the area and freedom to course of them. The present is value seeing, if just for the shared nostalgia of its psychedelic but endearing nature.
NYU App
All university-organized NYU Welcome actions are listed below a particular banner on the NYU Cell app and are additionally positioned below the “occasions” part. The actions are organized by day, and colour coded by the sort of occasion they’re. It may be actually useful to have a look at them prematurely, as a way to plan what you need to do for every day. The app may also daring any required cohort conferences and orientations which can be particular person to you, so that you don’t miss any of them amid the plethora of elective occasions occurring. I personally suggest taking screenshots of all of the actions you’re inquisitive about, in addition to their occasions and places, in case of expertise glitches, or simply for higher entry to them.
The app additionally offers every scholar a singular NYU Interact Occasion Cross, a QR code that must be scanned earlier than you enter any NYU Welcome exercise, or another occasion organized by NYU Interact — the college’s platform for on campus organizations. It’s a good suggestion so as to add it to your telephone’s pockets app, which is able to make the traces go rather a lot quicker for everybody.
Dorm Actions
If watching a drag present with 700 folks within the Skirball Middle for the Performing Arts isn’t your factor, however an “Avatar: The Final Airbender” themed hangout is somewhat too area of interest, I extremely suggest the completely happy center floor that dorm actions present.
Your dorm’s Residence Corridor Council, a bunch of scholars in every dorm tasked with organizing programming year-round, will most certainly maintain some type of mixer or occasion within the lounge, and there are way more causes to go than simply the free meals. For one, you’re far more prone to keep in contact with a good friend that lives in your dorm constructing, and it’s nice to seek out an individual or two to stroll to lessons and seize meals with. It’s additionally actually useful to have just a few mates that reside in your constructing, in case of an emergency or in case your roommate wants the room to themselves one evening.
Faculty-Particular Actions
Throughout NYU Welcome, your college and main might host their very own actions and occasions, some obligatory and others elective. NYU is an academically numerous college, so it could actually generally be laborious to seek out folks with comparable pursuits — particularly if yours is extra area of interest. These school-specific occasions are nice methods to fulfill folks inquisitive about the identical topics you might be, and also you would possibly come throughout a few of your future classmates! You’ll additionally get to fulfill school and advisers, whereas spending extra time along with your friends studying about what your program has to supply.
Membership Fest
Membership Fest generally is a daunting expertise, with by no means ending rows of poster boards and overly keen upperclassmen selling their golf equipment to overly keen first-years making an attempt to determine the place to go. To ease the stress, NYU Interact has an inventory of golf equipment and organizations you can evaluation earlier than heading over to really feel extra ready. I’d suggest writing down an inventory of those you need to study extra about, after which depart a while to stroll down the isles and discover. NYU has an unlimited vary of golf equipment — from the cheese membership to the quidditch staff — you by no means know what would possibly catch your eye.
NYU Welcome Friendships
All through NYU Welcome, you’re going to fulfill so many individuals, alternate dozens of Instagram handles each day, and greater than probably lose monitor of who’s who. Oftentimes, the folks you meet throughout your first couple of weeks at NYU usually are not the folks you’ll find yourself taking group commencement images with. And that’s OK.
NYU Welcome is the right time to experiment and speak to totally different folks, supplying you with an opportunity to see who you actually click on with. It’s additionally necessary to remain social and spend time with folks. NYU and New York Metropolis could make you are feeling alone, particularly once you first arrive, so attain out to the strangers you meet at occasions and ship them that DM to hang around, we promise they’re feeling the identical manner you might be.
Exploring the Metropolis
It’s tempting to spend your first day within the metropolis operating between Instances Sq., the Empire State Constructing, Central Park and The Excessive Line, particularly for those who’ve by no means been. It’s simple to get caught up in the entire gimmicky experiences and touristy points of interest, but it surely’s a good suggestion to offer your self just a few days to get used to campus earlier than you begin exploring. .
You don’t need to spend all of your cash in your first few days right here after which really feel — emotionally and financially — burnt out. You also needs to maintain off on making an attempt each restaurant in Greenwich Village your first week. NYU holds a Restaurant Week occasion early within the semester with insane scholar reductions, and also you’ll really feel actually bummed out to study that you can’ve gotten that fancy pizza for a fraction of the worth.
Moreover, that is solely your first week. You have got loads of time within the metropolis forward of you. NYU Welcome experiences gained’t be right here perpetually, however that Instagrammable cafe on the finish of the road will. Benefit from the free meals, leisure and alternatives to make mates, and also you’ll ultimately have the ability to gauge what’s and isn’t value spending money and time on in New York.
There are an amazing variety of issues to do within the metropolis, however bear in mind that you’ve got 4 entire years to take advantage of it.
Contact Manasa Gudavalli and Naisha Roy at [email protected].