Archive for April, 2018

My High School Sewing Class Still Helps Me Make Life Decisions Today

Monday, April 16th, 2018

To me, high school is a time where it’s very difficult to feel like your own person. While some people combat this by going through an “emo-phase” or dyeing their hair blonde, I decided to sign up for an adult education sewing class. I had always been interested in sewing at least from a curiosity perspective. At the time I was very into “fashion,” and thought my ultimate goal should be to make my own clothing, so the first step was to learn the basics of a sewing machine. I was 15 and by no means an adult, so my mom called the class teacher to check if I would even be allowed to join. After that confirmation I was in, and the youngest member of the class by about 30 years.

Image Credit: http://www.wirama.com/want-to-learn-sewing/

The first project was a drawstring bag. We sewed the string strip and the square bag with a small tunnel opening. I was amazed at how taking things step by step it was so simple, but the end product was something functional, useful, and I made it entirely myself.

Throughout the program I really enjoyed my time spent with these women, and the projects we were able to create. If my bobbin got stuck, or my thread fell out of my needle, they would help me fix it right away without ever being condescending toward the fact that I was young to be there. This class really made me feel for the first time like I was doing something concrete to achieve a goal I set out for myself, and that was exciting, refreshing, and motivating. During a time where I found it hard to separate myself from my friends, and really find out what makes me an individual, this class was a twice-weekly escape into my own world.

I keep mentioning how this was a big deal for me because it was during high school, but really I often think back to this time when making decisions in my life since then. At any age I think it can be easy to fall into a rut, or fall into into the habits of the group of people around you. But when I think back to this class I not only think it was a great decision for my individuality, I also think it showed me how the most memorable parts of your life, and perhaps the most meaningful, come from when you decide to do something just for yourself, because you know you will enjoy and benefit from it. This is where I try to base most of my career-oriented decisions from, and so far it has led me in a rewarding direction.

Ultimately, what I learned from this was how great it was to do my own thing, step out of my comfort zone, and make a decisive move for myself. It made me realize that until you sit down with yourself and think about what you want to do and what would be best for you, nothing in your life will ever really change. If you’re struggling right now to figure out what you want to do in life, or if you feel stuck in a rut, try to think of what opportunities around you excite you. If you realize you’ve been working as a graphic designer but you really miss doing the science experiments from your high school biology class, then follow that idea and volunteer as a research assistant. You’re only ever going to get something good out of doing something just for yourself, and it might just lead you somewhere you weren’t expecting.

By Danielle Agugliaro


Danielle is a junior magazine journalism student at Syracuse University hoping to one day connect beauty, fashion, and environmental science journalism in an engaging way for the public. When she’s not busy working on assignments she likes to relax with a Kurt Vonnegut novel, smoothie bowl, and her pet bird, Alfie.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Out of the Library and into the Fire: A College Student’s Arrival into Bedlam

Wednesday, April 11th, 2018

I can attest to the struggle of finding one’s footing upon entering the anxiety-filled halls of freshman year. I remember very clearly being incredibly excited to set out upon an adventure that I had imagined thousands of times through in my mind. However, that didn’t mean that I wouldn’t encounter trials and tribulations that I would learn from. This era was the time in my life when I began to see the most physical change my body had ever undergone. In many ways, were my choices both good and bad, healthy and unhealthy, mature and immature, etc. Sophomore year of college made me aware of how important it is to spend one’s time wisely, in taking action that will propel your entire life in a positive direction, because the time so quickly escapes you.

(Photo Credit: http://www.free-management-ebooks.com/news/bains-rapid-framework/)

So what does it mean to wisely spend one’s time as a new college student, fresh blood upon the quads and campuses of universities that are dominated by more intelligent, more attractive, less awkward individuals, and push one’s life in a “healthy direction”? Well, having experienced my sophomore year living in a dorm over one hundred years old with one roommate and six other suite mates…and two bathrooms, I can attest that there is a necessity to be ever aware of three important aspects of one’s life: hygiene/healthy eating, time management, and prioritization of long-term goals. If these things are kept in mind, then it is much less likely that someone will arrive into a bedlam of their own. There will be difficult times, but one has to remember to always be maintaining your happiness and the sources of that for you. For me, being “happy”, or in a good mood, was always very influenced by the things I had recently eaten. And, if you are or ever have been a college student, you will understand that diet, what you are eating everyday, is one of, if not the, greatest influences on your overall well being and must be well maintained.

Saving money, snatching the best promos, having fun, or discovering one’s passions is always going to be on the mind of new college students. However, I found that this focus tends to detriment the decisions made about dieting, hygiene, and the general effort that is

directed toward one’s academics. Let me assure you, if not enough value is endowed to hygiene/health, time management, and prioritization of long-term goals, than a path to bedlam will surely be paved.

(Photo Credit: https://chefman.com/healthy-living/)

In terms of being healthy, of feeling energized, of feeling ready for obstacles,, and to face life with a level headed mind the upkeep of the mind and body holds the greatest import. The vegetables, fruits, balanced meals, non-sodas are much healthier options than the typical fast food that college students flock to,  and I know first hand that what I am saying is a difficult thing to put into practice.

(Photo Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/healthy-food-vector-diet-for-life-nutrition-modern-balanced-diet-isolated-flat-gm875565078-244425912)

Sometimes, at 3:00 AM, a cheeseburger, or some greasy tacos, or a breakfast burrito just sounds like an absolute necessity, but the will can remain steadfast! I have seen snacking, sodas, excess alcohol, drugs, and fast food deal irreversible damage on college students who showed promising potential. When there is academic material to be appreciated and learned from, or when there is an exam looming that requires heavy preparation, whatever the task may be, it is always disadvantageous to perform those tasks while not at one’s full capacity in both mind and body.

I understand the desire to live out the college life depicted across pop-culture. However, the University and the system of higher education exists first and foremost to satiate the desire to learn. To progress the intellectual and deliberative processes of the human mind, and propel an individual, who has sought such training, positively forward in their life. The Bedlam that I once knew came upon me quickly and without remorse, because I turned a blind eye to this understanding and allowed my momentary happiness to overshadow my long-term life goals. I write, now removed from my Bedlam of Sophomore year of college, with greatest hope that these words can better prepare new college entries to pave a path away from Bedlam and toward jubilant amelioration.

By James Rodriguez


James Rodriguez is a recent college graduate from New York University, who, after experiencing a diverse range of trials and tribulations in undergrad, is seeking to share his lessons learned with those who can capitalize on them today. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he found living in New York City drastically different from what he was accustomed to. From this time of transformation, readjustment and reevaluation James now seeks to utilize the lessons and understandings that he gained to better the experiences of those who face similar experiences. Working in tandem with the Campus Clipper, James now has the platform to share his words and experiences with greatest hopes that the difficulties he faced will be ameliorated for others.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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The Diary of a College Student: Adjusting to Life Off-Stage and into the Lecture Hall

Monday, April 2nd, 2018

In having been an actor for over 10 years of my life the adjustment that I experienced in not pursuing acting further in college was interesting, to say the least. Before that, life had been a world of opportunity in the sense that anywhere could have been a stage upon which to demonstrate my craft, my commitment, my skill, etc..

Upon arriving in New York City as a freshman college student, I found myself searching for something new around which to center my life. Something that could fill the void I felt inside me. I wanted to substitute something for the hours of intense training, detail-oriented rehearsals, and a creativity that was conditioned to image the sufferings and joys of human existence. I was in the process of reimagining my life, adjusting to my new life off-stage, in lecture halls, and among unfamiliar peers; in the manner that I would live, the activities that I would pursue daily, the motivation that I felt that pushed me toward always becoming better than what I was the day before, etc.. I believe that this time, a time of life re-imagined, can relate to, and is shared by, those who experience a dramatic shift in their day-to-day routines, their sense of limitation, and their sense of liberty when choosing what to prioritize in life.

This especially applies to college students, namely Freshmen, who recently removed themselves from a familiar environment full of routine and safety. In attending an out-of-town, an out-of-state, or international university, students are faced with the difficult task of taking what they knew as life and drastically reimaging it to suit their needs in their new localities. The difficulties arises from temptation. Temptation that is reinforced by the general newfound liberty of independent living. Spiderman taught me at a young age that “with great power comes great responsibility,” and it is a fact of human existence that ameliorating one’s liberty of choice, freedom of expression, and right to self-determination is directly relatable to one’s sense power.

So in here lies the subject of responsibility. What this essay aims to make palpable is the difficulty that exists in maintaining one’s sense of responsibility and pragmatism during this time of life re-imagined. Before, we discussed the opportunities college students have in trying to find the best student deals, spark new relationships, curate better hygiene, etc. when in an unfamiliar place, such as attending a new school. However, it is this greater realization of the individual’s power of choice that is the true subject of this discourse. I don’t want to sound cliché, but for new college students, there is no greater excitement then determining exactly what it is that makes you happy and using those sources of happiness to your advantage.

Image Credit: http://www.scei.edu.au/news

The overwhelming nature of arriving in a different city, into a situation where there are no longer limits on the things you can try, or finding where those things will begin generally brings anxiety with it. It is good to feel that anxiety, because it means that you value what your life is and your happiness in living it. If I could go back and tell myself a tidbit of advice freshman year, I would tell him this: there is no greater opportunity missed than living a life that prioritizes your health, your happiness, and your ability to make patient deliberated decisions. That may seem like an Olympian sized feat, but it begins with the littlest of things. For example, when one prioritizes their health and ability to focus and deliberate, than drinking the night before a test perhaps wouldn’t even enter one’s mind as a viable option.

Image Credit: https://www.pragmait.com/therapyboss/blog/short-term-or-long-term-goals-still-required/

It may seem a little extreme. However, when I was adjusting to my life off-stage there were many decisions that I see now as being nothing but a hindrance on my overall goal of being happy. I was more concerned with my momentary happiness and less concerned with prioritizing my long term goals.  It is easy to try and find the most exciting thing to do as a young new college freshman or sophomore, but it is all too easy to get caught up in the overwhelming liberty that comes with newfound independence. Always prioritize the life you want to be living and don’t simply live in the moment, and I promise that your life re-imagined will be a rewarding one to live.

By James Rodriguez


A Texan born and raised, James Rodriguez grew up in San Antonio TX, and has recently graduated from New York University, having studied corporate and political publicity. He sings, plays guitar, studies French, etc. in his free time, and when given the opportunity to share advice that he thought noteworthy with future or current college students, he jumped on the chance. He believes that there is something incredibly important in obtaining knowledge from those who are going through or have recently finished dealing with the difficulties one is seeking advice on. Which is exactly the aim of the Campus Clipper: to share the best advice possible in order to better the experiences of students who are struggling now. Because he was once that lost college student who was searching for instruction and who felt out-of-place and in need of direction, he hopes that his words can relate to someone’s struggle and help along the way. 

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

 

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