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How “college hunger” or food insecurity shows that universities are failing their students

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

The New York Times wrote a piece titled: “Tuition or Dinner?” in 2019, which revealed that nearly 50 percent of university students surveyed suffered from food insecurity in the past 30 days. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Affordability is positioned at the center of every student’s life. I want to start by saying I do understand that being able to go to college is a privilege that unfortunately, due to the astronomical cost it takes to even pursue post-secondary education in the U.S., many do not have. 

Yet, this does not change the fact that college has practically become a requirement in most job markets. So, often enough, many teenagers are put in a position in which they not only have to shoulder debt but now have to factor food in an already stressful and drastic period of change.

There is also the fact that 18-year-old freshmen in their dorm room aren’t the main college demographic: according to a 2014 study done by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, one in every four college student has a child. As students, we are fed a certain narrative, to the point of nearly romanticizing this kind of “down on your luck,” charming-mess attitude when it comes to living. We are constantly told that thrift and affordability are normal parts of our twenties; we joke about the ramen we have stockpiled under our bed, the pizza we pick up in between classes, the “life hacks” we can use to skip out on meals. 

But when we pass off “thrift” as a normal part of student life, we add “hunger” to the culture of stress, anxiety, and depression that distort college education. 

How "college hunger" shows that universities are failing their students
Feeding America estimates that 1 in every 9 Americans were food insecure in 2018, equating to over 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children. Image from Berea College “Hunger Hurts” Food Drive.

Many schools have created short term solutions. While this list is by no means comprehensive, here are some organizations you can go to, as well as some general resources if you are looking for free or discounted meals. 

  • I used Share Meals during my freshman year to donate my remaining meal swipes. Share Meals is an app that connects university students to free food at events, students with unused meal swipes, and other resources to help mitigate food insecurity.
  • Schools within the city like The New School, George Washington University, and City University of New York work with food pantries to have designated locations for students to get free food.
  • Often, colleges have Facebook Pages connecting students with events for free food. Here is my university’s.
  • Look for coupon booklets at your local university! Campus Clipper circulates in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. 

However, this does not change the fact that these are band-aid solutions for a widespread problem. When we excuse hunger and mental illness as a normal part of college life, we allow the institutions that exacerbate food insecurity not only in their students but in the community, to continue scott-free. 

Why are meal plans so expensive? Why are the attempts at building university-wide meal programs so slow-moving? Why are students the ones who have to start organizations like Share Meals and Swipe Out Hunger to bail out the failings of the college education system to provide for its students? 

Making food insecurity and college “hunger” a “normal” part of college positions the student as the failure, the incompetent, when they go hungry. Food insecurity is a failing of the American college system, and especially given these times, it is important to start implementing long term solutions. 

Campus Clipper helps connect students with discounts near them. For example, Two Boots Pizza is Buy one Get one Free with coupon and student ID.

Two Boots Campus Clipper Coupon Booklet
Click here to download the coupon!

You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:

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By: Jessica Xing

Jessica is a senior at New York University majoring in English Literature. She has bylines in Vox, EGMNOW, and Electric Literature, and in her free time, she loves watching bad T.V. 

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 encourages 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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Expanding Your Palate: A Delicious Accident

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

If you don’t leave your comfort zone voluntarily, life will drag you kicking and screaming out of it. This was part of the rude awakening I received as I transitioned to living in New York my freshman year. It wasn’t just college life that presented a challenge to me, but the city itself. New York has a unique way of making a person feel not just lonely, but isolated, despite living side by side with millions of other people. You walk with them on your way to class, you eat a foot away from them at the tiny corner restaurant, and you sometimes even find yourself angry that they are in your space. And yet, no matter how close you may be to others, you somehow still feel alone. At least, this is how it may feel at first. 

My second semester at NYU brought on more adventures than expected. With my new friend Leslie beside me, I finally felt less lonely than I had at the beginning of the school year. I could breathe a sigh of relief that now I had someone to do things and go places with. But classes and schoolwork got the better of us, and in about mid-March, we found ourselves as unsatisfied as before we had gotten to know each other. As we sat under the fluorescents of the library at 2:00 a.m. one night, I turned away from my half-written paper and said to Leslie, “We don’t do anything. We only have a quarter of the year left and nothing to show for our freshman year.”

She was reluctant to acknowledge it but ultimately agreed. However, we both knew what the real problem was. Nearly identical in nature, two homebodies out of their element, we were anxious. Overall uneasy, generally nervous, ultimately too timid for New York. And broke. Most of all broke. 

New York is a city that demands you to demand something of it and we were used to having to ask nicely. But no longer. We made a decision to go out more, to try to do something fun, even if it was just one thing, every weekend. We would break out of our shells and get to know the city, as we were meant to. We would save the money for those things that were worth it and would find other events that were free to go to. Inevitably, we were drawn to more and more restaurants with mouth-watering images of food on their websites and dazzling settings to dine in. Going out to eat undoubtedly became one of our favorite ways to treat ourselves, and that we did. 

Some Friday night in April we chatted eagerly on our walk up to Panna II, an Indian restaurant Leslie had hyped up to me after reading reviews and seeing pictures of their interior, which looked like an explosion of Christmas lights. She was excited to try Indian food for the first time and I hadn’t had my fill since last summer, so as we approached Panna II we were too distracted to realize what was happening.

“Come in, come in,” a man at the foot of the stairs said. We could see Panna II, just a few steps up from where we were on the sidewalk, winking at us with all its lights. Hungry and keen on stuffing ourselves with chicken tikka masala as fast as possible, we followed the man without a second thought. We followed him down. As we walked down a previously-unnoticed set of stairs into another restaurant, we looked at each other, panicked and too shy to say what was on our minds: “Wait, I’m sorry, I think we’re in the wrong place.”

In a whirlwind we were seated under rows of multicolored chili lights and menus were placed in front of us. When the host left us to browse the menu, we could only stare at each other. 

Royal Bangladesh Indian Restaurant in New York City.

“I don’t think this is it,” I eventually whispered across from Leslie. “Is this maybe their downstairs area?” I had been so set on Panna II that I was hopeful this was the case.

“Maybe?” Leslie whispered back, also clinging to hope. At this point we had to have looked suspicious huddled over the table, whispering to each other and looking around with wide eyes, completely disregarding the menus. 

“No, this isn’t it,” I said, but it was still barely registering in my mind.

“Then where are we?” Leslie asked. She was as frazzled as I was.

I looked down at our menus and found our answer. I read out, “Royal Bangladesh Indian Restaurant.”

We stayed. It would have been rude to leave even though we hadn’t ordered yet, and anyway, we still got our Indian food and twinkling lights. The food truly was some of the best, if not the best, Indian that I’ve ever had. Leslie quickly became a fan of it and ever since we’ve ordered take-out from Royal Bangladesh countless times. Though things hadn’t gone as planned, we made the most of it and ultimately had a spectacular night, one that we’d laugh about for a long while after.

This night didn’t represent a huge leap in our leaving the comfort zone, but it was undeniably a moment in which we had to learn to go with the flow and enjoy the moment. It was especially difficult for two people who needed to feel in control when exploring the city, but it paid off. I know though that if we could have gotten just a little more comfortable a little more quickly, we would have had way more stories to tell from our freshman year. 

Curious to see how I could have prepared myself to be more “out there” my freshman year, I recently researched some ways to get out of your comfort zone. The ones I found most notable chalked up to forming habits and reshaping your mindset to trying new things. I believe these to be the most important when wanting to explore the city because New York can take a lot out of you otherwise. If you find yourself struggling to want to go out, it is perfectly normal. But I’d suggest doing anything you can to get yourself to walk the city’s streets and uncover what it has to offer. Starting out small, just one restaurant, museum, or happy accident at a time can take you there.

And if you’re craving Indian food after reading this, Campus Clipper has a coupon just for you to use at Mughlai Indian Cuisine. Click on the link below to get either 50% or 15% off a delicious meal! It will be sure to satisfy your cravings.

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You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:

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By: Anaïs Nuñez-Tovar

Anaïs is currently a Junior at New York University and is majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. Her goal for the future is to work in the publishing industry and write on the side. She loves to write and read poetry and fiction in her spare time.

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 encourages 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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Starting College, Roommates, and Italian for Dinner

Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

Before me is a white plate cradling little pockets of ravioli with a layer of parmesan, like snow dusted on top. The green of the sage just barely peeps through. My mouth waters and I look over to my friend Leslie whose face must mirror my own. Her plate of pasta speckled with pepper and pecorino beams up at her, same as mine does at me. “SO worth the wait,” she says. We dig in. 

Ravioli Burro e Salvia from I Sodi.

Months prior to this, Leslie and I met in our History of the Universe class. I noticed one of the girls I was waiting outside the classroom door with was wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt. I thought to myself, This girl is cool, I’m going to make sure to sit next to her. And thanks to our professor who loved to assign group work, we ended up working together because we were seated next to each other. Only about a month into the semester, I was waiting for the elevator in my residence hall when I bumped into Leslie taking out the trash one day. We both started apologizing profusely for the run-in before we realized who the other person was. “Wait, you live on this floor?” I asked, and she nodded. It turned out she lived just a few doors down from me (and it also turned out that this would be a huge blessing for me during my freshman year).

The more time passed, the more uncomfortable I got with my living situation. As Leslie and I got closer, I would spend more and more time in her dorm studying or just hanging out until I absolutely had to go to sleep, or she or her roommate did. Many times I would show up to class and she’d ask for updates on how it was going over in my dorm. I’d sigh and update her because there was always something to tell.

The issue? My roommate.

Or maybe it was me. Likely, it was both of us. The strangest part of it all was that when we were texting over the summer before the semester started, we got along really well. I actually had very high hopes for the school year and was thrilled that I was roomed with someone who was so friendly and who had all the same preferences I did on the housing application. So when things started to go south, I did my best to smile through the pain. She missed a week of cleaning? It’s okay, I’m not always good about remembering either. She had her boyfriend over and they were being too loud? That’s fine, I can handle it. He’s sleeping over now? It’s okay. I’m fine. He’s here again? Okay. Maybe it’s just a few days in a row. It will stop. Wait, he’s here again? 

Truthfully, it got worse. The amount of time it would take to tell every incident, to detail what life in the dorm was like, would be immense. There was yelling, a lot of it, then the strained moments in which we tried to compromise, then ultimately silence that was not just awkward, but filled with tension. We were definitely both at fault. I was used to my living situation at home, where I could be left alone in peace and quiet, and she was used to being able to have people over whenever she wanted. There were times we lost our tempers with each other, but we also tried to be civil with each other the following day. Countless discussions about what we could do to make the other feel more comfortable often came to nothing, and we even went to our RA for guidance at one point. At the end of the day, whether we had come to an agreement or not, we were left unhappy.

Since then, I’ve chalked it up to us being victims of circumstance. I am almost certain that if we hadn’t had to live together we would have been friends. We were just highly incompatible when it came to our ways of living. And unfortunately, it got to the point I’d do anything to be out of my dorm. 

“I know what we can do,” Leslie said one day as we lounged on her bed. Her eyes had lit up all of a sudden as we watched a movie on her laptop in the dark. We’d been dying for a break in routine lately and she knew I needed something to take my mind off of my living situation. “I Sodi,” she said excitedly.

I blinked. “What’s that?”

“I Sodi. It’s a super fancy Italian restaurant. You have to make a reservation, like, months in advance to eat there. But after our History of the Universe final, we should go there to celebrate!”

So we made the reservation (two months in advance) and saved the little money our parents sent us to be able to have a fulfilling experience come December. When the day finally came we threw on our nicest looking sweaters and coats and braved the cold wind, walking the streets of New York to finally arrive at the steps of I Sodi. And yes, it was worth it. Of course, it was nice to be out of the dorm, but it was also one of the few times that semester I genuinely enjoyed being in New York. We still felt out of place sitting amongst people who certainly looked like they didn’t have to save money to eat there, but the meal has lived on in our memories as one of the best New York has gifted us thus far since living there. Worries fell away, the food melted in our mouths, and I could forget about what awaited me back at the dorm.

I Sodi in New York City.

But many times when I look back on my freshman year, especially that first semester, I wish I’d done better. What if there was something I could have done to make my situation more tolerable not just for me, but for my roommate?

Here are some steps you can take to try to improve your relationship with your roommate:

  • Take a Breath – Maybe you are like me and you get overwhelmed by what is bothering you and want to fix it immediately. There were times I know I was a little too quick to get on my roommate for something when I should have calmed down first thing. So breathe. Sometimes it’s a case of having to choose your battles. If you think you can handle it, try to do so, especially if there is more than just one issue at hand. 
  • Talk to Them – Can’t take it anymore? Sometimes you have to start that awkward conversation. Make sure you know what you’re going to say first and make sure you have a positive attitude before you talk to your roommate. They will likely hear you out and try to fix the situation if you are nice about it. In other words, don’t be my roommate or me who many times just snapped at each other. 
  • Give Them a Chance – College is overwhelming. It doesn’t take long to realize that. So it is likely your roommate may forget (again? Yes, again! It’s okay, take another breath) that it’s their turn to clean, or that they promised they would take out the trash. Give them at least a week before you bring it up again. It can take a while to implement something into your routine.
  • Talk to Your RA – If you are still having issues, do not be shy to knock at your Residential Assistant’s door. They will more than likely smooth over the situation and will be a neutral voice that you can count on to help you and your roommate reach a true compromise. 
  • Take it Easy – It’s possible more issues will arise, likely a few of the same ones. I made the mistake my freshman year of getting too hung up on these things, of letting them eat away at me to the point I couldn’t enjoy my time in New York. Do your best to shrug these things off. Do things that you enjoy to take your mind off it. You cannot control your roommate, but you can take care of yourself. 

And if all that doesn’t work? Find your Leslie and your I Sodi and plan something amazing that you can look forward to. Spoil yourself. Do it. You need it. 

You can find all of our active coupons here. Redeem them here:

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By: Anaïs Nuñez-Tovar

Anaïs is currently a Junior at New York University and is majoring in English with a minor in Creative Writing. Her goal for the future is to work in the publishing industry and write on the side. She loves to write and read poetry and fiction in her spare time.

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 encourages 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 New Way of Learning

Monday, October 5th, 2020

COVID-19, has impacted all of our lives across the world. Everyone’s lives shifted overnight, turning the world upside down. This pandemic has introduced a new way of living in the way we interact and communicate with one another. During the lockdown in April, many of us including myself were flooded with questions about how we could potentially be safe yet, still continue to live our lives without transmitting or getting infected from the virus. The education of many students was disrupted due to the overwhelming increase in cases nationwide. Many of us shared one question. Would schools reopen for students to resume their educational learning? It is a public safety concern for parents, students, and teachers, including city staff. 


Photograph of a woman teaching virtually at her desk. The Journal star, 20 March. 2020

Luckily, today’s technology enables us to have distance learning. Learning virtually is a  completely different experience for many. As a Junior in college, it is about accepting and understanding change and adapting to this new way of living. 

One struggle I’ve experienced during my virtual learning experience are technical issues. Not to mention, on my first day of Junior year I missed class due to WIFI technical difficulties. Yes, I was marked absent and I can only imagine how many students are in my shoes or can’t even afford WIFI in their home. Another difficulty I’ve had is sharing workspace and time with the other people in my household due to distractions. Along with distractions, it is uncomfortable and damaging to one’s eyes sight to stare at a screen for hours. Not having the mobility to move or travel is tedious. My body aches or feels numb from sitting for many hours. Also, some professors require turning your camera’s on but not every student has the flexibility.  Although, I do understand that the purpose is to engage with everyone. Feeling connected to our classmates and professor is quite difficult to do through a screen therefore, cameras help break that borderline. Furthermore, time management is a big conflict learning virtually for both professors and students because technical difficulties take up class time. To add on, the workload is more, and expectations are higher, it is easier to fail. International students also face many challenges. Rita Watanabee, a student and secretary of the Merchandising Society Club at the Fashion Institute of Technology, is learning from Tokyo, Japan. This is her experience, “Waking up at the right time, getting enough sleep is the hardest for me! Sometimes I only get 3-4 hours of sleep,” due to the different time zones. 

During this difficult time, Professors are also experiencing challenges to help create a  better virtual learning environment for their students. An English department professor at FIT,  Katherine Varnes, has shared insight with me on the struggles of being virtual from the perspective of a professor. She says, “preparation of materials and tech troubleshooting requires about triple the amount of time” relating to time management. “It is harder to feel connected to my students when I am not in the room with them, so I work harder” Professor Varnes is working on creating different interactive activities, fun games, and more visuals to engage all her students. Be considerate and patient with one another during these times. She also shares great suggestions to enhance students’ virtual learning experience! 

• “Try to not get behind, this is the most important” 

• “Try to force yourself to participate more, feel engaged”

• “It’s important to learn what kind of learner you are” 

• “You could ask your professor to share a study group invitation or set up virtual coffee  times to check-in” 

• “Be socially motivated, figure out a way to chat with other people in your classes outside  of class” 

By, Yadira Tellez

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 encourages 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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Senior Year

Tuesday, February 18th, 2020

Senior year—what a weird time. Your last year of college is so many things: exciting, different, stressful, sentimental. In my last semester ever as a college student, I have felt every feeling known to man. And now that I begin my job search, I am excited. I am also nervous and scared https://rusbank.net/offers/microloans/10000-rubley.. Excited because of the idea of fending for myself and starting the next chapter of life is riveting. Scared because I have to put myself out there; I have to be confident and fight for the career I want. That can be scary. What if I try my hardest but still don’t get the job I want? 

As I am just beginning this process, I am realizing that I am going to get rejected—but that is okay. The company that rejects me wasn’t meant to be the company I work for. I could compare this to what I have learned about relationships. If the guy you like does not show or tell you that he wants you back, then brush it off. And move on. There is no point in fighting for someone who doesn’t want you. Just like if after interviewing for a position you want and trying the best you possibly can, you don’t get another call-back, then it’s okay: brush it off, and move on. Your career is out there. You just have to find its beginning point.

Besides starting the job hunt, I am realizing in my senior year how much my perspective of college has changed. I used to walk around campus feeling so small; as I have made many connections over the years, the campus began to feel even smaller and smaller.

Now, I feel at home. I feel as though I found my people and my confidence has skyrocketed. I believe in myself as much as my friends and family do and that is something that took working on, but it became easier once I began to grow and learn here at James Madison University. Today, I walk around campus feeling as if I know what to expect. As a senior, I cherish all the memories I have made here. I have not only been taught academics—I have grown up here. I have learned how to be on my own. I have learned how to make connections that will last a lifetime. And I have learned how to be happy on my own.

College is not only about learning what is taught in your classes. It’s about setting you up for the real world, which I believe this school has done for me. College is a special place with special opportunities. If I were to give any advice to the underclassmen and incoming freshmen, it would be to take advantage of all of those opportunities. Colleges offer so much and it is all to better your life and your career. If you spend 4 years just trying to pass and just get by, that’s okay, but if you take your four years and jump on any and all opportunity presented to you, you will come out of school with a stable head on your shoulders, ready to take on the real world.

Be excited, be scared, be nervous. Senior year is pretty cool.

 

By Hannah Sternberg

Hannah is a rising Senior at James Madison University majoring in the School of Media Arts and Design with a concentration of Broadcast Journalism. She works for her schools weekly newscast called Breeze TV as a reporter. Her dream is to become a reporter but she also enjoys the entertainment production industry. One of her favorite things to do to relieve stress is dancing. 

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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You are Not Alone

Monday, December 30th, 2019

Students attend college to graduate with a degree. Why do we do this? Well because society tells us this is the way to make a good living for yourself. The reality seems to be that there is a very small amount of decent-paying jobs that will hire someone without a degree. And if you don’t attend college and get a degree, people tend to look down on you or judge you. So what are young adults supposed to do? Some may feel there are too many pressures and not even attend school. But for those who do, the pressures grow as they get closer to their senior year. As I senior myself, I am currently feeling these pressures from every angle.

Although I am lucky to have parents who support me in every choice that I make, there are some students who feel that if they don’t get a 4.0 grade-point-average that they have failed their parents. Some may feel that if they had changed their major, they have failed at something. Others feel that if they choose an uncommon path that they are a disappointment. What we as young adults need to realize is that this is exactly what college is about.

College is for learning how to grow. It’s learning how to live on your own, and it’s learning how to fail and pick yourself right back up. Yes of course college is for getting a degree. But now as a 22-year-old about to enter the last semester of my college career, I have learned way more than how to succeed as a journalist. I’ve learned that it is okay to choose a career path that, maybe not everyone agrees with. It’s also okay to be a senior and not know 100% what you want to do when you graduate. I have a friend who recently shared that she has decided to take a gap year before going to law school. For four years now, she has had a set plan of graduating with a pre-law, justices-studies degree and then attending law school. Now that we are seniors, she has decided to take a gap year to focus on herself rather than just her school. I share this because I want to make it clear that it is totally normal and okay to change your mind. It’s okay to take some time to yourself to figure out what you really want. If you can’t find a job right away that is okay.

Do not get discouraged because there are so many people going through the same exact thing. This is just life. It may get harder, but that is why you must be happy. Because if you aren’t happy with what you are doing, it will be harder to face the many obstacles that may come your way.

It is very common for students to go into a career that has nothing to do with their major. Students do not have to feel like they MUST have it all figured out. I will say, while in you’re in school, you should try to use all the resources you can while you have so many right at your fingertips. In the end, most students who graduate will end up with a job one way or another. You will figure it out. The important thing is to make sure you are happy with what you are doing and where you are going. It is clear that entering the workforce at 22 is not easy but there are thousands of 22-year-olds entering the workforce right along with you and each and every one of them will be okay. Just know you are not alone.

By Hannah Sternberg

Hannah is a rising Senior at James Madison University majoring in the School of Media Arts and Design with a concentration of Broadcast Journalism. She works for her schools weekly newscast called Breeze TV as a reporter. Her dream is to become a reporter but she also enjoys the entertainment production industry. One of her favorite things to do to relieve stress is dancing. 

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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Trying to figure out… Dealing with Academic Struggles

Friday, July 5th, 2019

Honestly, looking back at my first two years of college I realized there were steps I wish I was able to take if I had known them and had the time to minimize some of the struggles I already faced in the academic sphere. The day before my first day of college, I received news that my cousin’s diagnosis was terminal. In the coming weeks, I was required to engage in classroom discussions, socialize with others all the while I was hearing the shortening timeline of my cousin’s life. I was emotionally drained, but I used my school work as a distraction to get through the reality of what her death meant to me and my family. I was lucky that the first semester was an easy and non-challenging classload. Surprisingly, I ended up doing really well.

The second semester of freshman year, my uncle passed away suddenly. For me, it was a hard shock to my system. He is part of the reason I am on the path to becoming a counselor. In fact, my college application essay was about him. To say I was shattered to hear another person I loved passed away doesn’t really capture how I felt. But I dealt with the brokenness and lack of hope in an unhealthy way; I again delved deeper into coursework.

When fall semester sophomore year rolled around, I was not prepared for how the grief and loss would hit me with my cousin’s death anniversary. I started off that semester pretending I was okay and able to handle it, but my grades gave me my reality check. I was barely passing exams and completing assignments. That’s when I started to register my thoughts: I did not want to show up to class or hear what my professors had to say. When I got my grades for that semester, I passed by a narrow margin a course required for my major. 

During winter break, I knew that simply getting a head start on tasks would help me in the future. I joined a research team. I emailed a bunch of professors off my program site and waited for responses. I eventually got one and found a stable circle of people to interact with in my academic life. The stability of having people who I could talk to about coursework, professors and potentially personal matters became a game changer. 

Looking back I wish someone would’ve given me the advice my advisor gave me when I interviewed her about this post. She said you have to self-advocate from the beginning of your college experience to build a foundation to fall back on whenever you need it.

From my conversation with my academic advisor Amanda Holda, she wanted students to keep the following in mind before they get to a point where they can’t anymore with academics:

From NYU Steinhardt: Applied Psych Advisor Page

  • Make sure you build support systems in your academic world from the beginning even if its informal networks like fellow club members & co-workers
  • Make it a habit to reach out to those individuals you feel comfortable with and start building a relationship with your advisors
    • Take it from academic advisor Amanda Holda. She stated that it’s their role on campus to be students’ support systems, so utilize them. They may not have the answers, but they can definitely guide you where you want and need to go. 
  • Be open to making connections (Professors probably aren’t going to be the main connection)

 

If there is one thing you should take away from this piece, I want it to be an urgency to help yourself when you are in a healthy positive state rather than stuck in a tragedy forced to make changes. Start easy with email exchanges and build to face to face meetups with individuals. With Professors, say hi before and/or after class eventually, start going to Professors’ office hours to talk. 

If you are someone who started off college without having time to build connections, remember “it is your right to reach out and ask questions.” Work to overcome the internal messaging that you have about connecting with staff and faculty. Take care of yourself and allow faculty and staff the opportunity to support you. They won’t know what’s going on without you telling them!

_______________________________________________________________________

By Sanjidah Chowdhury

Sanjidah is a rising senior at NYU Steinhardt majoring in applied psychology. She aspires to become a mental health counselor to understand intergenerational dynamics and better serve the needs of women, Muslims, and the South Asian community. She currently works with NYU’s Office of Alumni Relations. Throughout the academic year, she works on a research team under Professor Niobe Way and volunteers for Nordoff -Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Most of the time you can find Sanjidah with her nose in a book and music blasting through her headphones. 

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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Eating Halal in New York City

Thursday, June 27th, 2019

Adjusting to college life is hard, whether you live on campus, off-campus, or at home. We are barely adults and still teenagers as we are thrust into the beginnings of the real world starting off our independent lives. One of the hardest aspects of of adjusting to this new lifestyle is adjusting your diet and eating habits. College is hectic, and sometimes between classes, assignments, work, internships, and extracurriculars, your diet and eating habits seem to be buried in the back of your mind. It’s hard when you no longer have a meal plan and have to provide for your now food whether it be by eating out at restaurants or making food on your own at home. It’s even harder to build good eating habits when you have dietary restrictions that limit your options.

Zabihah is a religious dietary restriction that Muslims follow, though not necessarily all Muslims. One level of eating halal is a restriction go what kinds of meat you can consume, with the most well-known of these forbidden foods being pork. Another level of eating halal is eating zabihah halal, which is when the meat is slaughtered in a certain way with a certain prayer/blessing. 

I am strictly zabihah halal. Due to this dietary restriction, I had a hard time navigating my diet at first. I definitely had it easier than other Muslims college students as a commuter. I did have home cooked food available to me that I didn’t have to make myself during the weekends. That doesn’t mean it still wasn’t hard. I didn’t have a meal plan, and while the food at university dining halls were still available, it is definitely more expensive without a meal plan I ate 1-2 meals a day five days a week on and around campus, and all of those meals needed to be zabihah halal.

I was lucky that I lived and went to school in a city, specifically New York City, and I actually did have a variety of halal restaurants and food carts to choose from near my campus and all around New York City. There is everything from Middle Eastern food to burgers to Mexican food and so much more. These 10 restaurants are just a few of those options

Image Credit: https://www.businesswest.co.uk/blog/halal-asia

  1. Burgers by Honest Chops is a small burger place located in Midtown by Washington Square Park. There are only a few things on the menu, but all the options are absolutely wonderful. (My personal favorite thing at Burgers by Honest Chop is their truffle fries.) Not only that, but they also have a students discount with a valid student ID.
  2. The Soul Spot is a soul food (as suggested by its name) and Caribbean restaurant in Brooklyn near Brooklyn Heights. The Soul Spot has crispy fried chicken, spicy jerk chicken, delicious mac and cheese, and the absolute best mashed potatoes I have ever had.
  3. Rasa is a Malaysian restaurant located in Midtown. It has a variety of fried rice dishes, curries, and noodle dishes. They also have a special dish called the Nasi Kerabu that has a splash of color with its blue pea rice, which tastes amazing and would be perfect for Instagram. Rasa also has many other special dishes and a sushi bar.
  4. King of Falafel & Shawarma is a Middle Eastern restaurant located in Astoria in Queens. It was first a food cart before it became a restaurant, though they still have a food cart located on Astoria Ditmars, while their restaurant in located on Broadway. Their chicken shawarma is to die for and their falafels are so crispy on the outside. If anything, their restaurant sign will have you smiling.
  5. Milk & Honey Cafe is located in Flatbush in Brooklyn and is the perfect halal place for Sunday brunch. They have an assortment flatbreads and paninis. They also have many different egg and omelet dishes as would be expected from a brunch spot. Don’t feel guilty about eating the bacon, it’s turkey.
  6. Terry and Yaki is a food cart located in Queens Plaza North on Crescent Street. They also have a location in that focuses on halal Asian food. They have teriyaki rice bowls, the options being chicken teriyaki, teriyaki tofu, and a recently added sirloin steak teriyaki. They have a chicken teriyaki salad bowl and loaded sweet potato fries.
  7. Fatima’s Halal Kitchen is a halal Chinese restaurant is located in Astoria in Queens. They have all the dishes that you would expect from a regular Chinese restaurant in New York City, aside from pork dishes. I personally love their special Mei Fun and their sweet and sour chicken.
  8. Tallgrass Burger is a burger spot located in East Village in Manhattan. It has amazing burgers for amazing prices, especially as it is located in Manhattan. My personal favorite from Tallgrass Burger is the Fire Rock Burger, which has beef bacon, jalapeños, and crunchy potato chips.
  9. Atomic Wings is a chain, but the one located in East Village in Manhattan is locally known to be halal, even though they don’t advertise themselves as such. It has an assortment of wing flavors. Their menu is not limited to wings however, having a variety of sandwiches, wraps, and appetizers.
  10. Twisted Mexican Grill

    is a halal Mexican restaurant located in Astoria in Queens. The food is fresh and delicious, within a good price range. You have a choice between burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, tacos, and a bunch of other things.

These are just some of the many halal options to eat from in New York City. Those who eat strictly zabihah halal may not be able to eat everything in this city, but our choices are definitely not limited. 

By Raibena Raita

Raibena is a rising sophomore at NYU majoring in English on the Creative Writing track and minoring in Psychology. Ever since she was young, she has loved to read, which later in her life also blossomed into a love for writing. She writes everything from short stories to plays to creative nonfiction. She is an in-class tutor for elementary school children. She is also involved in NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, NYU DREAM Team, and NYU Muslims Students Association, and very vocal about her beliefs. 

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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Now What? On Postgrad Burnout

Thursday, June 27th, 2019

What do you do when you’ve just graduated from a class of 20,000 other students, many of whom have the same skill set and goals? How do you grapple with the crushing weight of needing to compete with thousands of other students entering the workforce? What do you do when the safety net of university life has been ripped out from under you?

To some, this might sound like a classic case of anxious catastrophizing, but if you’ve ever felt this way, rest assured: you’re not alone. Even if you begin mentally preparing for graduation ahead of time, you’re likely to deal with these same anxieties; the same anxieties of a generation forced to grow up too quickly alongside the exponential growth of the Internet. The correlation is that our generation grew up with the optimistic parental mantra that “everybody is special.” That’s not to say that isn’t true; it’s just that it unintentionally made our generation feel compelled to out-perform each other, and social media gave us the perfect stage to do so. If everybody is special, then logically, aren’t I just like everybody else? As a result, recent op-eds and think pieces have shifted to focus on the false facades we create for ourselves and hide behind online, particularly on Instagram. We feel compelled to present only the best moments of our lives, and in doing so, we lose touch with the person behind the facade.

By the time I graduated from NYU in May 2018, I had come to understand the meaning of “burnout.” I felt like I was in a constant fog. I had no energy to do the things I used to enjoy, yet simultaneously constantly agonized over the bigger picture of my life and what to do next. I had no immediate plans for the future, because I couldn’t even figure out what I wanted, professionally. I felt resentment towards academia in general — I was convinced that it was NYU’s fault that I was left feeling this way — even though it wasn’t anybody’s fault that I was feeling aimless. In fact, I had been feeling this way for much longer than I realized at the time. The direction that a college curriculum provided forced me to focus my energies elsewhere. The key to feeling better about myself — though I didn’t know it then — was finding creative outlets to help me refocus my mind and eventually regain enough clarity to know what I wanted to do next.

There is no easy solution to post-graduation burnout. If college was the final protective blockade before bona fide adulthood, then graduating is like a freefall into shark-infested waters. Some handle the change easier than others, but ultimately everybody is asking the same questions. What’s next? How can I be successful when I’m competing with so many other talented young people? How do I find out what I’m good at, when all I’ve ever known was school? I don’t have all the answers, but I do know what’s helped me to ease many of the anxieties associated with graduating. In New York City, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found while you recover from post-graduation burnout.

“What can I do to refocus when I’m feeling lost after graduation?”

  • Take real care of yourself. Are you listening to your body? Your brain? Your needs?

 

  • Find inspiration. I suggest looking at art, and not just the kind you see on museum walls. Nonetheless, I’ll teach you how to go to a museum and really think about what you’re seeing, and how you can avoid the dreaded “art fatigue.”

 

  • Treat yourself. This is a temporary fix, but taking care of your outward appearance can help give you the confidence you need to getting back on track with your life. Supporting small cosmetics businesses, many of which are online and supremely affordable, are a click away.

 

  • Design a workspace. Curate your life with minimalism. Marie Kondo writes about how your living space reflects your mental state.

Find what speaks to you. A new hobby doesn’t have to lead to a career. But it can help you “speak yourself” — that is, to figure out what drives you — and sometimes that’s even more valuable than finding your professional niche.

By Firozah Najmi

Firozah Najmi (BA ’18) is a recent graduate from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she majored in Art, Mediation, and Perception.

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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Trying to figure out… the Subway & NYU’s Many Buildings

Friday, June 21st, 2019

Image Credit: Instagram @sanji_chowdhury

I am a born and raised New Yorker, but most of my traveling in Queens was done by bus or car. My first time navigating the subway alone was Welcome Week and best believe I got lost. Fortunately, I only had to take one train all the way to west fourth. But, man is west fourth station big.

When I reached the station, I took the first set of stairs I saw and walked up to see a closed-off construction site. Not realizing the F train station stopped on the lowest floor and not seeing another set of stairs going up, I started to panic. Frantically looking for an exit, a man approached me and asked if I needed help. He figured I was a new student, considering it was college orientation and NYU takes over the entirety of Washington Square Park and surrounding area for Welcome Week, no one could escape it. He directed me to walk farther down the current level and take another flight of stairs up.

I was ecstatic to finally be out of the station, there was just one problem; I needed to find the building for orientation. Because I struggled to get out of the station, I had ten minutes to get to the room. I quickly put the building address for Skirball theater into maps and started to follow Siri’s voice. With five minutes to spare, I walked in showing my ID and went up the stairs feeling relieved My relief quickly dissipated as I was faced with a table of Welcome Week Leaders and no other students. Noticing the look of confusion, one of the leaders came up to me. Hoping I was in the right building, I asked if I was in Skirball. Unfortunately, she responded no but reassured me that I was not that far off. Apparently, I just needed to walk a bit further and turn a corner to see largely labeled doors for Skirball. Big fail on my end. I ran out of Kimmel into Skirball and took my seat with a minute to spare.

So there are a couple of things I did right that first day and quite a number of things I should have prepared for.
Definitely patting myself on the back for:

  • Budgeting a good amount of time for unexpected situations.
    • Tip: Especially since you will be dealing with MTA, try to build in a 30-minute buffer window for any set time commitment.
  • Knowing the address of where I needed to go and having an app to help me get to where I needed to go
    • Tip: Download a copy of the NYU building map

Definitely slapping myself on the head for not:

  • Knowing the exits of the station
    • Tip: If using the West Fourth station, either in the front or the back of the building, keep in mind that the West third exit is beside Bobst Library and Kimmel center, while the West eighth exit is closer to the Cantor Film center and Weinstein.

Tips I Learned Since Freshman Year:

  • Keep some emergency items in your bag like a portable charger, snacks, and a water bottle.
    • Additionally, try to keep enough quarters on you for an MTA ride. Quarters will allow you to use the bus and subway.
  • Get plugged in with MTA by downloading the app, following them on twitter or signing up for text alerts for the trains you frequent.
    • If you are a commuter, you might be spending more time on trains than on the actual campus, so get comfortable with your home away from home.
  • Utilize and keep in contact with your Commuter Assistant
  • Enjoy getting lost! It’s part of the experience of handling things on your own.

By Sanjidah Chowdhury

Sanjidah is a rising senior at NYU Steinhardt majoring in applied psychology. She aspires to become a mental health counselor to understand intergenerational dynamics and better serve the needs of women, Muslims, and the South Asian community. She currently works with NYU’s Office of Alumni Relations. Throughout the academic year, she works on a research team under Professor Niobe Way and volunteers for Nordoff -Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Most of the time you can find Sanjidah with her nose in a book and music blasting through her headphones. 

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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