Posts Tagged ‘Adventure’

How to Attend the Met Gala (Sort of)

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

Let’s get one thing straight: I have not been invited to the Met Gala, (yet). But I have attended in my own way and it has been unforgettable.

For anyone unfamiliar, the Met Gala is New York’s most exclusive red carpet event, held annually on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s where celebrities, designers, and cultural icons come dressed in high fashion (and often high drama) according to a theme curated by Anna Wintour, the former editor-in-chief of  Vogue. Official tickets reportedly cost tens of thousands of dollars, and even some A-listers don’t make the cut. So what’s a college student with a love for fashion, fame, and fun to do?

The simple solution is this: get creative and be bold.

The real magic of the Met Gala actually starts long before anyone steps foot onto that iconic staircase. Every year, dozens of celebrities get ready for the event at a handful of hotels near the Upper East Side. The two best-known hotspots? The Mark and The Carlyle. The Carlyle is my personal favorite. It’s a little more tucked away, less chaotic, and still delivers absolute fashion royalty.

Every year, a ton of fans wait outside The Met itself, eager to get a peek at the red carpet. However, with the massive tent setup, heavy security, and crowds of paparazzi, it’s nearly impossible to catch any real action, even if you manage to snag a spot right at the front of the barricade across the street. This is why I love visiting the hotels. I’ve made a tradition of heading to The Carlyle the past two years, and if you time it right, you’ll be that much closer to the action. My Met Gala strategy doesn’t involve barricades or elbowing into crowds. It’s about patience, timing, and good walking shoes.

I recommend heading to the general area of the Met Gala around 9–10 PM. While many streets will be blocked off, you can usually get fairly close to The Carlyle on 76th Street. Now, I’m not saying to push back against security or ignore barricades — definitely don’t do that — but I do suggest politely hanging around nearby. If you’re persistent and respectful, you’ll often find that eventually you’re allowed to stand surprisingly close to the hotel entrance.

I’ve seen everyone from Chris Hemsworth to Kendall Jenner step out of their SUVs after the Met Gala, heading inside The Carlyle to change into their iconic after-party looks. Seeing these showstopping outfits up close feels like watching your own private runway show and it’s absolutely mesmerizing. The vibe around the hotel is usually much calmer than the red carpet chaos, which means celebrities are often more relaxed and more likely to interact with fans.

Chris Hemsworth! I can vouch that he looks like a real God.
Sydney Sweeney and the true star of the Met Gala, her dog.

It’s important to say this: there’s a difference between being a fan and being intrusive. I always stay on the opposite sidewalk, don’t push to the front, and never follow anyone beyond that single moment. This isn’t about chasing celebrities, it’s about appreciating the rare, electric thrill of sharing space with a moment in pop culture.

So no, I haven’t walked the Met Gala carpet. I haven’t posed under the massive tent or climbed those steps in custom couture. But I’ve felt the buzz, seen the stars, and even caught a few waves and smiles. And in New York? That’s close enough to feel like you’re part of the story.

The next time the first Monday in May rolls around, don’t scroll through Vogue’s red carpet slideshow from your dorm. Throw on a comfortable outfit, grab a friend, and head uptown. Your Met Gala moment is waiting with no invite required.


Get your hair done, Met Gala Style! Use this student coupon for 20% off! 

By: Skylar Park 

Skylar Park is a Film & TV student at NYU with a passion for storytelling and city adventures. When she’s not writing or filming, you can find her running by the East River or hunting down the coziest bookstores in New York City.


For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.

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Lights, Camera, Action: NYC Live

Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

One of the most surreal parts of living in New York City is how casually you can stumble into pop culture history. A-list celebrities walk right past you, red carpets roll out on random weekdays, and entire TV shows are filmed just a few subway stops away. As a Film & TV student and certified entertainment lover, I have spent the last three years figuring out how to tap into this world as a college student without a lot of extra money to spend. However, from movie premieres to live tapings of your favorite shows, NYC has its own front row (if you know where to look). 

Let’s start with something unforgettable: my first time attending a Tonight Show taping. Just a couple days before moving into my freshman year dorm, I was sitting in my mom’s hotel room scrolling online for fun things to do once my parents were gone. I discovered the website, “1iota” (a site you should definitely bookmark) and signed up on a whim for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. A couple of days later, I received an invite in my inbox granting two tickets to the live show! A few weeks later, my roommate and I were sitting just two rows behind Jimmy Fallon. From the applause signs to the camera crew and the band warming up before the show, the energy in the room was electric. We got to see Cameron Diaz, Matt Smith, and a musical performance from the iconic Sheryl Crow. The best part of it all? The tickets were completely free. It felt like a backstage pass to something millions of people only ever see from their couches. 

This is me in the waiting room for Jimmy Fallon! I may have a mask on, but I am smiling underneath!

Beyond late-night shows, there’s a whole world of movie premieres and advanced screenings constantly happening across the city. Many studios host invite-only screenings in Manhattan, but here’s the secret: you don’t have to be on “the list.” Sites like Gofobo, See It First, and 1iota often release passes to the public if you’re quick enough. A lot of my friends assume that I have a secret “in”, but the truth is, I’ve just been lucky. If you consistently apply for tickets, you will get “lucky” too. I have been able to see Tom Holland on LIVE with Kelly and Mark, Finn Wolfhard at A24’s The Legend of Ochi screening, and so much more. These pinch-me moments remind me of why I love this city so much, you never know what you may get special access to. 

New York also offers more casual (but just as magical) brushes with celebrities and entertainment. I’ll never forget a moment that happened in the middle of doing laundry, when my friend texted me that Timothée Chalamet was filming on Bond Street. Without hesitation, I left my clothes in the wash and sprinted out of the dorm (and while I don’t condone laundry abandonment, for Timothée, I’d argue it was justified). Sure enough, when I got there, the street was nearly empty, and the crew was still setting up. Because the word hadn’t spread yet, they let me stand remarkably close to the action. I soon realized I was watching a Bleu de Chanel commercial, directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese. I stayed for hours, completely mesmerized. As time passed, more fans trickled in, but the experience remained surreal. And yes, Timothée greeted the crowd— I got to high-five him. It’s moments like these that remind you why living in New York is unlike anywhere else, the extraordinary isn’t rare here, it’s just around the corner. 

If you’re someone who likes to be part of the excitement without a big crowd, you can still soak in the atmosphere by showing up early to events like talks, panels, or special screenings. The best part? Most of these moments cost nothing. You don’t need a fancy invite, a press pass, or thousands of followers. All you need is curiosity, a little research, and a willingness to be in the right place at the right time. Plus, there are often student discounts! Overall, Living in NYC means the entertainment industry isn’t just something you admire from afar, it’s truly woven into your daily life. For film lovers, aspiring creatives, or anyone who just wants to brush shoulders with the excitement of the screen, the city offers opportunity after opportunity. You just have to be willing to chase it a little.

If you want to catch the eyes of your celebrity crush on the streets of NYC, use this coupon to receive up to 20% off of your treatment! 

By: Skylar Park 

Skylar Park is a Film & TV student at NYU with a passion for storytelling and city adventures. When she’s not writing or filming, you can find her running by the East River or hunting down the coziest bookstores in New York City.


For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.

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Making the Most of Your Circle

Tuesday, June 17th, 2025

Once you find your people in New York City, the city changes in a magical way. The chaos remains, but suddenly you are no longer facing it alone and life starts to feel like a shared adventure. The city that once felt enormous and anonymous becomes a little smaller, a little warmer, and a lot more fun. 

My circle started with my roommate, but before I knew it my bubble started to expand as we continued to meet more people. Late-night ice cream runs with the girls from our hall turned into real connections, and joining campus groups like a sorority introduced me to women from all over the world, all eager to find friendship and community in the city. It did not happen overnight, but the more I put myself out there, the more New York shifted from a dreamlike haze to a real home.

There’s something special about learning a new city with people who are just as wide-eyed and curious as you are. The closer I got with my friends, the more eager we became to explore the city together which led to countless adventures. Whether it’s venturing into Brooklyn for strawberry matcha or watching Timothee Chalamet shoot a Chanel commercial in Soho, doing it together turned every outing into a core memory.  Some of my favorite memories in New York are things that I would never do alone. I’m not the type of person who just shows up to a festival in Little Italy, but when my roommate insisted, I went along with it, and it ended up being one of the best nights of my first month living in the city. We rode a ferris wheel- something I never knew existed in the streets of New York. That’s the magic of a good circle; they nudge you outside of your comfort zone, while still making you feel safe. They bring both the fun out of the city and you.

Me on the Feast of San Gennaro Festival Ferris Wheel!

Your people also ground you when things start to feel overwhelming, which happens often living somewhere as busy as the Big Apple. It is completely normal to feel on top of the world one moment, and the next, you’re crying on the packed subway because your Apple Pay keeps getting denied and you’re already running late. I’ve had friends drop everything just to meet me for an emergency matcha, or walk with me in silence, or both just because I needed company. The best part of having a close circle is that when you are surrounded by people who care about you, the hard moments soften. 

What I’ve learned from the people I’ve grown close to has both elevated and transformed my entire experience living here. Your people are the ones who send you Insta reels about the next restaurant you have to try, or sit with you on the steps of a Brownstone you dream about living in one day. Your people will grow with you, and help hold you up when you need it. They will be there for every win, from successfully hauling a cab or passing your final exams. My people have transformed New York from an impossible maze into an open playground, and yours will too.

It’s easy to feel alone, but the right people will make New York feel like home. Sometimes all it takes is one or two people who get you, who show up, and who make even the most ordinary moments feel memorable. So yes, finding your people takes time, but once you do, make the most of them.

There’s nothing like sharing a slice with friends! Stop by Grandma’s One Pizza for 20% off with this coupon and your student ID!

By: Skylar Park 

Skylar Park is a Film & TV student at NYU with a passion for storytelling and city adventures. When she’s not writing or filming, you can find her running by the East River or hunting down the coziest bookstores in New York City.


For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.

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From New York to….Home

Tuesday, August 29th, 2017

I think there are only a few places in your life that you can call home when it comes down to it. Hopefully you’ll get to go to a lot of places and see the world everything that it holds, but home, that’s special. I’m sure for most of you, who are reading this during or just before your college experience, home is where you grew up. It’s your high school, your childhood friends, your first love, and the good times with your family. It’s hard to leave all of that.

Taken by Jainita Patel.

Taken by Jainita Patel.

Vadodara, Gujarat Taken by Jainita Patel

Vadodara, Gujarat
Taken by Jainita Patel

But it’s worth it. Coming to New York was one of the best experiences of my life in that I started to realize that home can be more than one place. The longer you live somewhere the more comfortable it becomes, the more wrapped up you become in everyday life. In New York especially, you become jaded and tired. And I think that’s when it’s important to remember those initial feelings you had right before coming to NYC. The fear, the wonder, the bewilderment. The first article I ever wrote for the Campus Clipper was trying to recreate that small-town feeling in NYC and I think that though that’s helpful initially, you’ll find that in a few years you won’t need it anymore. Though this is a wondrous thing at first—you’re finally a real New Yorker!—this city wears on you if you don’t find novelty in its diverse number of activities.

I find that when I go back home—the Jersey Shore, in this case—I’m hit with the nostalgic feeling that only accompanies places you can no longer call home. The places where all of the adventures have been had and all the memories made, laminated, and bound into a book you only open on rainy days. Though this is a harder feeling to accomplish in NYC, sometimes it can feel that way.

And that’s when its important to get out—physically or mentally—if you can. Just for a little while.

Adventures don’t have to be thousand-dollar expeditions to other countries. Even just taking the train outside of NYC for a day can be an adventure if you make it one. Adventure is a mindset, not a physical act. Distancing yourself from the monotony of classes and workdays can be freeing in ways that are unimaginable. Because New York is a miracle and a curse for those of us who live here.

 

View of New York.  Taken by Jainita Patel

View of New York.
Taken by Jainita Patel

Vadodara, Gujarat. Taken by Jainita Patel.

Vadodara, Gujarat.
Taken by Jainita Patel.

The best time to have this mentality is as a student, when loans cover most of your expenses and though you’ll have to pay them back eventually, for now you’re free to do as you please. Studying abroad is something I would encourage to anyone that can find the means to do so. That is one of the reasons my articles have been so Euro-centric. I went to London for 6 months and ended up traversing around the continent instead of going to class. It was worth it. It’s very stereotypical for a middle class person under thirty to say “I went to Europe and it changed my life,” and I’m not saying that Europe itself changed me, but it did give me an appreciation for the adventures that I have already had and the adventures that I want to have in my home city or wherever I end up in the future.

Before I got into college, I used to go back to my parents’ hometown of Vadodara in Gujarat, India a lot. This was, in a way, my home away from home. Very soon after my taste for adventure blossomed, I quickly realized that Vadodara would always be my parents’ home even if the Shore is also their home.

What I mean to say is that one can have multiple homes and that you don’t have to go to a certain place to have an adventure. Adventure is all around us and if you’re willing to put in the effort to go, it could make you realize things about the world in all its vastness and yourself in all your infinites that you would’ve never thought of until you got lost in Wales or had to take a 14 hour bus from Paris to Berlin. These stories eventually become a part of you.

As much as I love New York, I think it’s important to get away for a bit. Whether it’s a couple days or a few years. Right now, home for me is New York. But it’s also the Shore. It’s also every month I spent in India growing up, playing with my cousins, and feeding stray cows. It’s walking the streets of Edinburgh like I grew up there and getting angry at the trolley in Prague. It’s cozied up in the Paris Shakespeare and Co. and freezing to death for the view in Vik, Iceland.

Home can be a few places, but the world is too big to just stay in one place. So get out there and see what it has to offer. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Me and my cousin circa 1999 in Vadodara.

Me and my cousin circa 1999 in Vadodara.

Me! Taken by Jainita Patel

Me in my tiny NYC apartment cerca 2017.
Taken by Jainita Patel

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By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. 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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From New York to….Reykjavik

Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

Sometimes, living in a city like New York during the winter feels like living in the 7th circle of hell. If the cold doesn’t make you regret going outside, the blistering wind will. Despite the drawbacks, New York in the winter can be a lot of fun, even after the holiday season has passed. Though the severe lack of people can come as a shock to first, New York after December is one of the quietest, most beautiful cities in the world. With sites on the water and lots of indoor activities, New York’s gray winter feels a lot like Reykjavik.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/

https://c1.staticflickr.com/

http://www.reykjavik.com/

http://www.reykjavik.com/

How do you enjoy all of the activities both places have to offer? Just follow these tips:

Don’t Dress To Impress.

I’m serious. Layers are your friends in both of these cities. Both have wind that bites into you, so even if you sweat a crazy amount underneath, those layers will save you from that nasty bite. Snowshoes that come up to the knee are a plus as well to avoid the nasty puddles of dirt and snow that gather between the sidewalk and the road. Plus, if you’re dressed warm enough to walk through New York in January and Reykjavik, you’ll see some amazing sites. New York’s Ice Festival in Central Park has two main events: live ice sculpting and a silent disco. If you can’t get enough of the cold and end up in Reykjavik in February, there’s always the Winter Lights festival to celebrate the long period of darkness the city has gone through. Not to mention ice-skating.

Exercise.

No joke, if you’re a runner in New York or Reykjavik, you better get used to the cold. Luckily, running in New York in the winter is a lot easier than running in the summer when throngs of people and cars constantly interrupt your route. If you’re not a runner, maybe winter is a good time to start if the cold doesn’t bother you too much. Running will keep your warm and motivate you to get outside and get some fresh air. If you get really good or even if you just want to see if running in the cold is something for you, try entering NYC Run’s Cocoa Classic (just $30 if you sign up before November 9th) on Roosevelt Island. There’s even hot chocolate in it for you. Reykjavik also has some fun runs like New York, though I would suggest holding off until summer for those. One of the best is the Midnight Sun Run (just $25 or 2400 ISK if you register by April) which takes place on the summer solstice. The spectacular sights will make up for the lack of cocoa and if you’re not a native Icelander, you’ll still get more than your fair share of the cold.

NYC Run's Cocoa Classic https://nycruns.com/

NYC Run’s Cocoa Classic
https://nycruns.com/

The start of the Midnight Sun Run https://runninginiceland.files.wordpress.com/

The start of the Midnight Sun Run
https://runninginiceland.files.wordpress.com/

Cocoa.

So maybe the Midnight Sun Run doesn’t provide hot chocolate, but Reykjavik has plenty of spots to grab one during the winter months. Grabbing a hot drink is foolproof way of warming up from your nose to your toes, and Súfistinn, across from Reykjavik’s City Hall, is the best place to get it. New York City has some excellent hot chocolate as well. City Bakery in Flatiron has some of the most warming and mouth-watering hot chocolate around. Or if that’s too far for you, MarieBelle on Broome St. is full of chocoholics that love a good cup of hot cocoa.

Explore.

Both of these cities are gems in the cold. For New York City, the lack of people after the holidays is refreshing and oddly quiet. Embrace it and get ready for the long, noisy summer months. Go to Central Park and climb Belvedere Castle to see the sight snowy sight around you or take a friend to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, which becomes a silent, icy wonderland in the winter. In Reykjavik when it’s light out, if you’ve never been before, you’ll get the same feeling as staring down from the Freedom Town onto a snowy city if you go up the Pearl and see the harbor in front of you and the snowy mountains to your side.

 

Just a personal note, if you’ve been to one city and not the other, if you stand at the tip of Battery Park in the dead of winter, you’ll probably regret leaving the warmth of your bed. However, stand there long enough and you’ll get the exact same feeling as standing next to the Sun Voyager, looking out to Engey in Iceland. The wind off the water might hurt at first, but the peace that comes with it is worth it.

https://crocsandcandy.files.wordpress.com/

View from Battery Park in the winter https://crocsandcandy.files.wordpress.com/

The Sun Voyager Taken by Jainita Patel

The Sun Voyager
Taken by Jainita Patel

 

Don’t let the cold hold you back. Bundle up and get out there! And who knows, if you love the cold and have been to New York but not Reykjavik, maybe you’ll get the chance to experience it one day and vice versa.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. 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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From New York to…Berlin

Tuesday, July 11th, 2017

Every city has its story. Some are built on peace and trust, but most upon revolution and blood. I might be of the minority opinion, but I think it’s important to know the history of the place you live or visit. It tells a bigger story. Isn’t that what college is about? Discovering what you believe based upon your knowledge of the world? For American history, no place is better for that than New York City (except maybe D.C.). For Western-focused history, I think no city carries that weight better than Berlin.

In New York it’s a little easier to ignore history when there’s so much hustle and bustle around us. A lot of us don’t stop to think unless we decide on a day and time to go to a specific place and think about the history of how this great city came to be. It’s a little different in Berlin. Its past drags on you as you walk through its streets and there are signs of history everywhere—a city trying to wipe away its past through modernization.

www.pinterest.com

http://pinterest.com/

http://voss-photography.com/

http://voss-photography.com/

Since it’s humbling and humanizing, I’ve made a list of places you can stop and think about the past in both Berlin and New York:

History Museums.

Museums are meant to be quiet places to look at precious items and ponder their meaning. History museums are some of the most impactful places in any city. This is especially true for New York and Berlin. In New York the National Museum of the American Indian brings to light not only the history of New York, but also of this land. It’s a humbling experience and allows you to see the stories and artwork of the Native Americans before and after European settlers. New York boasts many other history museums, but one of the best is a bit far from Manhattan. If you can get there, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum helps anyone understand what makes modern day New York so wonderfully diverse and will give you a sense of the historical struggle of your ancestors. Berlin is filled to the brim with museums about history. One of these is the German Historical Museum or Deutsches Historisches Museum, which shows the history of Germany from its founding to its scarred past and hopeful future.

 

Tragedy Museums.

I define museums of tragedy as separate from museums of history because the weight of self-awareness you feel in a museum centered on tragedy is innately different from that of history. The National Museum of the American Indian is also a museum of tragedy to me, but the museum itself focuses mostly on the beauty of Native American culture rather than on their horrific plight. Another museum where New Yorkers will certainly feel the heaviness of tragedy is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in the Financial District. Though this one may leave you feeling hollow and oddly aware of yourself and your fellow New Yorkers, it’s definitely worth visiting if you’re thinking about the past. For Berlin, the Jewish Museum will impact you in ways you didn’t even know were possible. It’s earthshattering and the mixture of art and history is made to let history overwhelm you. And you should let it this once. It’s worth it.

9/11 Memorial Pond. https://www.nycgo.com/

9/11 Memorial Pond.
https://www.nycgo.com/

Art Installation at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.  Taken by Jainita Patel

Art Installation at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.
Taken by Jainita Patel

 

Monuments and Memorials.

I’m honestly not quite sure where to begin with this one for New York, so I’m going to state the one I love the most that always takes me back in time: Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Here you’ll find monuments dedicated to almost every war fought by American soldiers. If wars don’t interest you as much as common life, almost every grave in the cemetery has a story. Not to mention the place is gorgeous. If you’re looking for a more patriotic monument, Trinity Church on Wall St. has some of the most famous revolutionaries buried there including Alexander Hamilton and his family. A comprehensive list of New York monuments to sit and reflect upon can be found here. Berlin has a historical monument on every corner, but three very specific monuments had a huge impact on me: 1) The Berlin Wall Memorial. There is a piece left standing of the Berlin Wall in Brunnenviertel that has scribbles of graffiti proclaiming freedom that remains from just 25 years ago. It really puts the past into perspective. 2) The East Side Gallery. Also a piece of the Berlin Wall, this international memorial for freedom on Mühlenstraße will have you looking at art and history as two inseparable mediums by which to explore the past. 3) Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (and the nearby Großer Tiergarten—which contains the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism—and the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma of Europe Murdered under the National Socialist Regime which is by Brandenburger Tor). This last one is more of an art piece, but just as powerful.

Civil War Memorial at Green-Wood Cemetery. http://sallyminker.com/

Civil War Memorial at Green-Wood Cemetery.
http://sallyminker.com/

 

Graffiti on the Berlin Wall Memorial. Taken by Jainita Patel.

Graffiti on the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Taken by Jainita Patel.

Right Outside Your Door.

You know those nights were you just sit outside your small NYC dorm or apartment and look at the street and starless sky? Or when you walk to class or work, avoiding the traffic and ignoring your aching feet? There’s history there, right underneath you and around you. It’s a place to begin thinking about the rich histories and the lessons we can learn from it. It’s important, especially in cities with pasts like New York and Berlin.

 

So there it is—this week’s oddly sad and moving tips on how to connect with a deeper part of yourself and the world. Who says you can’t enjoy yourself while being pensive and having your mind blown? And who knows? If you like either city for the weight of its history, maybe you’ll get to visit the other some day.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. 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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From New York to…Amsterdam

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

New York and Amsterdam. These two cities together have a context that brings to mind debauchery and nighttime revelry that you’re bound to regret the next morning. But that’s not what we’re talking about today. Today, we’re talking about confusion.

Any city is confusing if you’ve never lived there before. You don’t know the neighborhoods or the areas to avoid, and you’re bound to get lost the first few times you visit. Sometimes this is fun and you can find new places, but most of the time it’s just inconvenient.

So here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your time in both of these gorgeous cities:

http://wallup.net/wp-content/

http://wallup.net/wp-content/

Taken by Jainita Patel

Taken by Jainita Patel

 

Roads and Rivers.

Every place has a certain road or river that brings a level of comfort since you know that when you find it, you can find your way home. The best way to orient yourself in either city is to find that one road. In New York, for the first few years that road was Broadway. No matter where I was, if I could find Broadway, I could get home even if my phone was dead. As time moved on and I switched apartments, my main landmark became the East or Hudson River. In New York, we get lucky as we’re on an island and a grid system. Try going to Boston or Amsterdam and this becomes a little more complicated. In Amsterdam, I’d suggest making the Prins Hendrikkade road and s100 highway your main roads. These are a bit on the outskirts, but they encompass most of the Centrum or downtown. If you go past that, the Amstel Canal is your best bet.

 

Neighborhoods.

Familiarize yourself with the neighborhoods before you decide to go to visit them. I’m more comfortable downtown than uptown, but once a few of my friends moved to the Heights and Harlem, I decided to find my main roads up there just incase I couldn’t charge my phone at night. This might come in handy, especially out in the boroughs. In Amsterdam, the canals are beautiful, but they can seriously confuse you, especially if you decide to live outside of Centrum, so it might be good to familiarize yourself with the main roads ahead of time as well.

 

Public Transport.

You don’t have to know where you are if you can find the one train station that will take you anywhere—or at least home after a long night. In New York, Midtown is probably a good place to start. 42nd St. and 34th St. have most of the lines you’ll need to journey in Manhattan. If you get on the wrong train, don’t worry. Just climb abroad one going back to that central station and try again. NYC’s subways are tricky to get used to at first, but in a week you’ll get it down. The maps are pretty easy to read and are available in most subway carts and stations. At Amsterdam Central Station, you can find a metro, bus, or tram to wherever you need to go and can easily purchase a temporary OV-chipkaart at the station.

 

Embrace It.

If you have time to get lost, embrace it. You’ll find some of the coolest spots when you’re not looking for them or staring at your GPS trying to see where you missed that last turn. Amsterdam, especially is beautiful and relatively safe to wander at night. On the canals you’ll see some of the most beautiful sights a city has to offer. New York isn’t short on its beautiful spots either. East River Park is stunning and the sight of the Freedom Tower is something to marvel at when the sun is setting.

 

http://brokelyn.com/

http://brokelyn.com/

Taken by Jainita Patel

Taken by Jainita Patel

And of course, if you have a GPS app on your phone, you don’t even have to worry about this, so enjoy yourself! Get lost on purpose and let the freedom of it wash over you. And who knows? If you like getting lost in New York or Amsterdam, hopefully you’ll get a chance to visit the other some day.

Stay rad,
Jainita

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By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. 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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Pushing Boundaries: How Traveling and Studying Abroad Have Changed My Life and Shaped My Career Path, and Why You Should Do It Too

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

At only 21 years old, I am no Confucius. I cannot give you sound and scientific advice that, if followed, will give you guaranteed success and happiness and all the things you’ve ever dreamed possible. I do not know everything; I don’t have all the answers. What I DO have is my own experience. One of my favorite lines from a book came from Arthur Japin’s In Lucia’s Eyes that reads, “The world is full of people who spend their entire lives seeking the miracle of love without ever seeing it. It’s actually very simple and self-evident, except to those who seek it. One need only have a different way of seeing things. That is not something you can teach people. All you can do is tell your story.”

Whether or not you’re looking for love, let that last sentence resonate with you. All you can do is tell your story. This is my story.

Me:

My mother was born and raised in Brazil and moved to the U.S. when she found her future husband who worked in San Francisco at the time. This man, my father, lived in the U.S. for several years already, but actually grew up in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Call them star-crossed lovers or whatever you wish, these two foreigners set out to make a new future in a new country for their new daughter, me!

 

Growing up, it was just my parents and me. No siblings, no relatives nearby, no pets other than the occasional goldfish won at a carnival with a lifespan average of two days.  I spent most of my breaks from school traveling, either to Costa Rica or Brazil, to see family and connect with cousins and friends my age, keeping up with both Portuguese and Spanish.

The language was never a barrier to me when I was in another country, but became an issue when I returned to the U.S. and had already started school. I would meet with friends and sometimes be unable to realize that I wasn’t speaking English with them because I was so used to being understood in another language.

In addition to traveling to see relatives, I was fortunate enough to have such hard-working parents who always wanted me to see the world, as was their goal for themselves.  We travelled to many places in Europe before I finished the 8th grade, even at which point it was very clear to me that studying abroad would be in my future, no question.

Before starting high school I KNEW I would be gone for sophomore year – I researched study abroad programs and took advantage of them.  Initially I wanted to go to countries like Italy or Spain, but I wound up finding a full-ride scholarship opportunity (sponsored by U.S. Congress and German Parliament) to study in Germany, so I applied. As I moved further through the selection process, it became surreal how competitive this was: out of 2500 applicants, only 50 would receive scholarships.

In April 2006, I learned I had received the scholarship. I turned 15 the next month and three months later was off to live in Germany for a year: no family, no friends, and didn’t  know a word of German. I was the youngest of all the recipients, and after 11 months I was fluent in German.

Before beginning my time at a University, it was clear to me I would study abroad again. I would have applied for the program right away if it weren’t for the window allowed for it by the study abroad office. I was the first to submit an application for that as well, and in the fall of 2010, I had one of the BEST semesters of my life in Bern, Switzerland. If I hadn’t graduated early, I would have studied abroad again.

I’ve now relocated from Arizona to New York and am pursuing a career here while considering my options for a Master’s abroad – perhaps Switzerland again.  I’ve even recently been asked to work with a European magazine for some press releases. My passion is traveling and connecting with people who have experienced this and exchanging cultures.  All the traveling and studying abroad I’ve done have brought me here and told me where I’m going.  You CAN and SHOULD do it too, and even if traveling isn’t something you want for your career, experiencing it now while you’re young is priceless and will teach you so much about yourself and the world.

 

Where to look for study abroad programs:

  1. Consult with your school’s study abroad offices: I realize these offices are becoming smaller and smaller in the U.S., but these guys know what they’re talking about. Ask which kinds of programs are available to you – some may have year standing or GPA requirements. Maybe there’s a specific kind of program you’re searching for – my school offered programs in which you travel with a group of students from the University while learning abroad. My school also offered a program where you didn’t pay a study abroad fee, just the same tuition you were paying while attending the school, which is how I was able to study abroad. Many study abroad offices even have information on scholarships. There are plenty of options; inform yourself!
  2. Check other programs: This gets tricky and is where fees come into play, sky-rocketing the price of your study abroad experience. My scholarship study abroad program was limited to high school students, but there are other groups out there! Check out: ciee.org or studyabroad.com.
  3. Maybe you’re interested in the experience of it but don’t want to be studying: Check out things like aupair-world.net where you can be a live-in nanny, earn some money, have a host family that could help teach you more about the culture, and be immersed in your new surroundings. You could take a semester off to do it, do it in the summer, or make time for it after you graduate. Another post-graduate option could be The Peace Corps.
  4. Degrees and Internships Abroad: These are other ways you can be productive in a new place. You can research schools in the areas you’re most interested in and see their guidelines for international students. My advice for those looking to study in Europe would be to check out bachelorsportal.eu OR mastersportal.eu where you can define your search based on degree subject, country, or tuition and GET THIS: tuition prices elsewhere could be as little as 4% what you’re paying now. What about textbook fees? That’s all an American scam so you can say “bye-bye” to that! As for internships, try goabroad.com/intern-abroad or ask at your school’s study abroad office.  HEADS UP: this internship opportunity in China was just tweeted via @InternQueen that may be worthwhile: http://www.crccasia.com/?utm_source=InternQueen&utm_medium=Eblast&utm_campaign=October

5. If all else fails and you just want to travel abroad but want to do it sooner rather than later (excellent choice), check out statravel.com for good deals on flights and hotel information – those prices keep going up these days so it’s good to know of a place that’s dedicated to finding competitive rates. I’d also recommend kayak.com, which is where I found an affordable flight to NYC.

Why:

Even if traveling doesn’t give you insatiable wanderlust as it has to me, at the very least you’ll         broaden your horizons, learn something new and take these experiences with you in your next job interview, which could make all the difference. I encourage you to try something new, to not be afraid, and to learn a new language – there’s no better way than immersion! At the risk of sounding cliché, the world is truly your oyster so go out and open it!

 

 

 

 

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Posted by Lauren A Ramires. Follow her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (username: laurenaramires) for more lifestyle and inspiration posts.

If you’re interested in learning more of the experiences of a Peace Corps Volunteer, check out this blog for stories on the daily happenings of a PCV and things you could expect.

 

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