Posts Tagged ‘advice’

Be Wary of Placing Limits and Expiration Dates on Friendships

Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

The idea for this chapter came to mind as I was talking to one of my good college friends, who happens to be two years older than me, about her experience with friendship “expiration dates.” That was the very first time I had heard anyone describe the all-too-familiar way in which we inadvertently place people and potential friends into very defined and limited categories, steering away from what we see as “expired” (or soon to be expired) relationships. I thought back to all the people I’d met in the last few weeks of middle or high school whom I’d given up on before even getting to know, all because it was simply “too late” (spoiler alert: it really wasn’t). I remembered how I’d labeled people as too cool, too old or too young, or, quite simply, too different to approach.

My friend, whom we’ll call Abby, had come into her freshman year of college with a very similar attitude; that is, until she realized there were only a few weeks left in her first year, and she hadn’t figured out her place in college yet. When she turned to her fellow first-years, they seemed to be in a very similar boat, which is when she realized she needed to change course, and quickly. With graduation looming not so far ahead, these wise, older students would soon fall in the “expired” category. Abby decided that she’d meet each senior student once, if only just to touch base and extract whatever they had to say about their own college experience, and then leave her coffee appointments smarter, wiser and all the better for it. This impromptu, speed-friend-dating escapade of hers, however, would bear very different fruits than she could’ve possibly imagined. It was during what was meant to be nothing more than a one-hour coffee break, Abby told me, that she’d met one of the girls whom she now considered one of her best friends. To this day, they take the time to speak (or text or call) almost every week, keeping themselves in the other’s life via simple but frequent updates. Although the nature of their friendship has made it so that they’re rarely in the same place at the same time, Abby and her friend have learned how to make space for their friendship in their respective lives. And if that isn’t a sign of true friendship, I don’t know what is.  

“Your dream doesn’t have an expiration date. Take a deep breath and try again.” by katerha is licensed under CC BY 2.0

As Abby shared this with me, I felt like my mind was going a thousand miles a minute. Over the course of my own freshman year, I had experienced first-hand what it felt like to get caught-up in a bunch of “surface” friendships, to be constantly surrounded by people and still feel stranded on my own personal island of loneliness. It was by talking to Abby, however, and after realizing that I had been able to make genuine and long-lasting connections near the end of the year, that I began to see how that feeling had been partially my own fault. From the very beginning, I had come into college with the idea that my first-year friends were something temporary, people that would only last for a certain phase of my life, relationships that I had to form because I hated being alone, and as a result of that, I hadn’t truly given each friend a chance. Because of my fears (of being left behind, of failing to assimilate), I had been in a sort of friendship paralysis, where I focused on making “realistic” friends, and placed people into attainable vs. unattainable categories. In short, I forgot about the fact that behind each friend, there’s a very real and unique human being, who has very real and unique things to bring to my life, even if it’s not always in a way that I’m familiar or already comfortable with. And that’s what made me realize that it’s kind of ridiculous to put an expiration date on people, because no amount of distance, time differences, or personal differences can spoil the type of connection that forms between two people who are dedicated to letting friendship bloom between them.

Main Takeaways (If this chapter evoked something in you that says “Oh yeah, I do that,” or if you’re currently experiencing that weird “not-alone but lonely” stage of life (we’ve all been there), I’d encourage you to do one of two things): 

  • Reach out to that person you’ve been hesitant to hang out with, whether it’s because you think you’re too different, or you don’t see the chance of a long-lasting friendship; you never actually know what can happen unless you try, and worst-case scenario they say no (and you’re right back where you started).
  • Take steps to deepen one of your current relationships by being more intentional with each other; set the standard for a deeper friendship, whether it’s by being more open in communication or changing the usual setting of your relationship. 

Chiara Jurczak is a second-year student at Northeastern University where she is majoring in Political Science and Communication Studies. She is currently finding new ways to explore her passions for creative writing, publishing and political crises, and hoping to figure it all out sooner rather than later. In her free time, you can find her reading, baking, or trying to talk her friends into going on fun (and at times strange) adventures.


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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You Can’t Live in the Honeymoon Phase (And You Probably Don’t Want To)

Tuesday, October 5th, 2021

You’ve probably heard of the Honeymoon Phase, a term generally used to refer to that special moment right after you meet someone where it all just feels so new and exciting that you’re willing to overlook any annoyances or red flags. It’s likely you’ve experienced this feeling yourself, as well as the staunch disappointment that comes with the (at times) harsh transition out of this phase — it’s important to remember, however, that the Honeymoon phase is, by its very nature, not made to last and that is actually very good news.

Here’s the thing about making friends, especially in college; not every friendship is created equal, and you have to learn very quickly to prioritize. Every week, day, and hour, you’re meeting someone new who lives within a 5-mile radius of where you live, and with whom you are likely to have at least one thing in common, even if that is only that you both go to the same school. The possibilities of friendship are endless, which, although exciting, can very quickly lead to social burnout or the accumulation of a whole lot of what I like to call “surface friends.” These are acquaintances who have moved into the “friends” category by default, without any true intentionality from either party. These types of friendships, while serving their purpose (and doing it well) in certain situations, cannot be the core of what you consider friendship to be. A true friend is someone who, as in every other relationship in your life, you are willing to invest time and effort into. They’re people whom you can trust with a secret, those who you can spam with messages without worrying about how that will change their perception of you by making you seem too needy, too careless, too attached…

This brings us back to the topic at hand—the honeymoon phase. At this point, I find it helpful to think of the types of friendships you’re looking to form in college as extensions, or at the very least close replicas, of the relationships you have with close family members, such as siblings, cousins or even parents. If you can truly say you never fight with these people in your life, I suggest you think of writing a book on the matter (and please send me an advance copy). More likely, however, you are no stranger to the daily, at times hourly, tussles or disagreements that come with close cohabitation or relationship with people—and the type of conflict negotiation that comes when abandoning the relationship is not even an option that crosses your mind. That is what you’re looking to replicate when forming friendships in college — at least the core, close ones. When you think about it, your friends become your new family: your home away from home. I’m not suggesting they can replace your family (my mother would kill me), but you do need to see them as the new nucleus to your life at college. And, as you do not shy away from conflict or disagreement in your related family, you should not do so in your new, “adopted” family.

“Honeymoon Sunset…” by douea is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In my own experience, I’ve found that approaching certain friendships with a renewed sense of commitment (one which I communicated with them) despite not always “clicking” with people on every level, has led to incredible growth in my personal as well as professional life. It’s normal at the beginning to focus on the quantity of friends – life moves fast on a college campus, and freshman year especially feels like a race for stability. Something I found useful was to, after the first couple of weeks, choose which group/club/activity I was willing and wanting to dedicate more of my time to. There, I got to know a small group of people very well, and began looking for ways to see them in different settings and situations during the week. Instead of seeing them only in large group meetings, I reached out to individual people (or they did me) and asked them to grab coffee, lunch, study together or go on a walk to that place on campus everyone had been talking about.

This was truly a turning point for my college experience – it not only taught me more about commitment and responsibility to others, but gave me enough faith in my ability to form deep, true friendships that I became more open and confident even in my “surface friendships.” True, committed friendships are life giving, because they do not focus on using each other for convenience—rather, they are a balance of give-and-take, in which you learn to grow and experience life as independent adults together.

Main Takeaways: 

  • The “Honeymoon Phase” is great for making new friends and should be taken fully advantage of when you’re in it, but you shouldn’t be afraid of moving past it to get to the core, real and honest side of friendship.
  • Forming a nucleus of close friends is an important part of finding stability in college, and teaches you important values such as acceptance, accountability and conflict resolution.

By: Chiara Jurczak

Chiara Jurczak is a second-year student at Northeastern University where she is majoring in Political Science and Communication Studies. She is currently finding new ways to explore her passions for creative writing, publishing and political crises, and hoping to figure it all out sooner rather than later. In her free time, you can find her reading, baking, or trying to talk her friends into going on fun (and at times strange) adventures.


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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Friendships, A Puzzling Affair

Tuesday, September 21st, 2021

If you’re anything like me, you like to use metaphors to try and make sense of the world around you. And if you’re nothing like me, all the better; sometimes, metaphors are most appreciated by those standing outside their wily bounds, looking on with a critical and unconvinced eye.

Without further ado, I’d like to present to you the Friendship Metaphor (FM)(I hope you’ll excuse this unimaginative title, but too much creativity can be a bad thing). As indicated by the title of this chapter, this metaphor revolves entirely around one of the most controversial pastimes known to man: puzzles. Some people love them, some people hate them (yours truly), but I think that generally, most people derive a certain satisfaction from the process of finding pieces which only moments before being joined into a seamless design were little more than individual units floating in a sea of possibilities and wrong roads.

      There are two ways to go about the metaphor from here. First, you can think of yourself as one of the puzzle pieces; this option is not entirely appealing to me. Firstly, it assumes that you are some unchangeable, fixed piece, and we all know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Think back to the person you were ten, five or even one year ago. You probably don’t approach life (and therefore friendships) in the same way as you did then. Secondly, this view of the metaphor assumes that you can only be connected to the pieces right next to you, those that resemble you the most. I think you can see why that might be an unrealistic visualization.

      We arrive, therefore, at the place I believe the FM maximizes its full metaphorical potential for helping us understand friendship formation: rather than seeing yourself as the puzzle piece, view yourself as the master, and the pieces as the various relationships and connections you are building. Here, you are the one putting the pieces together, taking different approaches to how you build friendships and relationships in every area of your life. Just like when assembling a puzzle, you are motivated at the start–the possibilities are endless, and you’re confident in your ability to complete this puzzle. Then, frustration–you realize finding matching pieces is not as easy as you’d thought, and that the pieces and approaches you’d counted on are failing you. In desperation, you may put the puzzle aside for a while and tell yourself that this “hobby” isn’t for you after all, only to pick it up again,letting the entire cycle restart.


“Puzzle” by INTVGene is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

As a college student, as you move away from home and feel lost in a sea of new people, keep this in mind: you’re not restarting the puzzle at every friendship you forge, just working on a different section. In a way, you’ve been assembling the puzzle your whole life. When you were little, maybe a loved one helped you out with the hard parts. Now, they’re giving you space to figure it out.

So, if the Friendship Metaphor can help you approach friendships in college in any way, I hope it’s by reminding you how capable you are of completing this puzzle, your puzzle. I’m not saying it will be easy, nor will it always be pleasant. But what I can guarantee is that if you let the fear of failure stop you, your unfinished puzzle will just become an annoying reminder of all the friendships you could’ve forged and that are just waiting for you to accept them into your life.

Main takeaways:

  • Forging friendships is like putting together a puzzle, where you’re the assembler and the pieces are all the connections and relationships you are forging.
  • It’s normal to be overwhelmed or even frustrated when assembling a puzzle – and it’s no different with friendships. In those cases, it can be helpful to remind yourself that you’re not necessarily starting over, just working on a different part of the puzzle (and your life).

By: Chiara Jurczak

Chiara Jurczak is a second-year student at Northeastern University where she is majoring in Political Science and Communication Studies. She is currently finding new ways to explore her passions for creative writing, publishing and political crises, and hoping to figure it all out sooner rather than later. In her free time, you can find her reading, baking, or trying to talk her friends into going on fun (and at times strange) adventures.


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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Acceptance: Becoming a College Student

Friday, July 30th, 2021

Autumn of 2017 was one of the most stressful times of my life. A few months shy of 18, I spent the Saturday after Halloween submerged in the couch, eyes fixed to my computer screen while episodes of Spongebob played muted on the TV. That night, the Early Action college application would close promptly at midnight. 

The day prior, a friend explained to me there was a higher chance of getting accepted into the colleges I wanted if I applied for Early Action because of the smaller number of applicants. I rushed home as soon as school was over, planted myself on the couch and started to type out supplemental essays for the eight schools I wished to attend. 

During my senior year I was still pretty unsure with what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I enjoyed reading and writing but I didn’t have a passion like many others in my grade. Because of this, I applied to schools all across the country without getting my hopes too high. I didn’t have a specific dream that involved a particular school, but I planned on attending the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, a campus about 15 minutes from my house and a safety school for most locals. 

Photo Credit: www.instagram.com/umntwincities

A few anxious months later, the results started trickling in. I found out I was accepted to the University of Wisconsin, Madison while in line for popcorn at the movie theater. My acceptance to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities arrived by email at dinner time, while my parents watched the local news and ate dinner on the couch. My acceptance into Boston University’s College of Communication came on a lazy afternoon watching cartoons in my basement. 

Getting accepted to BU came as a major surprise. To be honest, I had completely forgotten I even applied and only did so because of my dad’s encouragement. One drizzly and cold spring break trip to Boston a year prior to visit BU’s campus left me with a bad impression of the college and the town. The campus was a group of blocky, concrete buildings plopped down in the middle of a busy city. The outdated library and brutalist dorms were depressing. Nickerson Field in West Campus was the only part of the school that felt remotely similar to the colleges I grew up near, but the campus lacked community and school spirit. 

Because of that trip I almost turned my back completely on BU. I spent many long nights mulling over my choice between the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin. My acceptance to BU was a great honor and opportunity, but it was completely forgotten under my preconceived notions and first impressions of the school. 

I almost let judgement get in the way of my decision. Watching the kids in the grades above me go to big schools like the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin compelled me to follow in their footsteps. Attending schools in the Midwest was easy and familiar and most were a short drive away from my childhood home and populated with many other graduates from my high school. 

Luckily, my dad knew that moving out of the Midwest and across the country by myself was the best thing for me. It would teach me confidence and resilience, two qualities I lacked from growing up in such a tight-knit and predictable community. 

Taking risks, especially at a time in life with so much change, can be paralyzingly terrifying. Whether you’re attending a school 15 minutes from your house or 1500 miles away, moving out of your house and gaining independence is a major step in anyone’s life. I was lucky enough to have another influence pushing me to get out and take a risk. I realize a lot of people may not have that luxury, but I hope any other indecisive students realize that every opportunity is important and something to take seriously. 

Me, in the middle, with my two best friends of 10 years walking through our elementary school on graduation day. Photo taken by Sammy Baraga.

Don’t let fear hold you back from taking chances and don’t let fear control your perceptions. I almost passed up one of the greatest opportunities of my life because I was scared and I let fear justify my negative feelings. 

That being said, choosing to attend BU and move over one thousand miles away from my home was one of the hardest decisions and transitions I’ve ever made. At the time, life only seemed to get worse, but writing this now I can look back and appreciate all of the challenges and hard moments for how they’ve shaped me today.

My name is Toni Baraga and I am a senior in COM at Boston University studying journalism with a minor in archaeology. I have a passion for writing and I believe that everyone has a story. I have worked as a reporter for various newspapers, such the Somerville Journal and Boston University’s Daily Free Press. I grew up in St. Paul Minnesota and reside in Boston.

For over 20 years, theCampus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a specialcoupon bookletand theOfficial Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At theCampus 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 ourwebsite for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during theWelcome Week of 2015.

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Chapter 1- From New Jersey to Boston: The Decision to Move to a City

Friday, July 30th, 2021

As a junior in high school, there were only a few things I was sure of. The first was I wanted to go to a college where I could major in English and writing. These were always the subjects I was most passionate about in high school and I wanted to study something I enjoyed in college, so this choice felt clear. The second thing I was sure of is that I wanted to study abroad, preferably in London. I had always been drawn to London for some reason. Perhaps it’s because the city left a lasting impression on me after repeatedly watching the 1998 version of The Parent Trap and Mary Poppins throughout my childhood. Also, as a prospective English major, it made sense to study abroad in the country where writers like Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters lived. However, the gigantically glaring question that I had no answer to was this: where would I go to college?

I grew up in a town in New Jersey that is approximately a square mile and my graduating class was less than a hundred people. I had seen countless romanticized depictions in movies, books and TV shows about people moving from small towns to big cities, thus the idea of going somewhere totally different was intriguing to me. I wasn’t particularly keen on applying to any schools in New York City. It was a city I was accustomed to visiting at least twice a year and I never foresaw myself living there. It was simply too bustling for me. After doing some research, I discovered a few universities and colleges in Boston that piqued my interest. This eventually led to my uncle and I driving to Massachusetts to visit Northeastern University, Boston College, Emerson College and Boston University.

When we were not taking campus tours led by eager students, my uncle and I decided to wander around Boston and part of the surrounding suburbs, like Brookline. During our exploration of Boston, it began to dawn on me that spending a few days exploring the city and living there were two distinct things. While walking around Brookline one evening and peeking into various storefronts, I realized that if I chose Boston, I wouldn’t be a tourist in the city. If I ended up in Boston, I wouldn’t be staying in a hotel with a relative and returning home in a couple days. I would be living in this urban center on my own, which was daunting to consider, yet part of me was also excited to think of all the independence, activities and resources I would have at my disposal. 

Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University campus
Boston University. Image Credit: https://www.bu.edu/bostonia/winter-spring15/us-news-ranks-bu-37-of-top-500-global-universities/ 

I didn’t let my mind set on definitely going to school in Boston, though. I applied to colleges and universities in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so that I could be closer to home. Some of these schools even fit the idea of what I pictured a college campus to look like, with their green spaces, quads and stone facade buildings. As time passed after I submitted my applications and I was just anxiously waiting to hear back from all these schools, I subconsciously began to assume that I would most likely end up staying in New Jersey. I thought that the probability of me being accepted into the more competitive out-of-state schools was slim and it would be more financially feasible to remain in-state. Also, by the winter of my senior year of high school, everything started to feel real. I would actually be graduating, no longer see the same faces everyday and go to college. If I ended up going out of state, I would have to say goodbye to my family, which was beginning to feel like another massive change I wasn’t entirely prepared for. I was, and still am, close to my family and the thought of leaving behind this crucial support system was terrifying. 

However, on a fateful Saturday morning in March of 2017, I was shocked to be accepted into Boston University, especially after receiving a rejection from Northeastern two days prior. What was even more surprising was the financial aid package, which made BU a feasible option. Boston University certainly checked off a lot of boxes for me: I could afford to go, they had programs that interested me, I could study abroad, I would be guaranteed housing for four years, etc. Of course I was apprehensive about leaving home, but as the astonishment wore off in the following weeks, I told myself that I would regret not taking the opportunity to move somewhere new and experience being on my own. Therefore, with nervous excitement, I accepted the offer to begin my undergraduate studies at Boston University in the fall of 2017. 

Quick tip: choosing a school for either undergraduate or graduate studies is a pretty monumental decision, so you shouldn’t feel afraid to make inquiries. Whether it is sending an email to someone or posing a question when touring a campus, it will help you gather all the information you need in order to decide where to apply and, ultimately, what school to select. For instance, at the end of my campus tour of BU, I asked the tour guide about the study abroad program. It turned out that he had just returned from studying abroad in Geneva and he described the application process and what it was like living in a different country. Even though it was only one person’s account, I felt more confident in and curious about BU’s study abroad program after hearing someone else’s experience. It could also be helpful to make a list and prioritize what you are looking for in a college. What is most important to you: location, financial aid, research opportunities, study abroad options, housing, classroom size, campus lifestyle, etc.?


By: Monica Manzo

Monica Manzo recently completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University where she majored in English and minored in History. Currently, she is planning on applying for some masters programs in publishing. In her free time, she can be found either reading or adding to her pile of unread books.


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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“A Taste of Life in New York” in the Making

Tuesday, December 15th, 2020

I started working on my ebook, “A Taste of Life in New York,” in late October, and can now say that my experience writing it has been incredibly refreshing and fun. Writing this gave me the opportunity to look back on my college experience thus far, reflect on the current moment, and look forward to my Senior year. I love that I have had the chance to help others through sharing my own experiences and the things that have helped me. I’ve even learned some new ways to help myself while trying to give the best tips to other college students who may struggle with some of the same problems I do. 

While I’ve been writing each chapter, more and more memories have come back to me from the past couple of years and I could only hope that I’ve chosen the right stories to share with others so that they can relate and understand that they are not alone in this. Moments like all-nighters spent in the university library with friends, getting lost on the streets of New York in the early days, and even the dull evenings that felt never-ending all came across my mind as I wrote. I have always said that the days in New York feel longer and fuller than anywhere else. Time passes differently there, which is sometimes a good thing but other times a bad thing. There were so many experiences for me to choose from, so many really happy memories but also highly stressful ones. The fact is, I’ve come to accept that that’s how going to college in New York City is. I’ve learned to take all the good with the bad and ultimately, both have helped me grow as a person.

New York City

Though I’m currently taking classes remotely and will be away from New York likely until the next school year, being able to reminisce and write about these moments has been an amazing outlet for me. I’ve been able to better understand more of what I have gone through and am currently going through. And of course, it’s made me miss New York and all of my favorite restaurants. Mostly, it’s reminded me to appreciate all the good times I’ve had there with my friends, because time is precious.

I’ve learned while writing and participating in our podcasts that undoubtedly, everyone’s college experience is different, but we all meet challenges. Life in New York City can be more stressful for someone who is not a native, and combining it with the stress of college gives one a unique, but often challenging experience. I’ve found that I’ve been able to get closure for some problems that I’ve written about so far, and have been better able to work on the ones I’m still struggling with. This ebook has acted as an enormous source of relaxation and help for me, and I hope it’s done the same for others. 

Interning for The Campus Clipper has truly been wonderful. It has allowed me to turn my college experience into a deeper reflection on paper. Or should I say on screen? Either way, I’ve loved the opportunity I’ve been given to blog for this company and highly recommend it to those who may be interested. Hearing from other interns and relating to each other has not only been very helpful, but exciting as well. Learning from people’s different opinions and experiences helps you grow just as much as living out those experiences does. Approaching the college experience from a third-person perspective, even while in the midst of it, gives you a moment to take a step back and better process the chaos of college life. I’d like to say once again that the most important thing I’ve learned from my time with The Campus Clipper is to savor each moment you spend in New York. The people you meet and the times you have there will shape you, but they will also give you amazing memories for a lifetime.

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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 Era of Comfort Food

Tuesday, December 1st, 2020

The first time my friend Maria and I shared a meal together we went to a Mexican restaurant on University Place. Truthfully, neither of us remember the name, likely because we never felt compelled to return there later on. The food was decent, perfectly acceptable, nothing without flavor. But we were both looking for something else. Maria wanted more of the traditional cooking that her Mexican parents, particularly her mother, would make for her. I was looking for more of the Tex-Mex angle that I favored, being from Texas. We were inevitably disappointed because either way, the restaurant could not provide the comfort Maria got from her mother’s cooking and I from my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants back home.

Comfort foods are named for their helpful properties, for their ability to provide just a little relief from whatever stressor may be occupying your mind. In these past few months since the pandemic started, it only makes sense that we might all be craving our favorite comfort foods more than usual. 

Talking with Maria recently about it, I learned more about how she has noticed a change in her relationship with her comfort foods. 

“What do you think constitutes a comfort food?” I asked her first. 

On the small screen of my phone I watched her pause to look up at the ceiling before answering, “Probably something that makes you feel, like, warm inside physically, or in a way that brings back fond memories,” she said, “any foods that take you back to a time when you felt good.”

I agreed completely. The point of comfort foods is to do exactly this – make you feel comforted, make you feel warm and of course happy memories are probably attached to a lot of these.

“What are some of your favorite comfort foods?” I asked her next.

“Anything my mom makes, for the most part. Actually, a lot of breakfast foods that she makes. Chilaquiles, or eggs with chorizo or potatoes. They’re all simple foods. Sometimes just a tortilla spread with beans, then some cheese and salsa can be amazing. A lot of times it’s just whatever we eat whenever there’s nothing else.” 

In Maria’s words: “Huevos rancheros con chilaquiles, y frijoles fritos con chorizo.”

We both laughed at that, and I completely understood what she meant. One of my own favorite comfort foods is what my mother calls “estrellitas,” “estrellita” meaning “little star.” It’s a simple, light tomato soup with star pasta, but it never fails to warm me.

“Okay, and how much access did you have to your comfort foods while we were on campus in New York?” I asked.

Maria gave me a look and I laughed. 

“You know,” she said, and I laughed harder.

“Yeah, I do,” I said, recalling a time she dragged me with her on a long subway ride to Queens.

“Yeah, to get the good stuff, the real stuff, I have to go to Brooklyn or Queens. I have to find a panaderia there, and somewhere I can get chorizo, too. So in other words, not a lot.”

“What about the pandemic? How has your relationship to food changed during the pandemic?”

She frowned for a second but then shrugged. 

“Honestly, it’s just nice to be able to have my mom’s cooking again, to be able to eat those comfort foods every day. But then also, since I recently moved in with my friend it’s kind of like New York again, I don’t get it as much. Sometimes though she has my brother send some over. And sometimes I just beg her to make someone send me some.”

I nodded along, then asked, “Have you noticed yourself craving your comfort foods more during the pandemic?” 

“Hmm, not necessarily? But also, I’m just really appreciative of the fact that I can eat my mom’s cooking. Obviously I normally wouldn’t be able to during the school year. I’m just trying to savor it in the limited time I have. And it saves me a lot of stress, time, and money to be able to eat what she makes.”

Comfort food, as I learned after this brief conversation with Maria, is oftentimes food that is not easily accessible. This could very well be the case for you, too. Whether it be the resources or the chef, it usually takes an outside factor to help provide the beloved meal. When craving something you enjoy that you are unable to get to, especially during a highly stressful time such as now, it can then be difficult to cope. I decided to include a link to an article on some other ways you can comfort yourself, such as talking things out, meditating, and even things as simple as taking a shower.

Remember it is okay to take the time you need to comfort or care for yourself. In fact, it’s necessary. To avoid burnout and overall exhaustion, check in on yourself and make sure you give yourself the breaks you need. If you find yourself wanting to order take-out to do so, Campus Clipper has a variety of coupons to pick from to help you out, such as the one below! Click here to view the coupon, and make sure to go to the Campus Clipper website to explore more. 

KC Gourmet Empanadas Coupon on the Campus Clipper website.

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


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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Missing Life in New York (Especially the Pho)

Tuesday, November 24th, 2020

Displacement, disappointment, dissatisfaction. It’s fair to say that I am not the only one experiencing these feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mid-semester of my sophomore year I was sent home to do online learning like many other students this past Spring. The virus took everyone by surprise, but its impact on college students is a unique one. For many students, learning at home is not only difficult but also dismal. No longer on campus, one misses out on the most vital aspects of college – lively discussions with peers, spending time with friends, and the chance to explore the city. Miles from New York, missing my friends from NYU and struggling to stay on the ball with classwork, I’ve found that this semester cannot be described with words. Instead imagine a very deep, very tired-sounding sigh. 

But I’m trying to change that.

After a particularly busy past week (two novels to read, an outline for a paper due, and starting on a presentation for Spanish class, so on), I decided I’d order Vietnamese this weekend, pho in particular. We are nearing the end of the semester which means papers, projects, and other major assignments are flooding in, all due within days of each other. Food of course being my favorite way of treating myself, I let myself have at it. Having recently moved from home to across the state, I’m not familiar with many restaurants where I am now, but I’ve been craving pho and have been on the search for a reliable pho restaurant. As it turns out, one wouldn’t expect it but the second-best pho I can now claim that I’ve had is from a small eatery in the food court of a nearby mall, Pho Kitchen. Second-best. 

Maybe I’m lying a bit to myself. To be completely objective – the pho was absolutely delicious. I sat in the food court, mask placed to the side and socially distanced (which was a good thing, or people probably would have heard me slurping up the noodles and soup), and added a little Hoisin sauce and sriracha to the broth, mixing it in alongside the noodles, beef, onion, and cilantro. I squeezed a lime over it to top it off, stirred a little more, then dug in. The beef was perfectly tender, the broth flavorful and warm, and the noodles not too hard or too soft. All and all, completely satisfying. Why was it second-best then, you may be wondering?

It wasn’t PhoBar. PhoBar, which my friend Leslie introduced me to in our Freshman year, is located very close to Washington Square Park and was conveniently only a little ways away from our residence hall. I had had a cold and at that time it was just slightly more socially acceptable to go out to eat when visibly sick. We sat at a shared table and having only tried pho once before and disliking it, I wasn’t sure what to order or how to feel. 

“Just get the classic beef pho,” Leslie said, and I followed her orders.

Classic Beef Pho from PhoBar in New York City.

It turned out to be the cheapest item on the menu, which made it even better, but truthfully, it couldn’t have possibly gotten better. Even through my congestion and with what little ability I had left to taste, I was floored by the flavors of every part of the soup. Very quickly, just after a few bites and sips of broth, I became a passionate fan of pho. Leslie and I returned to PhoBar frequently after that and it is still one of our favorites.

When I was craving pho last week then, maybe it was more than just the soup I was yearning for. After all, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal I had, so all that was really missing was the fact that I wasn’t at PhoBar with Leslie. I wasn’t in New York.

Pho here will never be as good as pho in New York for that very reason. And on the same lines, online classes will never be as fulfilling as going to class on campus. Life in New York will always feel at least slightly superior to life anywhere else.

One could say that feeling discontent with this semester would be inevitable due to all that is happening, namely the pandemic. But in another attempt to try to grin and bear it, no matter how tiring it may be to keep grinning, I am doing my best to push through online classes and keep up with what is due. However, this is undoubtedly difficult. A few friends of mine themselves are going through rough patches and find themselves unmotivated. If you find yourself in the same position, here are a few helpful tips from U.S. News on dealing with online classes: 

  • Form a Schedule – Oftentimes having a solid structure to your day can help with keeping things in line and therefore getting more work done. Try writing out or printing a schedule, hang it up somewhere you will see it, and do your best to adhere to it throughout the day. 
  • Find Your Space – If you have a very busy home, it’s best to find a quiet area in your house to minimize distractions. If this isn’t possible, try going to your local library or somewhere you can get away from whatever may be pulling you away from your work.
  • Eye on the Prize – It may be difficult, I know for a fact that it is very difficult for a few friends of mine, but it is important to have a goal you want to reach and therefore a reason to get yourself to do work. “I’m just trying to get this degree,” is something a friend of mine says all the time, and I think it’s a simple but important mantra for many of us to take up during this time.
  • Stay in Touch – As for missing out on social interaction, use FaceTime or something of the like to keep in touch with friends from college. My friends and I use an app to send video updates to each other and it’s proven to help us a lot. Not only do we get to hear about what’s going on in each other’s lives, but it’s nice to see the faces and hear the voices of the people who I lived with for almost a year, who I care about deeply.

For more information, click the link above. Keep in mind that these things may not come easily or could be difficult to implement in your life. This is perfectly okay. It is more about the effort you put into doing better than how far you may actually get. I myself feel that it’s rare to have an actual productive day, but when I do I let myself savor the moment. It’s these moments that help me get through the semester. When you have that day (and you will), make sure you savor the moment, too.

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


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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My Saturday Chai

Tuesday, November 10th, 2020

Inexplicable was the only word for it. During the Fall of 2019, I hit the inevitable rough patch that every college student is doomed to undergo. Maybe this seems like a grim generalization to make, but college can be a stress-inducing atmosphere and oftentimes this leads to students feeling overwhelmed. And college in New York? Anxiety can reach new heights. 

I was even more prone to rough patches on arriving back to New York after three months at home and having to reacquaint myself not just with the city but with the specific kind of anxious feelings both New York and college itself could induce in me. I found myself having to work up more energy just to go to class and get my work done, but none of it was any more challenging than the previous year. The stress of living with a stranger was gone now too, as I was living with friends and we all got along well with each other. So why was I so anxious? 

There were moments in which my stomach would form a knot, my breathing would become shallow, and my heart would start racing. I knew I needed help and I was determined to discover the source of my anxiety. Having determined that classes – though still somewhat stressful –  were not the main cause, I looked to everything else in my life. Okay, maybe my living situation was still causing some anxiety. I loved that I was living with my friends, but I still had to get used to what that was like and didn’t want to step on any toes. More and more I also realized how much I still missed home, too. I was starting to like life in New York more so than the previous year, but it still did not provide the same comfort I could get at home. Even after realizing this though, I still felt there was something missing. These things definitely had an effect on me, but I knew they didn’t make up the whole of my anxious feelings. And yet, I couldn’t place it. It was inexplicable.

I could never pinpoint the remaining factor of my stress and anxiety was but I did everything in my power to work myself out of those feelings that had started to dominate my life. Part of that process involved seeing a therapist. If you have access to mental health resources through your university, it is completely worth it to take advantage of them! Sometimes tackling anxiety is a two-man job, and seeing a professional is always a good option. I also did a lot of exploring the city with my friends during this time which always gave me something to look forward to, but when I was feeling too tense to want to go out with them, I’d try to find a way to relieve stress on my own. 

My go-to was The Bean. The small coffee shop that, up until a few months ago, was on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway. It was not the only of its kind but certainly the closest to my dorm. The idea came to me as I was passing it on my walk back from classes one day. Immediately upon seeing its sign I remembered the iced chai that I loved from there and hadn’t had for months. Starting that weekend I began a tradition of waking up a little earlier on Saturdays and walking down to The Bean with a journal and headphones in my bag. After I ordered my drink I’d snag a table by the window, hit play on Spotify, and open my journal.

Unknown, “The Bean Broadway Nyc”, http://newyorkcliche.com/2018/04/11/the-bean-nyc-coffee-east-village/the-bean-broadway-nyc/. Accessed 10 Nov 2020.

Though I typically wasn’t one to journal frequently, I learned just how much of a relief it could bring me. Besides that, I was taking time for myself. The importance of this has only grown on me since then. When I took the time to journal, to let out some of what had been eating away at me throughout the week, I was able to get a moment of relief even if it only lasted for the day. Going to The Bean also functioned as an outing for me in which I could escape from my dorm (and therefore the homework that awaited me, ready to add on more stress). 

And the iced chai. I got it on each visit there and it was always a delight, a small but undoubtedly helpful way in which I could treat myself. Occasionally accompanied by a doughnut or maybe a muffin but perfectly sufficient by itself, my iced chai became the symbol of my personal time, as mundane a thing as it was. 

But chai and journaling are not for everyone. If you find yourself unsure of where to start with taking time for yourself or unsure of what will relax you, here are some helpful tips:

  • Hobbies – If you’re lucky, you are able to keep alive those hobbies from high school that you used to love so much. This was not the case for me, but anything you find enjoyable is undeniably a treat for yourself! If those hobbies have since died away, revive them. The joy they bring is worth the effort you may need to put in.
  • Sleep – It’s simple, but it’s necessary. The rest that comes from sleep has often made me feel just as restored as the journaling I would do at The Bean. Take the nap that you are reluctant to, go to bed earlier or sleep in a little longer. It will give you enough energy to do the work that needs to get done.
  • Fun – Going out on the weekends – whether it’s to museums, concerts, clubs, or something else – is another easy way to let your hair down. Though this was much easier pre- COVID-19, it still worth it if you can do so safely.
  • Food – Definitely my favorite way to treat myself. Comfort food, fancy restaurants, or something you’ve never tried before – take advantage of moments in which you are able to bring yourself a little more ease, even if it’s just by getting ice cream.

Lastly, I want to provide you with an amazing source for learning how to take time for yourself. Click here for more ideas on this from Lifehack. Whatever you choose, simply make sure it is making you happy and giving you even an ounce of relief. Because sometimes treating yourself can be as simple as drinking tea and journaling.

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


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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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.

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


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.

Share