Posts Tagged ‘college life’

Commencement – Campus Clipper Fiction

Monday, July 8th, 2013

Charlie Wickerson had always been skeptical about the availability of certain attributes within himself that are usually needed to make friends.  Before his embarkation to New York, Charlie never felt the scorn of social loneliness, but to an extent, he knew those who he called friends were just peers only interested in the most superficial and ephemeral qualities of association.  Today, though, Charlie understood the necessity of seizing this opportune time amongst his classmates before it was too late.

 

Together with his blonde and aloof Californian roommate Jackson, Charlie made plans to arrive at the opening ceremony about thirty minutes before the allotted starting time.  The boys agreed upon and stressed the importance of surveying fellow classmates as they streamed into the red-seated auditorium.  They didn’t want to sit bayside while everyone else began university life as emphatically as they had dreamed.

 

“What do you think?” Charlie asked.

 

“I reckon there are some pretty girls to the left,” Jackson said, “down there.”

 

“Well, there are pretty girls all over,” Charlie said, “There are five thousand of us rumbling in here.”

 

“Hell, I don’t know”

 

“Alright,” Charlie said, “Let’s just head down there around the left of the stage.”

 

Charlie and Jackson made their way toward the left-centered area of the auditorium and sat amongst the pretty girls previously marked, who, although they could have only been in the theater for a few minutes, found themselves surrounded by an array of suitors.  What surprised Charlie most were the girls’ radiance, which suggested that were more than delighted to be the spectacle of rows H through K. Perturbed by what they saw, Charlie and Jackson formed nothing more than the outskirts of the insular circle and found themselves only looking with envy toward their peers.  Fortunately for the two boys, they were not the only ones that had not made the cut and began conversing with some others near.

 

“Hi, my name’s Charlie.”

 

“Sam. How are you liking your first days?”

 

“They’ve been decent,” Charlie said, “What are you going to be studying?”

 

“Business and Finance,” Sam said, “What about you?”

 

“I’m not so sure yet,” Charlie said, “How did you know finance was right for you?”

 

“I just wanted to do whatever makes me money.”

 

“Oh, interesting”

 

“You should look into engineering or another STEM degree.” Sam added, “They always have great job prospects.”

 

“I’ll definitely think about it.”

 

Before the words had completely rolled off Charlie’s tongue, the stage’s red curtains were pulled back and the opening ceremony was set to begin.  For the next three hours, Charlie stared at the events without concern or opinion.  He knew he should have just stayed in his dorm

 

Alejandro Font, Student at NYU.

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College Savings Doesn’t Mean College Boredom

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

Being broke is not fun. Your friends are out having the time of your lives and you’re stuck at home due to lack of funds. Although a night out on the town doesn’t need to cost much, you can only get so far with a wallet full of hopes and dreams. With that being said, here are a couple of tips to help turn you into the thrifty man or woman you always knew you could be . . . I’m talking borderline parsimonious.

Saving and budgeting doesn’t just factor into one aspect of your life—it should greatly affect ALL aspects. College savings are important because you are on your own and you want to prove that you can live on your own. Managing your money is the first step to being able to do what you want when you want.

Transportation tends to be one of the biggest expenses in the city. Whether because of gas prices or MetroCards, a large amount of our money goes into getting from place to place. How can this be cut down? Skateboarding, rollerblading, and biking have gotten quite popular. Commuter cycling has doubled since 2005, and there are bike sharing programs around the city whose memberships are substantially cheaper than a monthly MetroCard.  Carpooling to class can be a great way to not only make friends but save money, and, if all else fails, you can walk.

Thrift stores are more popular than they have ever been.  Places such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill can provide you with basic t-shirts and jeans as low as $2. Venture to the nook and crannies of some of Manhattan’s shopping districts and you’re bound to find a Buffalo Exchange or a Beacon’s Closet. These thrift stores sell name brand clothing for ridiculously cheap prices. If you’re a fan of vintage styles and trendy clothing then these stores are for you.

Cheap dates are usually the next thing on your mind since you have the ability to actually make it and the clothes to step out in. Magazines such as <em>The L Magazine</em> and <em>Village Voice</em> are always advertising free movie screening and shows. MyFreeConcert.com is one of my favorite websites for not only concerts but also art exhibits and fun (and, more importantly, free) nights out.

After running around the city you’ve probably worked up quite the appetite. Luckily, the Campus Clipper is here to help. We offer deals across the city, helping students keep the green in their pockets while taming the growling in their stomachs. The $9.99 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at Bombay Talkie is highly suggested, or if you and a friend need a caffeine boost, there’s a coupon for a free cappuccino or latte with a purchase from The Bean.

So there you have it: proof that you can have fun in the big city and keep a majority of your cash at the same time! Now go out, have fun and be frugal.

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Carlos L., Monroe College. Read my blog!!  Follow me on Twitter and Facebook 🙂

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Have You Checked Out our New Book Yet?

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

The Campus Clipper’s recent publication, the NYC Student Guide, is a must-have for any college student. Whether you’re interested in applying for an internship, scoring cheap Broadway tickets, or finding the best places to eat in the city, the NYC Student Guide can help you! The Guide is filled with over 30 articles, each written by a different student author. Some article titles include: “On Roommates,” “On Studying,” “On Relationships,” and many more. Each article includes beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, also created by students. Finally, the book is light and handy–much lighter than those textbooks you lug around all over campus– so you can carry it with you everywhere. Also unlike a textbook, the Guide is both informative and entertaining to read. The uniquely informal style of our student authors will draw you in. Reading our book is like listening to the advice of a good college friend.

But there are hundreds of college guidebooks out there, you may be saying. What makes this one so different? First and foremost, our guidebook is written by current students, not some stogy man or woman who graduated in 1979. Although he or she must have done extensive research to compile the book, they are not drawing from personal experience. Our authors are more relevant, because they are experiencing college life at the exact same time you are. (Who knows, maybe you’ve crossed paths on campus!)

Finally, (although our guidebook is useful to students studying across the country) it includes many articles that are specific to New York City. Learn where the best thrift shops are located. Find out how to use the local job-searching site, Jatched.com. Discover new bars and nightly hot spots. Every year, thousands upon thousands of high school graduates, from across the country  travel to NYC to study. The myriad opportunities of this city beckon them. Maybe you are one of these students. I was. And if you come armed with the NYC Student Guide, you are sure to make the most of your time here!

Order your copy of the NYC Student Guide Here! 

Written by Megan Soyars, Campus Clipper Blogger

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Make new friends AND keep the old?

Monday, May 10th, 2010

I have these two friends, and they’ve been dating for seven years. A few months ago, they got engaged. I’m always surprised when I think about them because their relationship is so strong, and growing stronger, yet ever since high school ended they hardly ever see each other. The guy is currently in upstate New York with the Navy, and before that he was in the Midwest somewhere – Chicago, I think. The girl is in South Jersey for college, and understandably doesn’t get to visit him all that often. Regardless of all that, and despite their young age, they’re one of the most together couples I’ve ever known.

My question is: How do they make it work? Sure, it can be said that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but enough distance is equally as likely to make the heart forget what it loved about a person in the first place. I’ve been in New York for two years, and I find it extremely hard to keep up with my friends and family back in South Jersey.

I always find myself dividing my relationships up into two sections – New York and Home (because even though I have an apartment up here and live here, I will always think of my parents’ house as Home). It’s very rare that the two ever merge, though I often share stories of home to people up here and vice versa. When talking about friends, I say, “Oh, my best friend back home…” or, “You remember, I told you about her…she’s my best friend at school?” I never just use a person’s name, it’s always with some epithet – a way to keep everything separate and clear in my own mind.

Stories about home are getting less and less the more time I spend up here. I always find some excuse not to visit; oh, I’d come home this weekend but I don’t want to leave Sassy (my cat) alone and she doesn’t like travelling; dude, sorry I’m gonna miss your birthday but I have, like, a zillion tests I need to study for next week. I even missed my Aunt’s wedding because of school obligations and the hassle of travelling two hours on the New Jersey Turnpike.

What I want to know is how people who go away for college – or even if they don’t go away, but are too busy with new responsibilities to enjoy old fun – stay in touch and up to date with their pre-college lives. Is it really as hard as I feel it is, or is it like it is for my two engaged friends, meaning easy and natural?

-Mary K

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