Posts Tagged ‘love’

A 20-Something’s Thoughts on Romance

Friday, March 1st, 2024

When I was younger, I never pictured myself in a relationship. While I know now that the experience isn’t all that uncommon, it felt anything but normal at the time. Other girls my age talked about crushes and respective prince charmings with the kind of enthusiasm I could only struggle to understand. Why did they care so much? Why put so much energy into something that seemed to only make life more complicated? What exactly was it about being with someone that made the world so fixated on love? I didn’t get it and firmly believed that I would never get it. That was, at least, until Ethan. 

I can’t say that it was love at first sight, nor could I say that the world stopped around us like so many movies before us did. But to quote a writer I enjoyed when I first met Ethan, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. There’s a reason John Green is still proud of that line. Nothing else could describe the way it all happened so perfectly. He was someone I knew, then someone I admired, a friend who became a close friend, my best friend even, the best person I ever met, and then finally the only person I could see spending my life with. Slowly, and then all at once. I gradually got to know him, shared his interests and his jokes, and then suddenly he was all I could think about. 

I think Hollywood often has it all wrong concerning love, at least when it comes to real love in the modern age. The grand theatrics of old classics are alluring, after all, who wouldn’t want to be chosen over a lavish fortune or whisked away to untold adventure? Who wouldn’t want a Prince Charming? But the reality is that even Prince Charming’s palace will crumble if its foundation is lacking. Your partner could show up at your doorstep with as many roses as you like, but if you can’t hold an everyday conversation, what’s the point?

I believe that at its core, love is built upon a foundation of trust and understanding. Without these fundamental elements, even the most passionate relationships can falter. Trust forms the bedrock upon which love flourishes, without it you leave space for insecurity and imbalance. Understanding cultivates empathy and compassion so that partners to connect on a deeper level and navigate challenges with grace. Moreover, love thrives on balance, compromise, and care. It requires a delicate equilibrium where each partner’s needs are considered and respected, fostering a sense of equality and harmony. Romance is important in love, but relationships are so much more complicated than that. To insinuate anything else would be to insult the human spirit. After all, the only thing more complex than one human being is the connection between two.

It’s been nearly eight years since I met Ethan with us being a rare example of rather functional high school sweethearts. We’ve had countless dates, arguments, and rounds of all major holidays including the three-month gauntlet I have to go through to cover Christmas, his birthday, and Valentine’s Day all in a row. In all that time, I can firmly say without a hint of doubt that while we’ve grown together, we’ve also grown to understand what was really important when it came to maintaining a relationship. At least as much as humanly possible. In essence, love flourishes when trust, understanding, balance, compromise, and care are woven together to create a strong and resilient bond and I learned all that with Ethan by my side.


Students get 20% off at Bonchon.

By Isabella Bosso

Isabella is a junior Comics student at the School of Visual Arts and a self-described nerd shut-in. She grew up in Garfield, New Jersey and you can find her curled up with her dog playing the latest RPG with her boyfriend.


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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Love and Other Problems: The First Step

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

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The First Step

I hadn’t really planned for my life to go in this direction, though I guess I should have expected that, because life and expectation have a discrepancy. It’s not supposed to necessarily be a bad change, but my life now is a cutting contrast to when I used to sit in the dingy, dry cafe outside of school, gossiping in hushed tones with the soft faces I had known for years. Now I sit in aptly-sized and aesthetic cafes with their overpriced coffee, and notably alone. I never gave extensive thought to how things would change and how strange that would feel. Now sitting here as I am on my cold, marbled floor, surrounding me are unseeing strangers with lips stretched around unfamiliar smiles and roads and alleys I could take one step into and find myself lost even with every map in the world. 

In hindsight, I should have known that the thrill I felt to leave the place I had walked through for 18 years to go to college, would grow into the gnawing dread that had come to possess my lungs when I stepped foot in the airport the first time. The airport was like a limbo, the place people stopped to look through tall windows overlooking larger-than-life planes, looking at other people flying off to better or worse lives and wondering which one they’d belonged to. High school was a simpler time even if it had felt like university was the key to figuring everything out all at once. It had been the same people, same building and same structure for years, and though I felt like a dancer then, performing one routine over and over and ready to step out of the cradle of my stage, it was still a comfort. I didn’t think about how much of a comfort it really was until I started to feel the absence of my shiny rehearsed performance and polished stage floors and the faceless crowd cheering me on. 

One thing that had felt difficult in particular was love. Love in all its forms and with all its nuances felt more out of reach. Youthful love and hate and heartbreak and drama had existed in a buzzing sort of confinement, not dissimilar to an agitated bee hive, and had been easier to find and keep. Moving to another city and leaving it all behind just felt like it meant letting go of every attachment I had with my favorite restaurants, my favorite spots at my favorite time of day and my favorite people. It was strange because even the kids I never really liked were part of a constant I had stickily attached myself to, and being uprooted from that was disorienting. Of course I had been merrily packing my whole life and never thought about it, until I was at the end of a hastily written chapter and facing my two best friends who seemed a grave sort of upset to my eerie calm. The moment I stepped through the gate and looked back at their weary faces, I knew we had taken our last picture together, smiling and heavy-hearted, because they would be moving soon as well. With that thought, I got through immigration blankly, a silent cacophony dancing in my head until I was at the gate, and then waited for my flight crying in the bathroom. 

And then I sent my friends pictures of me breaking down to poke fun at myself as some sort of odd, ludicrous way of coping. 

The flight overlooking my city

Perhaps it will get easier as I slowly integrate myself into the structure of this new community and the challenges and new comfort it brings. Maybe there will always be a part of me that will miss the ease that came with knowing what to expect and being told what to do, and the unadorned confidence in the knowledge that the people around me would stay the same. I had time back then, to get to know these people. The time we thought about was never in the context of workload, it existed with simple routines and little choices. Back then, my routine and method in befriending or getting to know someone was entirely based on knowing when and where I would see them; and that usually just consisted of either class, lunch, or after school. Now, that range is broader, so broad I could never list out every place or time or possibility if I tried –– and it makes keeping someone a constant harder, because one day you may see them regularly, but then the semester is over and you don’t have the chance again. Both of you forget about each other. 

I recall going through notes for my chinese exam in a line at the Starbucks inside university during my first semester, and a tall, soft-eyed guy had struck a conversation with me on the course. It was a nice conversation, until afterwards when I had gotten my drink and walked to my table and promptly realized I forgot to ever get a name or anything, and being as bad with faces as I was (am), I knew I could be found looking him right in the eye and not have a lick of recognition. If this was school, I could ask anyone about who that was (because everyone knew everyone) and strike an easy friendship. Mildly disappointed, I had huffed and sat down, sipping miserably on my overly sweet frappe. Tough luck. 

NYU Campus at Abu Dhabi

Since I realized how hard it was to keep in touch with people, and realizing how little people liked to follow routines, never being able to make friends or getting close enough to someone to love them has gradually grown into a crawling fear. Love, in all its forms of romantic and platonic and everything in between, suddenly wasn’t so simple. It was a challenge, a challenge I wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with. I was prepared to adjust to homesickness, to the difficulty that accompanied high-level academia, but I didn’t think love would be something that I found difficulty in. It had always come so easily to me. 

I understand that love as a concept is complicated –– like the life that I shouldn’t expect to keep to a routine, love is like tides refusing to bow to the pull of the moon; rebellious, exhilarating and unpredictable. I thought it was something that would easily fall into place, that it would find me as easily as it did before, but I felt lost when it didn’t. But, as I knew about the discrepancy between life and expectation, I should have known of the discrepancy between love and it too. Love in all its appearances has been unexpectedly hard but taking control of it has been the solution that I have discovered. Leaving love up to fate does not seem to be the answer, so I am taking love out of fate’s palms and trying to do the best I can with it in every way available to me.

Like I used to have good food with my friends at cafes and restaurants, you can use this coupon to do the same and save money with a student coupon at the same time:



Mahrukh Shaikh is a student at New York University studying Business and Finance with a Marketing concentration. She has been writing and creating literature for years and is fond of various artistic mediums and social issues.


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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Rules of Dating

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

Hookup culture is more prevalent than ever, and more bound to happen than conventional dating on a college campus. Dating is difficult because it’s hard to find someone who is on the same page as you. Students are more comfortable and familiar with the act of hooking up because it lacks the etiquette of traditional dating. Hooking up is designed to be a more casual activity in which there’s more comfort, and society has gotten acclimated to it. A genuine date involves only two individuals that are attracted to each other, nobody else should be a part of it. It’s important to come up with at least 3 questions prior to setting up a date. The point of this is to sustain a conversation and get to know one another on a deeper level. It’s advised that one should be diligent in regards to questions, because asking countless questions will probably lead to an interview or interrogation rather than a date. If someone doesn’t make time or effort to see you, then continue to proceed with the next one to avoid wasting time and being emotionally attached to one person. The objective of going on dates is to understand if both parties are compatible and could see a future together. In addition, attending multiple dates with the same person is like an experiment to progress further and see if the next step should be taken. Just like rankings, there are levels to dating which are a series of sequential steps that form the foundation of a relationship.

Stage 1: You’re permitted to go on countless dates with different people to see who is the right fit and worth dating. This part of the process can be defined as trial and error by selecting potential partners and weeding out those not worth your time and attention. The date must be in person, under 90 minutes, and with no physical interaction or intimacy. If you’re proposing the date then you should take charge and cover the cost, and don’t forget to have three to four questions in mind prepared. A level one date allows you to explore others’ personalities, their preferences and dislikes, who they really are, and helps you to decide if you want to pursue a relationship with that person.

Stage 2:  Now that you’re on the path of dating you can take baby steps to proceed, but this doesn’t have to be real relationship work. Once you are dating someone then there shouldn’t be any sense of uncertainty as to whether your partner likes you. I mean obviously your partner likes you, otherwise there wouldn’t be a romantic relationship in the first place unless you’re being manipulated or cheated on. This stage also conveys exclusivity, which implies that you’re concentrating on only one person and having sexual affairs. 

Stage 3: After you complete the first two stages, you should be capable of laying the groundwork for what’s next. By this phase, you should be emotionally invested in your partner and schedule time to hold long and important conversations. Have a timeline of where you would like to be, and see if it aligns and meshes well with your significant other. For example, get in the habit of chatting about marriage, family, and moving in together. Jumping too quickly to this portion of the relationship will inevitably lead to a skewed partnership which will end up in a big predicament.

https://www.datingadvice.com/advice/the-dating-rules

Following the guidelines above will put you in a safer position in the dating realm, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Technology has changed the way we communicate; more chats occur online than in person. We’ve grown so attached to our devices that sometimes we deem online messaging to be more conventional and less awkward than in person exchanges. A good deal of people fear the idea of a relationship because of the commitment aspect and sacrifices. It would be preposterous to not believe that everyone prefers an attractive person when it comes to romance. However, it’s probable that you can develop feelings for someone who you may not be initially attracted to once you really begin to see their character. You’d be astonished to see how many failed and toxic relationships break out as a result of just dating off of physical appearance alone; it’s crucial to recognize one’s ideology and what they can project to the world aside from their beauty.

I admit that dating can be frightening for a variety of reasons like rejection and vulnerability. Even so, you should perceive this as a driving force to help you put the idea of dating into practice, to explore new territory and get you out of your comfort zone. There’s no telling what new heights you can reach if you just take the chance because it’s either now or never!

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By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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 Good & Bad Relationship

Tuesday, February 16th, 2021

We can all agree that the idea of a relationship sounds fun and intriguing, but what about the negative side of it? Not only have I seen high quality partnerships, but also toxic relationships– both in real life and online. I understand that people begin the love journey on good terms because they’re genuinely infatuated with one another and can visualize a future together. However, that equal level of attraction and commitment is subject to change; one person could grow more distant or display overbearing deeds, in fact it may be both parties corrupting the relationship. It’s important to keep a couple of points in mind to distinguish between a toxic relationship and a normal relationship. For example, if there are a few disagreements or altercations from time to time then that’s perfectly fine and not much to worry about. We’re all going to encounter conflict eventually, which is part of life and the solution to this is communication with your partner. A stable and beautiful relationship is what we’re all striving for and it takes a great deal of diligence to accomplish that. In the grand scheme of things, note that the quality of one’s relationship is a reflection of their life. 


Oftentimes, we idealize love as the center of happiness and pleasure but don’t see the depths of it. What we don’t know for certain is that the person on the inside matches up with how people see you on the outside, meaning that a whole new persona can be spawned in a different setting. What I mean is that someone could be compassionate and sweet at home, but be the total opposite outdoors through impudent behavior. If you witness something out of the ordinary then please stay on your guard and try to remedy the circumstances, take action before it’s too late. An extensive study with a duration of 12.2 years deduced that those in toxic relationships are more prone to heart problems than counterparts whose relationships are blossoming. I can only provide you with guidelines and insight on what an excellent relationship looks like and the type of relationship you should escape from. Nevertheless, I can’t decide what works best for you as you’ll have to take responsibility and rely on your own judgement.

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/11-signs-relationship-well-even-dont-feel-like/

Signs of a Good Relationship

  • Exchange of Positivity: Having a positive outlook in life goes a long way in creating success; as such, you’ll be able to draw more attention and find new opportunities. Producing that same type of energy will make your significant other feel more special and appreciated. For instance, you can praise them by expressing how much they mean to you. As humans, we seek validation and this applies to your significant other as well so try to brighten up their day.
  • Trust & Support: The structure of a good relationship stems from being able to trust each other and having each other’s back. Your partner should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and be open to having conversations even if the topic may be sensitive. When you let your walls down, it’s okay to exhibit a vulnerable side of you since the level of love and reverence is mutual. 
  • Affection: It’s crucial to be open to intimacy, they’re fundamental to a romantic relationship. Whether it be physical intimacy or sexual intimacy, the aspect of touching one another is an emblem of the fondness you have for them; they’re all topics that you’ll eventually have to dive into if you wish to sustain the relationship. What’s more is that physical touch is actually one of the five love languages. It doesn’t have to be the sexiest thing in the world, but please give them hugs, hold their hand, kiss them, and put your hand on their shoulder. I’m not implying that PDA is the goal here, but just be considerate and know your timing if you’re surrounded by crowds of people.

Red Flags

  • Secrecy: Now you don’t have to inform your partner everything that happens in your day, what I’m alluding to here is deception. Actions such as lying and attempting to cover up a story will inevitably impair your relationship and lead to a big debacle. For instance, if you suspect that your partner is being protective of her phone or computer then there’s obviously something wrong. Cheating on your boyfriend or girlfriend is very common in society and it’s all the more reason to keep a vigilant eye when something seems peculiar.
  • One-sided & skewed: A relationship comprises two individuals who choose to walk life together and enjoy each other’s company. If one person is making it all about themself while neglecting the other’s wants then walk the other way because it’s called being egotistical, where’s the mutual respect in this? There should be a sense of compromise, one party benefiting over the other isn’t going to work. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you because it’s unethical and you deserve a whole lot better! 
  • Physical & Emotional Abuse: The thought of being tormented can put you in a dark hell if you don’t find an exit. If you believe your partner is deliberately hurting you mentally or physically, be assertive and stay on your toes and I’d say to get as far away as possible and inform authorities; don’t give them the benefit of the doubt and be remorseful if he or she attempts to justify their behavior. Physical acts of violence include choking, pushing, and anything that inflicts damage to you. Meanwhile, emotional abuse can take shape verbally through humiliation, ultimatums, coercion, and more.

Click below to get access to and redeem all Campus Clipper Coupons; coupons are updated weekly


By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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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College & Campus Life

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

The majority of us choose to follow our dreams and pursue a college education after secondary school in the hopes of earning a degree. The first few ideas that I think of whenever I hear about college are fraternities, football games, and pulling all-nighters to study. College students like myself are so focused on building a network, having a social life, and working to boost our GPA that the concept of love gets tossed aside. I am aware that school isn’t the most ideal or feasible option to find a romantic partner, but there are still other approaches to go about it. I rarely ever see couples roaming around campus and flirting with each other since I’ve started college back in 2018; it’s almost as if there’s zero compatibility in a university composed of thousands of students. In a school like the Fashion Institute of Technology where the female population far exceeds the number of males, it becomes a tougher situation due to the unbalanced ratio but the scenario remains the same at traditional schools. 

In the modern world we live in today, there is a greater range of activities to take part in that keep us occupied for most of the day. For example, there is no question that a good fraction of us spend the day glancing at social media such as Instagram and TikTok and exploring parts of a renowned city like New York City. Another equally important aspect that makes romance less of a priority is the set of notions that millennials have embedded in their minds; millennials like myself are attempting to enhance their lives by building our image and refining ourselves both internally and externally. At least 81% of young people embraced being single and were more open to new opportunities. Moreover, we are thrilled with following a timeline that keeps us in check to carry out our duties prior to settling down. As such, I wish to attain a master’s degree and launch my own business before starting a family. All of these goals that we impose on ourselves encompass the idea of self love; from the media and different platforms, it’s important  to love ourselves wholeheartedly so we can be the best version of ourselves, as cliche as it may sound. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the constant presence of the internet lets us do almost anything online. What I’m alluding to is the prominence of online dating which includes applications such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. Nowadays, people don’t really have leisure time to meet people in a social setting given a location like New York City is constantly busy and moving. Convenience makes dating apps a great tool for college students; one can simply jump on the app at any time and swipe left or right until he or she can find someone compatible to connect with. The drawback to these apps is that not everyone is on  there for the same reasons, meaning this isn’t as magical as it might seem. A plethora of students make an account to seek validation, promote their social media, and have one night stands which obviously negate the purpose of a relationship. It’s an arduous task to either begin or perpetuate a romantic relationship while you’re in college in addition to the idea that many are satisfied with being single.

https://thecroutongt.com/blog/2017/4/13/he-swiped-me-into-the-dining-hall-10-tips-for-dating-in-college

College Dating Takeaways:

Overwhelming – Students attend university with the objective of obtaining a degree, it isn’t a freebie or a walk in the park. The agenda for the most part is to attend classes and set sufficient time to study. If you’re coming in with the sole intention of picking up a significant other then you better prepare yourself for disappointment. 

Risk – Don’t spend too much time pondering about love, some will get lucky while others might struggle a bit. If you’re going to put yourself on the internet then you should learn what makes an intriguing profile or else you’re not going to receive any positive results. Trust your intuition and make astute decisions to preclude users with wrong intentions and getting catfished. 


Let it Flow – It’s not impossible to discover a love story in school, the key point here is to keep things natural. Don’t force yourself to be in a partnership with anyone or else nothing will go according to plan. If you develop strong feelings for someone and see potential in them then take a leap of faith. Perhaps take your date out to a fancy restaurant with Campus Clipper coupons like the one below! Click here to view the coupon and make sure to go to the Campus Clipper website for more savings.

You can access and redeem all of our current student coupons here:


By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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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Is Love Worth It?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

Life can feel like a mysterious puzzle with pieces waiting to be discovered and placed together. Some believe that our destiny is handed to us at the time of our birth, but do we really know that for sure? It is an innate part of human life to yearn for affection, validation and pleasure. We often pause and reflect to wonder if we’re supposed to live life alone, scary as it may sound. Or should we invest time towards finding a partner to maximize what life has to offer like romance? Love is a subjective term, the general consensus is that love takes form when one feels a profound level of attentiveness, care, and contentment towards another person. Love doesn’t have to necessarily be sexual since it can also manifest in a platonic manner to highlight a powerful friendship. With that being said, it’s solely up to an individual to decide whether he or she desires a partner regardless of their sexual orientation. It’s also crucial to keep in mind that relationships don’t always work out and that’s perfectly normal, there are plenty of potential soulmates out there. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea. What many tend to forget is that not having a partner at a certain timeframe or age is justifiable, there’s no reason to be ashamed of it. Truth be told, some may have no adversities capturing love while others are trapped in a cycle of feeling frustrated because of attributes like appearance, personality, or even lack of experience. As unsettling as it might sound, the dating scene is an aggressive competition that requires effort; the objective is to market yourself as a suitable and worthy candidate to the best of your abilities. At the end of the day, it’s imperative that you know your worth and not be anybody’s second choice; a forced partnership isn’t going to do any favors as well, it’s as awful as a fake smile.

https://dating.lovetoknow.com/Loving_Couples

Click below to get access to and redeem all Campus Clipper Coupons; coupons are updated weekly

By: Alex Huang

Alex is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology majoring in Advertising & Marketing Communications. He used to major in psychology because he didn’t know what to do with his life and now wants to be in the business world. He gets distracted easily by all of the pretty girls in New York City and hopes to become a PR or Marketing manager someday. One of his favorite things to do is going out for bubble tea.

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 Gift of Listening

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

The gift of listening is a power that revolves among us human beings on this earth, it is vital to living and may be considered a scare trait. According to Merriam Webster the term “listen” points out specific keywords. Such as, “pay attention”, “give consideration”, and “be alert”. Listening is a skill and is often unexplored territory that despite our sense of hearing it requires wisdom. It requires wisdom because it involves concentration, effort and the ability to distinguish hearing and listening. Listening is more than a trait, it is a process that is filtered because we often choose what we want to hear and what we cancel out. We also forget that with listening comes feeling connected with one another, spiritually, physically and mentally because we are sharing a healthy space, that makes it important to understand each other. 

The Muse, “Improve Your Conversational Skills in 4 Easy Steps” https://www.inc.com/the-muse/4-ways-you-can-become-a-better-conversationalist.html Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

In spite of our noisy and distracting surroundings, it encourages us to be patient and silent. When you’re silent, you are able to grasp more information, be more observant, and it allows you to learn about who you are. Therefore, we should all want to improve our listening skills with some effort and practice. As it benefits you in the long run and possibly could strengthen your relationships with not only others but also with yourself. Listening is very crucial to being successful. For instance, during a job interview, you must listen closely to the questions in order to give effective answers or during a job training process. In 2019, I acquired my first retail job in the industry at Uniqlo. As a Sales Associate providing customer service, accomplishing floor layouts, also following and listening to instructions got me promoted to an Advanced Associate, after three months. A co-worker once advised me, “don’t work hard, work smart” which could be interpreted from different perspectives. In my understanding, I apply this to my work ethic and in my leadership skills. In other words, working hard is part of what got me promoted but it wasn’t entirely the reason for my promotion. The ability to listen to my manager’s delegation of tasks, listen to the feedback, and comprehend what was expected of my work allowed me to build confidence. Responding to constructive criticism and being assertive through engaging positively with my team members made me have a positive attitude. Listening plays a major role in creating a safe culture and environment because when your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are being taken into consideration it makes you feel involved. 

Furthermore, listening is far more than being a good leader but it is also about building worthy relationships and being a wise person. Being a good listener to a friend or your next-door neighbor may not be a big deal for you, but to the other party, it could mean healing and being valued. It may be known as venting but it creates a safe and welcoming atmosphere with someone else that could possibly be in the same shoes as you once were. When you listen to someone it creates a bond between you and the person, a special connection that engages just you and the other, out of the billions of people on this planet earth. Listening to your significant others helps with your own personal development, it doesn’t have to be career-wise but it can also help with your own healing, learning, and communication skills. Sometimes, this world needs more empathy, respect and to be more caring. It is important to be that change and to give your undivided attention as you’d like to be given. Are you a good listener? 

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By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

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 Power of Listening

Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

The world continues to change daily and rapidly, it is evolving everyday. As human beings we are shaping our own evolution, constantly changing our present and future. Through all of these advancements and technological improvements, our lives are often facilitated and our surroundings are much noisier. It can be difficult to maintain the practice of listening, and lose these skills. If we lose the art of listening, then we also lose or diminish our communication skills, which can affect our personal and professional life. It is important to be an effective listener, and to pay attention to the world as a whole.

In today’s society, we’ve grown more impatient and more appreciative of effortless things. Amazon, the innovative company that has shifted the e-commerce industry, offers a “Prime membership” that enables you to easily receive a package within a day or two, people are willing to pay more for a faster delivery service. Even when it comes to listening it is easy to daze off or filter the information we choose to retain. Especially when we are all busy fulfilling our daily duties and responsibilities, it is often convenient to keep everything short and straightforward rather than putting in the effort to listen and empathize with the speaker. 

By the early 1900’s a video camera was invented by John Logie Baird, who knew that camera’s would turn the world upside down (BBC, 29 September 2015). Nowadays, it is very easy to record everything. It is the beauty of being able to capture and relive everything taken on a camera lens. As a student myself, I rely on screenshots or photos of any class notes to help capture the information I couldn’t carefully listen to. However, it affects our listening skills because we no longer feel the need to be attentive and listen as recording content is available during any day or time. We are focusing on what these technological advancements can do for us versus the benefits that being an effective listener can bring to our development. 

We’ve become immersed in our own world, that most of the time our headphones are the answer to escaping our reality. It’s made us lose the connections amongst others, and we’ve also lost the ability to connect through sharing our ideas, experiences, and aspirations with one another. Conversation is no longer prominent if headphones serve as a refuge. Furthermore, it is negatively impacting the ability to be physically present and embrace the sounds of life. 

Being an effective listener is a gift that offers more than hearing the bird chips or our morning alarms, it is a set of skills that can bring prosperity, strengthen relationships and help us be more comprehensive in such a hectic world. Being a good listener also allows us to listen to ourselves, it gives us the opportunity to listen to our mind, body, and soul for a road to happiness. Establish wellness with yourself to be able to listen and care for others first. The act of caring is just as powerful as listening to your significant other, express themselves.

How to make yourself a priority (self-care):

Bera, Maggie “10 Easy Self Care Tips For Actors” https://www.actoraesthetic.com/blog/self-care. Accessed 12 November 2020.
  • Turn off your phone. Most of the time the first thing you do as soon as you wake up in the morning is check your phone. Now you’ll have to “unplug” to distress from your emails, notifications and buzzing that only make you overwhelmed. Try to set a schedule for yourself. For example, stay off your phone thirty minutes prior to bed or manage your screen time on the screen time tab in your settings for most iPhone users. If necessary, put your phone on airplane mode, focus on breathing and take a break!
  • Treat yourself to dinner. Food can be classified as an event, and we can make it memorable if we make it. During a stressful moment food can truly be our best friend, we don’t have to make dinner a “friends night” it can be a night to treat your cravings and watch Netflix, treasuring your own company. 

How to take care of others:

Uknown, “Self Care takes a Community, say mental health experts” https://www.folio.ca/self-care-takes-a-community-say-mental-health-experts/. Accessed 12 November 2020.
  • Reach out. Most of the time we aren’t aware of what our friends or next-door neighbors are going through, ask the person next to you “are you okay?”. Reassure them that you’re there to listen, stay connected with your friends and family.
  • Be present. Often many may experience financial problems, however, being present for someone doesn’t always necessarily mean being there financially. It could also mean helping someone study for their test, encouraging someone to achieve their goals, celebrating a birthday, or even offering them a ride home are all acts of care. 

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


By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

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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Why food is a love language

Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

Growing up, I understood food as a love language. 

Dr. Gary Chapman describes a “love language” as the way we feel loved and appreciated. I love food — I think putting two things together that taste good to create another thing that tastes even better is the best thing humankind has accomplished besides literature and art. I would jump in front of a train for the guy who delivers my Chinese takeout every Friday Night; I think the guy who works the Halal cart in front of my apartment is my best friend, even though he does not know my name, who I am, or any of my interests outside of the food he makes every day. 

My parents love food. At the supermarket near my house, my mom would wink at me and say “don’t let me buy too many” as she raided the bakery in the dessert aisle. She would bring steaks home for my dad to cook, and he would pour a generous amount of cooking wine in the skillet before he fried them up, seasoning them with an almost careless amount of garlic, sesame oil, and peppers.

My mom loved my grandma’s cooking the most: my grandma would cook all my favorite dishes before I came home from school, and my mom would pick away at them without her looking. My grandma would gently smack her hand away from the food, shaking her head and smiling: “Those aren’t for you.”

My family also used food as a love language. When I was nervous before a big test, my grandma would cook for me so I “had enough energy to think.” Before I left for college, my parents cooked meals that stacked all the way until the end of the dinner table, and we laughed over tofu, fish, and dumplings until I had to board my flight. 

Why food is a love language
Without fail, at the end of every grocery round, my mom would make me an ancient, traditional Chinese dish called “ke le ji,” or “Coca-Cola Chicken,” which, if you guessed is just chicken marinated in Coca-Cola, you’d be correct. It’s delicious.

As college students, we come up with a lot of fun tricks to scrimp around meals. Personally, I am a fan of waking up at 1 pm so I don’t have to make or pay for breakfast. I’ve been with friends who study so hard they forget to eat dinner. I’ve seen my friends skip out on meals for a day or two before a date.

As a country, we have an unhealthy relationship with food. The University of Michigan Health System released a study correlating poverty, income inequality with higher rates of obesity. And while bulimia and anorexia are the most identifiable eating disorders, a survey released by the Eating Disorders Coalition revealed that at least one in every 10 Americans struggles with disordered eating: whether that be dieting, skipping meals, over-restricting certain food groups like protein versus fats and carbohydrates, or using poorly tested dietary supplements to control weight. 

Our conversations surrounding food cannot exist without discussions about affordability, body, beauty, and consumerism, and how our obsession with food as a form of control has obscured one very simple fact: we need food to survive. 

Food is a labor of love: countless times my roommates have made dinner for me without me even asking. When my friend was having a bad day, I made sure to stop by a sandwich shop before going to her apartment so she’d at least have something to eat. 

There is also the fact that I was a complete mess for most of my college career until I finally understood how to start cooking for myself, to discover it wasn’t this horrible, unthinkable task my brain tricked me into thinking it was. 

Food is a love language because we need it to survive. 

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


By: Jessica Xing

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

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

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

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Love, or Lust?

Saturday, August 10th, 2019

For the longest time I thought I loved him. I thought I loved this person who treated me as if I was some toy he could play with whenever it pleased him. I let him treat me this way for a majority of our “non-relationship.” I was aware of everything he was doing but I continued to go back to him. I am not blaming myself for how he treated me. In the moment I thought I loved him, when it is clear that it was fully lust. I will admit, that even in those moments when we “weren’t together” — if we can even call it that — and I would daydream about the good times we shared, I mostly thought about sleeping with him. As hard as it is to hear from even myself, I craved him for one reason and one reason only: sex. It took me about a full year to recognize that all my feelings I had felt towards him, were completely and utterly lust. Yes I cared about him and deep down I will always care about him because that is just who I am. But as I sit here and think about the time we spent together sophomore year, I realize that there was never any real substance to our conversations; they consisted of flirting and bantering back and forth; they consisted of me expressing my feelings and fighting with him because he clearly didn’t feel the same but pretended to. At the time, it was entertaining and fun and he was all I thought about. The lust blinded me. It is not love when you have to defend someone’s actions to your friends; it is not love when you feel guilty even seeing him — having to hide it from everyone you know; and it is not love when you have to question whether or not the connection you have with him is real. 

No one should blame themselves in a situation like this. He was a liar and a manipulator and I fell for it. He took advantage of my feelings and didn’t have a problem with it. Yes he was cruel and unfair, but I fell in lust with him and that was a huge factor in the demise of our “non-relationship.” I had never felt this type of easy going, comfortable connection with anyone else before. The way he smiled at me, the way he laughed with me, and the way he cuddled me was different. I’m sure now, that he acted this way with every girl he was with but I convinced myself that he treated me differently. He would tell me that I’m different. He would tell me that he cared about me a lot — and I am sure that was partly true. For someone to string another person along throughout a seven month period and not care for the other person at all seems inhumane to me. So I do believe he cared for me; but I just believe he did not know what to do with that. He was not in a place to accept the feelings he was having and frankly, neither was I. 


By Hannah Sternberg

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

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

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

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