"Coming to NYU from halfway across the world taught me more than any class could. From managing burnout to building routines and adjusting to college in NYC, my NYU student experience challenged me in ways I never expected.

I thought being prepared meant having all the answers before I arrived. I spent hours researching dorm life, campus maps and planning which clubs to join. But no amount of preparation could have readied me for the reality of actually living it. When I arrived, I thought I was prepared. (spoiler: I was not)

The lessons you will read here didn’t come from lecture halls or textbooks. They came from small victories and real challenges, from moments when New York felt impossibly big and moments when it finally started to feel like mine. Here are three treal things I wish I knew before coming to NYU – not polished guidebook advice for NYU students, but real, messy lessons learned through trial, error and more caffeine than I’d like to admit."

Head to the link in our bio for three life-changing lessons from current @nyucas student Daria!

Masha Shramko has always loved observing and creating art. Growing up in Ukraine, she even had her own work displayed in exhibitions. But art was never something she considered pursuing in college—in fact, she went to NYU Shanghai determined to study finance. It wasn’t until she took a two-credit Experience Studio course on gallery management that her goals and passion for art began to converge.

Each week, students in the course visited galleries across Shanghai, where they heard from marketers, curators, and directors. “I found myself so passionate about what I was learning,” says Masha. “Getting this inside look into the functions of a gallery helped me realize this is what I want to do in life.” Soon after, Masha declared a major in Humanities with a concentration in art history, in addition to a second major in Interactive Media and Business.

Learn more about Masha`s @nyushanghai journey at the link in our bio.