Almost ten years ago, little old me visited New York City, and that’s when I fell in love for the first time. Now, you might be wondering why I’m talking about love in an article about college. Well, in the corniest way possible, I love to joke that NYU has been my first true love. During that first trip, I walked around campus holding my American Girl doll, thinking to myself, “This is where I’m going for college!” And what was my incredibly solid reasoning? NYU’s school color, Violet, just so happened to be my favorite color.
Looking back, it’s funny how a favorite color led to something so life-changing. Of course, my reasons for loving my purple school have evolved a lot since then. Once I officially became a Violet, I quickly learned that NYU was so much more than its iconic purple banners and cityscape views. Reflecting back on my time here, there are so many different things that have shaped me into the person I am today.
Academics
Academically, NYU has pushed me in ways I never expected. Every class that I’ve taken, and project that I’ve completed has helped me learn so much and expand my career goals and aspirations. One pivotal moment that really cemented my belief that this was where I was meant to be was when I won an award my first year for creating a tele-health app, and that small win truly affirmed my feelings that this was where I belonged. My classes have challenged me to think critically, communicate clearly, and explore paths I hadn’t considered before.
Finding my community!
Although I knew NYU was the place for me, I initially struggled with finding my community, and that is when I joined the Admissions Ambassadors program. One of my earliest and most fond memories in the program was my first Weekend on the Square (WOTS), helping admitted students figure out if my dream school was theirs was a very fun experience. It was also through this program that and my first WOTS that I met my now best friend Liv.
Through my friendship with my roommates I was also able to find other experiences like my internship with NYU Housing, and these experiences taught me a lot about professionalism, and time management. But more than that, they helped me find my people, and I slowly built a community that made this big city feel a little smaller, and a lot more like home.
The city...
Being on a campus that’s truly woven into the city itself, it would feel incomplete to talk about my NYU experience without mentioning just how much New York has shaped me. Living here has taught me countless invaluable lessons like how to be independent, adaptable, and resilient. From navigating the subway (and getting lost trying to navigate the subway), to learning how to walk at a true New York pace, I’ve figured out how to find calm in the chaos.
The city has also inspired me to dream big and explore. I’ve had so many unforgettable adventures here, from attending an SNL taping to seeing the Eras Tour, and each one has brought me pure joy. For me, it will always be New York or nowhere!
From chasing academic goals and building a professional foundation, to forming lifelong friendships and falling in love with a city that never sleeps, every moment has mattered. NYU gave me the space to grow, the people to grow with, and the challenges to grow through. It’s hard to sum up a journey this full in just a few paragraphs, but if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: little old me was right all those years ago. NYU really was the place for me, go Violets!
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