New York, You’re My Favorite Classroom

You can learn so many lessons, just by sitting in Washington Square Park and people watching. In only 10 minutes you can learn microcosmic lessons in humanity from adaptability to coexistence to reinvention. You learn how people are able to navigate space together, how so many communities gather, and how strangers can share moments, without ever saying a word. 

There are also the most unexpected “side quests” you can do living in NYC! You can just randomly see a Jimmy Fallon taping on a random Tuesday, or go with your friends to The Met!

New York constantly pushes you to stay curious and always say yes to things you didn’t plan. You learn so much about flexibility, time management, and how to navigate this complicated world!

One of the things that surprised me the first year I was at NYU, was how much I learned outside of the classrooms. Yes, I learned Stage Management in my Stagecraft class, but also got to go backstage and shadow five stage managers on Broadway! Seeing how a show at that scale runs, and getting that hands-on experience completely reframed how I look at production.

One of the great things about the professors at NYU, is that they are still constantly working in their field. Just recently, I went to see my Lighting Design Professors Off-Broadway show, and then we discussed the choices she made in class. Similarly, last semester I went to see my Acting teacher in her Off-Broadway show the same day I took her class. They are not just faculty in the classroom, but really willing to share their outside world with you. Also, being an NYU student means you constantly get free tickets to Broadway shows, movies, concerts, and museums, so you are constantly surrounded by art, and how can you not learn from that?

But in addition to all the amazing faculty, I have learned equally as much from the community of students here. I have found myself able to try so many new things and be part of so many clubs and organizations that challenge me in ways I didn’t suspect. With NYU having the most international students of any University in the country, my peers bring perspectives from all over the world and constantly push me out of my comfort zone. 

Even the most “boring” parts of being a college student in the city, (grocery shopping, going on the subways, budgeting, etc), have taught me real world skills and taught me how to advocate for myself and handle the world of unpredictability with confidence! You are thrown into the “adult lifestyle”, but you have such a support system at NYU to help you. 

All in all, being a college student in New York has taught me just as much as NYU. It is a city that pushes you, surprises you, shapes you, and stretches you to your limit, but in all of that, it is so easy to find your sense of home.

New York isn’t just where I go to school. It’s my teacher, my playground, and my favorite classroom.