Three Things I Wish I Had Known About Residential Life at NYU

From the second I got on campus, there was so much for me to do through NYU Residential Life (ResLife)! Resident assistants, faculty fellows in residence, and many others involved in ResLife host events. During my first semester at NYU, I attended 60 events hosted by my residence hall. And they were ALL FREE! What more could you want?!

Take a sneak peek at some of the many events offered by ResLife at NYU!

In addition to events, NYU Residential Life offers amazing professional development opportunities. As soon as your first semester at NYU, you could apply to your residence halls’s Hall Council and hold a leadership position. They offer positions such as president, director of events, director of advocacy, and more. This is an amazing opportunity to build leadership skills and you don’t even have to leave home!

You could also join the Inter-Residence Hall Council (IRHC). With the IRHC, you interact with all of the hall councils across NYU’s New York City campus and advocate for the almost 12,000 student residents. 

I enjoyed my first-year experience in ResLife so much, I applied to be a resident assistant (RA). An RA is a paraprofessional role, where you work directly with the residents on your floor as well as the building’s leadership team to promote community, belonging, and well-being. RAs host events and have one-on-one meetings with residents. As an RA, I love to host events where we try different foods in the neighborhoods near our resident hall. 

When you become an RA you also have the opportunity to join the RA Council. The council is a representative body of the RAs here on our campus. Additionally, they host events to bring the RA community together. 

NYU residence halls offer a ton of variety. NYU recognizes that one size does not fit all for its diverse student population on campus. As a result, each hall has something unique that might interest you! In our brand new Paulson Center, you have classroom and piano practice spaces easily at your disposal. If having the luxury of an en suite kitchen or dining hall in your building is something you desire, check out Third Avenue North!

It’s important to note that these are just a few examples. So, make sure to do your research in order to get the most out of your residential life experience at NYU!

As my four years at NYU wrap up, so does my time with residential life. I am really grateful to have been able to take advantage of opportunities through ResLife. Not only was I able to build community from my first day on campus, I was also able to gain professional and leadership skills.

All in all, NYU ResLife gave me access to the opportunities that ultimately helped New York City feel like and become home for me!