The Center for Student Life Provides a Warm Welcome to NYU

NYU Welcome, the center’s signature series of orientation events, offers a variety of programs to help students find their place on campus. Class-wide events, like The Reality Show: NYU, a beloved musical sketch comedy written and performed by students and alumni, provide an overview of the full NYU experience. At the same time, intimate gatherings, like themed hangouts, offer space to build meaningful connections with peers.

“NYU Welcome events can range widely. We host everything from Wasserman Center for Career Development résumé writing workshops to Bob Ross paint nights,” says Tava M. Bingham. She’s the executive director of the Center for Student Life. “So there’s really something for everyone, whether you want to go to a large dance or you want to be in a more intimate setting where you can have deeper conversations with your peers.” Offered in both September and January, NYU Welcome helps students adjust to life at the University. Additionally, they can learn all about NYU’s academic and social resources while connecting with peers at fun events.

Still, Bingham emphasizes, students need to know that the Center for Student Life is here for them any day of the year. As a result, they shouldn’t put too much pressure on that first week at NYU. “I think there’s a perception that students need to go to everything. They even need to meet their best friend during their first week. And that can be a lot of pressure! It can make the week more high stakes than enjoyable,” she says. “It’s OK if you go to a bunch of events and you don’t connect with anyone. While this is an opportunity to welcome our students in, it doesn’t end there. At the center we make sure to provide programming and engagement opportunities throughout your entire time at NYU.”

“Take advantage of all NYU has to offer you. Connect with your professors and introduce yourself to the person next to you in class. Be kind to yourself, and take a moment to celebrate your achievement in just being at this really special place. This time is truly what you make of it.” —Tava M. Bingham, executive director of the Center for Student Life

Throughout the year, the Center for Student Life provides numerous services to help students navigate the University. Partnering with schools and offices across NYU, it acts as a hub for students, connecting them with clubs, events, and other opportunities. In fact, the center sponsors hundreds of university-wide clubs, curates local and global service experiences, and hosts multiple student events almost every day of the year. “College is the beginning of a new phase of life for some. For others, it’s a period of transition,” advises Bingham. “Take advantage of all NYU has to offer you. Connect with your professors and introduce yourself to the person next to you in class. Be kind to yourself, and take a moment to celebrate your achievement in just being at this really special place. This time is truly what you make of it.”

For students hoping to make the most of their time at NYU, there’s no better place to start than the Center for Student Life.