It’s no secret that NYU attracts some of the wealthiest students from across the country and around the world. We are situated in one of the best cities in the world, but also one of the most expensive. But not everyone has the same spending power, and this truth becomes increasingly evident over the course of your time at school.
It starts small, perhaps with choosing a place to eat between classes. Sure, I can drop $10 on a salad bowl once in awhile. Girl’s gotta eat, right? And then comes the choice of coffee place. Dunkin’ or Starbucks? Starbucks or a local coffee shop? You can find yourself paying between $3 to $5+ for a cup of coffee, which doesn’t seem like a lot until you start going every morning.
If you’re a freshman, you’re definitely on the meal plan, but do you actually use it or do you succumb to going out for dinner and dropping by MacDougal for Artichoke pizza and Insomnia Cookies? Some students can only afford to eat what their meal plan provides them, while others neglect their meal plan altogether and settle for eating out more often than not.
What about where you decide to go for Spring Break? Many students will decide to take a trip with their friends instead of going home. These trips can range from going to Puerto Rico for the whole week to just spending a few days together at someone’s home. Both are probably quite enjoyable, but they occur at different price points. And there are few things which feel as awful as thinking “I can’t spend time with my friends because I can’t afford it.”
The convenient location of NYU gives us access to go shopping quite often. We are situated near Broadway and Soho, both of which offer designer stores and some more financially accessible stores.
A few weeks ago, I saw a girl lugging a few shopping bags from Prada, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton. Must be nice not to have to cringe at anything above $15-$20 for a sweater. Over-the-knee suede boots have become *the* thing to have in your closet over the past year, but while some are willing to drop $800 on them, some of us will (read: have to) settle for boots a fraction of that price.
Additionally, getting homesick is not an option for international students and those who live more than a car or train ride away from home. How often do you go home? I don’t go home more than once a month because the $35 round trip seems too expensive to me. However, some of my friends can afford to fly home multiple times throughout the semester. This is the definition of true luxury.
Last year, I attended a TEDx event where they spoke about donating food to students who were struggling to pay for meals and school. I vividly remember one girl sharing the fact that her family sent her to NYU in spite of financial hardship, and sometimes when she goes home, she doesn’t know whether there will be dinner that night or not. How do we go to a school where some kids can fly first class and never repeat an outfit, while others barely scrape by?
I’m lucky enough to be somewhat in the middle of that scale. I can afford some luxuries (and an education from NYU is one of them) but I have to forego some others (like Spring Break on an island). The most important thing to take away from this is that people should always be mindful of others’ financial statuses. Never make someone feel bad for not being able to spend the money, and respect their monetary decisions. Saying “it’s only $XX!” can be seen as offensive, especially if you don’t know what someone else is going through financially.
Studying abroad in London this semester opened my eyes to these realities even more than my first year at NYU. Many students choose to travel around Europe during their semester abroad, which is when many financial disparities become apparent.
Do we get to Paris via overnight bus, budget-airline, or a nice flight? Are we staying in a hostel, Airbnb, or a hotel? Walk or Uber? As the expenses rack up, arguments are bound to break out because some people just aren’t sensitive to others’ situations. While you might be fine staying in a nice hotel and taking a taxi everywhere, others might be having a hard time just paying tuition and affording groceries every week.
Money is a very sensitive subject, and I urge you to always be mindful when making comments about how much something costs or suggesting what to do on a night out. Have fun, of course, but be considerate of what others are going through and never assume that they are willing to spend as much as you are on any given thing.
