Classes at CSI start in a short matter of weeks and the jaded juniors and seniors are dreading it.
To the incoming freshmen, however, this could be an exciting, happy time! They're finally getting their feet wet in the world of college life.
Like every other college, CSI has good and bad qualities. You need some inside information to help navigate the waters safely, and you might as well take it from someone who has been there, done that and graduated.
So here it is, the unofficial guide to survival for incoming CSI freshmen. This is by no means complete, and I'm sure other people have more tips then I do, but this should have your first semester running smoothly.
1. Don't rush on that parking pass.
If you already purchased the parking pass, (AKA a really shiny, expensive sticker) kudos to you for having your shit together before school even started. For the rest of the garbage students like myself that completely forget until the first day of classes, no need to panic. CSI gives a grace period of about two weeks. But be warned - once the two weeks are up, you will get a ticket for not having a pass.
2. Hold out on buying textbooks
This is going to sound counter productive, but hear me out. Plenty of classes require textbooks, and use them on a near daily basis. There are also plenty of classes that require the textbook, use it for one day and then never refer back to it again. The problem is, students can never figure out which way the class is going until two weeks in, when they've already spent $200+ on the damn book anyway. Do yourself and your wallet a favor and wait to see if the textbook is truly necessary. If you need the textbook in the meantime, CSI's library has all the textbooks in stock, where you can scan and print pages as needed.
3. Avoid the CSI bookstore whenever possible
There are some textbooks that are only available at the CSI Bookstore, and that truly sucks because they charge you mucho money for those books. For every other book you need, please be smart and look online. Used books on Amazon are dirt cheap, and usually in pretty good condition. For the extremely expensive textbooks, consider renting them from Barnes and Noble.
4. Don't eat in the Campus Center
The Campus Center is good for a lot of things -- studying, socializing, using a computer to finish up homework -- but eating is definitely not one of them. The food is mediocre at best and horribly over priced. There are dozens of food places in the surrounding area, like Wendy's or the food court at the SI Mall that would give you better, cheaper food during your downtime.
5. Learn to love Degreeworks
Learning how to properly use Degreeworks saved me so much time and trouble during my four years at CSI. Advisement at CSI is notorious for being overcrowded and very slow moving. Degreeworks tells you the classes you need to take to achieve a degree in your major of choice, and helps guide you through making a schedule. By using Degreeworks, I was able to figure out a schedule for myself, without depending (or waiting) on Advisement.
6. Take advantage of the free stuff CSI offers
CSI gets a bad rep, but they do offer tons of helpful resources for their students. Most students are too lazy or not interested enough to take advantage of them, but I think you'd be stupid not to. Go take your resume to the Career Center, where they can workshop it and make it stronger. Go to the free CAB events, and socialize with other students. Go to club meetings, learn about the different groups CSI has to offer and eat a slice of the free pizza while you're at it.
7. Some wifi knowledge...
CSI's wifi is a little tricky and took me a some time to finally figure out how to use it to it's full potential. Cellphones have little to absolutely no service on campus and in classrooms, so your best bet to playing games or texting is to connect to the wifi. However, they only allow one login per class session, which sucks if you want to connect both a phone and a laptop. To make that happen, log in on one device as "nicole.derosa", and log in on the other as "nicole.derosa@cix.csi.cuny.edu" (obviously, use your own names). Tricks the system into thinking it's two different accounts, and you got wifi for days!
8. Take advantage of the library
The CSI Library has computers, printers, scanners and every book under the sun for any report you need to write. It's a great resource, and also a great place to study or finish up homework. Be warned: the third level is a silent work space, intending for people who seriously need to concentrate and get stuff done. Don't be the asshole who goes up there and distracts everyone from doing what they need to do. Not a good look.
9. Follow CSI on all social media accounts
Honestly, I found out more news and useful information (like closures due to weather, or if the back entrance was closed for the day) from CSI's social media accounts then my own student email. Follow them during your first year and check them as often as you remember to keep up on what's happening on campus.
10. There is always parking in the gravel lot
There will be times where you are ridiculously late because you are trying to find a parking spot - this I can promise you. When times get desperate, I always found spots in the gravel parking lots behind 1P. You are probably going to have to walk a little, but at least your car is parked.