Apply yourself! -- NYC can be stressful on its own. Being in a big city with tons of people, events, new experiences and a lot of work you are not used to can become very overwhelming. If you don't apply yourself and work hard on your school work from the beginning, it is hard to catch up later on.
Be aware! -- Things are constantly changing in NYC. The subway lines often change from express to local, shut down for construction or are late. If you're not aware, you will get stuck on the dreaded R or L train when it is at a standstill and will be late to class or work. It's a guarantee.
Charge your phone! -- Within a few days, your phone will die at one of the most inconvenient times possible. You will be trying to Google Maps a location, trying to call someone to meet up or simply need to use your debit card on your phone but won't be able to because your phone is sadly dead. Always keep your phone charged or carry and portable charger. You won't be sorry.
Duane Reade is your BFF! -- There are Duane Reade's within a five-minute walk almost anywhere you go. This place will be your best friend when you realize at midnight that you need some Ben and Jerry's ice cream because you ran out binge-watching "Orange is The New Black" last night and it is the only place open. Praise YHWH for 24/7 business hours.
Extra time! -- Always give yourself extra time. You never know if the subways hate you that day, or your outfit is too on fleek for the 'cat-callers' who won't stop hollering at you. You don't want to be late.
Find your favorite local coffee shop! -- Yes, there is a Starbucks on every corner. Maybe you are a gold member (I feel no shame for this) and maybe those free coffees and frappe's you get are worth it, but I promise you that there are so many more local coffee shops that are better and you'll need them during midterm and finals weeks.
Game on! -- If your from the south like I am, you could never imagine missing a college football game, NFL game, College basketball game, NBA game or pretty much any other sport. Fam, don't pay for TV to watch them. There are hundreds of sports bars around the city that will play every major game and don't be afraid to ask them to change the TV to a different game. We all know you have Netflix and watch that, so there is no need to pay for cable.
Have fun! -- There are thousands of cool, unique and fun things to do in NYC. Don't let yourself miss out on the wonders of the city.
Ignore cat-callers! -- This goes more to to the women out there, but cat callers can be very annoying and rude. The best thing is to ignore them. If you respond rudely it often does not work out for your benefit.
Jam out! -- Surprisingly, if you walking down the street with headphones in, people don't bother you. Cat-callers don't cat call you because they know you can't hear them, tourists know you can't hear them and people on the subway also won't bother you; not to mention it's a great way to pass the time on the subway. (p.s. having ear buds in your ears without music does the same thing but allows you to be aware if something bad happens.)
Keep your cool! -- New York people and especially tourists can be extremely annoying and often rude. You'll need to learn to keep your cool in any situation or you might end up ripping someone's head off along the way.
Learn your directions! -- Not all the streets are on an easy grid, especially in Brooklyn. You need to learn which way is uptown, which way is downtown and which way the numbers go on street signs or you might end up in the Bronx when you were trying to go to the FiDi.
Meander around! -- There are so many cool things to experience in New York that are not touristy. Get off your couch and go find them or you might regret leaving NY later on and not having actually experienced what it had to offer.
Nap! -- Napping is your friend. In fact, it will be your best friend in college. Find a couch, whether at school or at home and knock out a 45 minute nap every now and then because coffee sometimes isn't strong enough to be your saving grace... Especially during midterm and finals weeks.
Order online! -- Seamless, Postmates and Grubhub will all be your life savers when you realize it is 1 in the morning and you have not eaten anything all day because you were too busy or forgot. Trust me, it happens. They all deliver food 24/7 and you will use them more than you would expect.
Pray! -- In times of no sleep and running on pure sugar and coffee, you start to think to yourself, "Am I actually real right now? Is life real right now?" Praying is the only thing that's gonna keep you sane.
Quit complaining! -- Look, I know college in NYC can be hard, but you have an opportunity that a lot of people do not get in their lifetime. So, pull your chin up and know that you are privileged.
Run! -- You are already going to be walking most places, so you might as well run. We all know that the freshman 15 is a real thing even though none of us want to accept it... So just do yourself a favor and run so the Ramen Noodles don't catch up with you.
Sample sales!- - Sample sales will be your life saver. If your college has a business casual dress code like The King's College does, sample sales will be the only way of not going broke while building up your wardrobe... And they are everywhere, you just have to find them.
Take Ubers! -- If it is late at night and you are going home from hanging with friends, take an Uber Pool. They are cheaper than regular Ubers and will get you home safely instead of using the subway at 1 a.m. (You never know what you are going to find on the streets or in the subways that late).
Umbrellas, keep on hand! -- NYC weather can be a little bipolar sometimes. Always have an umbrella with you because you never know when you're going to be caught in the rain.
Viruses will get you! -- Coming to NYC I thought I had the greatest immune system ever because I would hardly ever get sick. I was wrong. I was sick almost as much as I was OK and kept getting what we called 'The King's Plague' because all the first years at my school kept getting sick. Always have hand sanitizer with you because those subways are dirty, the streets are dirty and pretty much anywhere you go billions of people were there before you, meaning more sickness.
Work ASAP! -- NYC can be expensive so finding a job as soon as you are in the city is the best option. Whether your parents or someone else is paying for your college, NYC can be a bit more expensive than you expect. Having the extra money is always good.
Xenial! -- Bear with me, because not many X words exists. But this basically means to be friendly and a good host. I found that having people over to my apartment to hang out was a really great stress reliever. So, be xenial and be a really great host.
Yik Yak tells you what's up! -- If you ever want to know where the next cool event is for college-age people, get on Yik Yak and hit everyone up. There's bound to be at least one person that knows where something's happening.
Zero sleep! -- Be prepared for zero sleep and embrace it because you now live in the city that never sleeps!
Welcome to college in NYC.
