Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to go to a normal college with a normal campus. But I go to NYU, so on my way to class this semester, I had to dodge taxis pulled too far into crosswalks; ignore salespeople; turn up my music loud enough to drown out jackhammers, sirens, and honking cars; and walk faster than the hundreds of unfamiliar adults, children, dogs, and fellow students in my way.
Going to a college that proudly boasts America’s most populous city as its campus certainly presents unique opportunities and challenges. Here are some pros and cons of going to a huge college in a huge city.
Pro: You’re exposed to a lot of diverse viewpoints and backgrounds.
There’s no such thing as a college bubble here, and even if there was, with 26,000 undergraduate students, you’d encounter plenty of people different from you even if you never left university-owned buildings. Of course, since you have to travel to class on the streets of Manhattan (unless you can teleport between the aforementioned school buildings), you’re going to get pretty much the widest taste of humanity possible.
If college is all about expanding your horizons and consequently growing as a person, this is the best possible place to do it.
Con: Getting to class on time isn’t just about dodging other students.
A lot of people also means a lot of ways to be late. At a normal college, I understand that trekking up a hill or running through the quad might not be ideal when you’re tight on time. But consider this: elderly pedestrians walking side by side and taking up the whole sidewalk. Moms with baby strollers. Deliveries being moved painstakingly slowly from curb to door, directly in your path. Ambulances and fire trucks needing to pass just as the traffic pattern has changed in your favor.
Try speed walking eight New York City blocks in fifteen minutes with a backpack on your shoulders and an intense hate for slow walkers in your heart before making judgments about your own college’s pedestrian possibilities.
Pro: You’re not limited to school-sponsored activities.
My friends at other colleges enjoy their schools just fine, but they often lament their schools’ locations. When the college itself is the only noteworthy thing nearby, and everyone is penned in by a traditional campus anyway, boredom is a fixture of the experience.
But the very opposite of being stranded away from civilization is going to school in New York, where the world is unfolding one step outside your dorm door.
Con: The opportunities can get a bit overwhelming at times.
There’s a reason I still eat at IHOP and Chick Fil A, even though this is New York City. The amount of choices for food, fun, and entertainment is so unfathomably vast that it can leave you a little dizzy.
There’s a lot of pressure to take advantage of the endless opportunities for adventure. It’s New York, after all. But realistically, the closest I’ve come to experiencing the City That Never Sleeps is pulling all-nighters in the library. And that feels wasteful.
Pro: You never know what you’re going to see on the street.
In October, I learned how rain is made in movies when, on a sunny morning without natural clouds in the sky, I walked through a scene being filmed by Elle Fanning and Jude Law blocks from my first class. Enough said.
Con: You never know what you’re going to see on the street.
There is no barrier between the university and the natural habitat of eight million New Yorkers. Also enough said.
Pro: There are a lot of people to choose from when it comes to making friends.
A gigantic college means a gigantic pool of potential friends. It also means a virtually endless selection of clubs and activities through which you can meet new people. Statistically speaking, you have better odds of finding your future lifelong friends here than almost anywhere else.
Con: You might still feel alone while surrounded by people.
Struggling to make friends is especially hard when statistics seem to be in your favor and you still haven’t found anyone. The possibility of eventually connecting with the right people isn’t all that comforting when the connection hasn’t happened yet.
Basically, at such a large college in such a large city, there are a lot of people and a lot of events. Depending on the kind of environment in which you thrive, this can be either exhilarating or daunting—although no matter what, you’ll probably experience a little of both. And that’s okay.
