Commuter Survival Guide: NYC Student Edition

As some of you may know, I commute from Jersey to get to FIT in Manhattan. And believe it or not, it’s not really that big of a pain, it’s just an adjustment. Here are some things I’ve learned my first semester commuting.

1. Charge everything before you leave, and bring your chargers! You never know when you may need your iPhone or you’re stuck in the city and your laptop is dead, and no one around you has a Lenovo laptop adapter. ~ Crisis mode. Gotta stay connected … !
2. Bring a mini umbrella, and always carry it in your bag. New York tends to have crazy weather changes, and if you’re a fashion school student, chances are that you really work on your hair. Don’t ruin it (or some may say more importantly, don’t get sick from being out in the cold rain)!
3. Take advantage of the commute! Bring your notes and study for that quiz on the way there/do all your homework on the train. But shh, I didn’t tell you that …
4. Definitely bring a water bottle and a light snack. There's no doubt about it: NYC is expensive. You can't live off of 2 Bro's Pizza everyday (challenge accepted?). As a student, everything already kills your wallet. Visit your local Costco or BJ's and stock up on Vitamin Water or whatever floats your boat.
5. Look into student discounts! I can’t stress this enough! If I just bought train tickets on a daily basis, I’d pay about 500 dollars per month. With my FIT student discount monthly rate, I only pay about 200. Mildly important, just some pocket change (HA!). Be aware that it's usually reserved for full-time students only, so make sure to double check your school's policy.
6. Everybody is in a rush, everyone needs to get somewhere. Just remember your manners and hope that others do, too. Also remember to be super nice to train conductors: they’ve got rough jobs and have to deal with disgruntled commuters all day.
7. Transit apps are a MUST. Embark NJ Transit is my life and I would be lost without it (honest to God). Other apps you should check out include HopStop, and the other Embark apps, such as Embark New York Metro-North, Embark NYC Subway, and Embark Phili Septa.
8. Try to relax on your train ride in – make a “chill” playlist or if you’re in need of a good wakeup tune, play something upbeat! Just don’t turn the volume up too high; it’s rude to those around you. I've found through my own research that not everyone wants to hear Countdown by Beyonce at 7am ... shame.
9. Please, please, please try not to fall asleep on the train. My commuter train isn’t so shady, so I’m not really as worried as those riding in other areas may be, but I’ve missed my connection and it was terrifying. The next train back to my connection didn’t leave for another hour and it was just a mess. It was really annoying to be late to class because I decided to doze off on the train. Set an alarm about 10 minutes before your anticipated arrival at your destination.
10. Wear layers – your iPhone weather app may say it’s 64 degrees out, but bring a sweatshirt or cardigan just in case anyway. I say this because you may find that your classroom is FREEZING to the point where you have to run over to American Apparel during break to buy a $50 sweatshirt you REALLY didn’t need. I speak from experience. :|

Okay, that’s all that I could think of at this point. I’m the kind of girl who really doesn’t want to leave her cozy, Tempurpedic bed in the morning, but to be completely honest with you, commuting is not that bad. Try it: you'll save a crazy amount of money.