The post below, was originally for Hubbell Connection‘s blog, the student-run PR agency at Michigan State University and affiliated with PRSSA.
Some people grow up in small towns, attend small universities and stay living in their home state. Other people grow up not knowing their entire high school graduating class, attending a university whose athletics are televised nationally and moving to the world’s largest and most diverse cities.
This summer I moved to New York City not knowing the subway system, not knowing any of my roommates, not knowing where to get groceries, not knowing which nightlife spots to go, not knowing how to find out about free city events and so much more. I’m happy to say that I found the answers to all these questions and more. Already going to a large school was a plus, as I’m comfortable getting to know new people, the biggest must-do. Hopefully my general NYC tips can be applied to wherever you want to go in life and move after graduation – the world is your oyster!
Network
Tap in to your school’s alumni: Michigan State, as well as numerous other large schools, have active alumni chapters and even bars across the country. These alumni can be a great connection for shadowing at a company you’re interested in, networking, just looking for area tips and watching the games with friends. MSU has amazing alumni, Spartans Will.
Attend free or low cost workshops: FindSpark (Formerly NY Creative Interns) is a website and weekly newsletter that is always posting internship and entry-level positions as well as speaker panels, job fairs and webinars to help aspiring professionals going into communications, advertising, marketing, fashion, design, and the like.
Stay in-the-know
Since I was only interning for the summer, I didn’t lug my TV out during my move for a short time. With no TV I was left to read the news on my laptop and watch Netflix, though at times I still felt disconnected. Sign up for The Skimm for a quick, concise daily recap of the most important current events to know.
Have fun
Never miss a free event: The Skint blog and daily newsletter compiles almost every single thing going on in the city, each day. It almost feels wrong finding out about so many events, for free – take advantage of the opportunities!
Use GroupOn: Obviously Groupon is a common brand, but I never actually used it that much before moving. Once you live in a new city (or even somewhere you’re familiar with) it’s a great way to try new restaurants or weekend activities.
A la gossip girl~
xoxo,
Hanna Porterfield
CITY GIRL HANNA 