NOCCA Junior

To UAMom:
NYU security in the dorms is very tight. There's a swipe card system that only NYU students that have housing can get passed. The guards at the desks can be you-know-what holes sometimes, but they don't let anyone that's non-NYU or even those that are NYU but don't have housing, past their desks. I remember times that I woke up to get something from the vending machines late at night, past the guard up, and said hi, and went to the vending machine for literally two minutes...and then, when I tried to get back to the elevators by not swiping, by going through the gate, the guard would get really mad and demand that I swipe. And that happens a lot haha. Some guards are nicer than that, but the only people that could possibly steal stuff in the dorms are those who you live in the dorm with, people from other dorms, or maybe people that others sign in. There's no sketch outside people getting in the dorms at NYU...
As far as Explorations floors in Hayden go, the French floor, the one I was on this year, in my opinion was the most active out of all three of them. The NYU Show occasionally did things, and I've heard from many people on the Bohemians and Rebels floor that it was not too active. But they might have another RA next year, so who knows? But if she's interested in a particular theme (and a particular dorm, since it's easier for RD students to get their dorm of choice via Explorations), she should definitely give it a shot. I was able to see shows for free (including Broadway's Dangerous Liaisons), go to museums for free, and other outings that had to do with French culture. Not to mention, if your D is into Broadway and the arts in general, Hayden itself provided programs for the whole dorm, including free tickets to shows such as Spring Awakening, In the Heights, and Cry Baby, as well as Alvin Ailey, cultural outings in Harlem, etc...I loved Hayden this year because of that. But yeah...basically, Explorations is a good chance to explore the floor's particular theme because the RA has a lot more in their budget than regular RAs.

To NMR:
Hi! The 175 flex plan is convenient because meals carry over from week to week, and it's also about 1 and a half meals more a week than the 10 meal a week plan. But be warned: she should use her meals wisely. There are many times that people have, at the end of the semester, 40, 50, and even 75 meals left because they didn't use the meals to the fullest extent. If she's going to get 175 flex, she should try to use at least 10 meals a week to make sure she doesn't have all those meals left at the end of the semester (and thus, not wasting hundreds of dollars). The declining dollars can be used at Starbucks at the Square, U-Hall's Dunkin' Donuts, and the various convenience store areas of the dining halls (which carry things like soda and snacks and even laundry detergent). I've never done it, but I THINK you can use declining dollars in exchange for a meal, because each meal is technically around $10. As far as the meal plan goes, you can use a swipe for the traditional all-you-can-eat thing at any of the dining halls except the Marketplace at Kimmel (my favorite dining hall, although they have the same stuff all the time haha) and the Food Court at Weinstein (which has the Quiznos, Chick-Fila, and the Grill), in which you can only use one swipe per meal. In my opinion, the best dining halls are Hayden (the food is really good and there are vegan/vegetarian options), Palladium (moreso at dinner), and Kimmel (although, once again, options are limited after a while). For me, Downstein (the all-you-can-eat traditional dining hall of Weinstein) is simply ehhhhh...I always dread having to eat there, I guess because it reminds me the most of what horrible college food is supposed to be like, haha. Generally, though, NYU dining hall food is a lot better than what you would get at State U...but also, obviously, a lot more expensive. Your D should be fine with a 10 meal a week or 175 flex...since she's living in an apartment style dorm, she even has the option of going for less (such as 75 flex) or not getting a meal plan at all.