<p>nyu obviously has a rep for a lot of students being unhappy. but why? they have nyc at their disposal! most of them obviously really wanted that too to choose to go there. so what’s the deal?</p>
<p>Lots of debt, big city –> dont see the same people a lot, tough classes… idk lol</p>
<p>but when you say that the big city is a con for nyu…i mean, isn’t one of the very main draws of nyu the fact that its right there in nyc? or did nyc not match up to your expectations?</p>
<p>I think what stohare means is that in a huge city like that, it is easy to feel lonely. You are surrounded by people who are all SO busy with their own thing and do not know or care who you are, and you do not see the same people all the time as they said. It’s not hard to feel lost now and then. And this coming from me, a girl who LOVES new york.</p>
<p>Some people go to NYU and then complain about city life…kind of idiotic if you ask me.</p>
<p>And the debt is also a big part…Again, if you don’t want the debt, go somewhere else. It’s in your hands, not the school’s.</p>
<p>totally agree with claire<em>the</em>bear. and like, for me, i’m going to a completely different environment. am i excited as hell? yes. but is it also terrifying? of course. i’m going to be a thousand miles away from all of my friends and family. it’s also a new step in your life that can be very hard to manage. so it’s completely understandable why people get depressed, especially those who are sensitive - like me, for example. i know this is what i want to do with my life, but i know there are times where being in a completely new environment, preparing to go into the world and never be a “kid” again, and having none of my old friends&family for support will be incredibly difficult.</p>
<p>NYC is certainly not a place for everyone. It’s a fast paced, in-your-face kind of city. The weather can be good in the summers but winters are harsh, especially since you walk outside everyday (I hear alot of people from Cali. wanting to go here on this site). The people who like it, love it; the people who don’t like it, hate it. Some people get bored after a while too, even though they like the city. Its very confusing if you have never been here before, its frustrating to get used to. You are contained within the city, especially if your not from the area because it has everything anybody would need and people would feel limited. But if you explore the city, there are many hidden things you would never find in a book.</p>
<p>@whitecadillac - I’m guessing you’re a HS student and right now having a very idealized view of college…but here are a couple reasons why nyu has so many unhappy students:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>late teens/early twenties is the age when mental illnesses and depression often start surfacing</p></li>
<li><p>drug and alcohol abuse is more common in college than HS. I don’t mean smoking weed a few times or drinking (obviously most students drink) but to an extreme level</p></li>
<li><p>People have a “glamorized” vision of life in NYC - they watch Gossip Girl and Friends, and think it’s going to be one long fun ride. Many people don’t bother visiting first, or don’t have time or can’t afford it. A freshman I know wants to transfer out because he says he didn’t realize how large, impersonal, and dirty NYC is.</p></li>
<li><p>Everyone knows NYU has no campus, but many don’t really get it until they go to school here, or they don’t realize that it will bother them. Once they have to take a bus to get from their dorm to campus and they see hobos outside the buildings and realize how impersonal it is, they change their minds.</p></li>
<li><p>Debt - people’s financial situations change, their parents lose jobs, the economy is in the toilet…but tuition/fees rise every year and cost of living in NYC remains high. they see their loans pile high and realize it’s not worth it. they work long hours and have less social time because they’re trying to save or make money</p></li>
<li><p>nyu is ideal for students who are independent and want a more grad-school type of college experience. no football team, no quads, no one cares about sports, no campus, dorms are spread out, buildings are scattered. for many people it’s an isolating experience and they don’t like it.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Lots of financially underprivileged kids surrounded by kids who can run off on expensive jaunts on their holidays, or see theatre every week when the first kid is WORKING during all non-classroom/study hours just to help his 'rents pay the high cost of housing. Not so much “fun”.</p>
<p>Likewise seeing the lifestyle of the “rich and famous” all around you in NYC, yet knowing that you probably can’t afford to live there after you graduate unless 20 of your closest friends share your 1 bedroom apartment.</p>
<p>Wondering if the huge money spent was worth it, versus having turned down your free in-state Uni. Especially if it’s the STUDENT who took on the debt. </p>
<p>Cold. Cold. Cold. </p>
<p>More importantly. NO sun. I think this is a huge factor, just like in Alaska where suicides are so high and they have 6 months nights. I ADORE NYC. But I find myself drawn to any park where I can get that tiny sliver of sun through the buildings. Lack of sun/vitamin D has been linked to depression and diseases many times. </p>
<p>Homesickness. True of any college. But you add “the city” to it, and it can feel like a place where you are truly faceless. Huge campus, huge student body, huge housing facilities. </p>
<p>No “team spirit”. </p>
<p>If you aren’t from the NE…you don’t have a lot of your build in “friends” there because most stayed in-state.</p>
<p>Wow…this has been an interesting and informative thread. Appreciate the honesty.</p>
<p>NYU is also a large school, and with a larger population comes a larger incidence of depression, just by virtue of the numbers. I don’t know where you get the information that NYU has a rep for a lot of unhappy students, because I don’t see that as the case.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t want people to think that NYU is this incredibly depressing place because that’s just not true. There are certainly some people who come here expecting the wrong things, but those people aren’t the majority.</p>
<p>Is NYU perfect? No, of course not. Can I see myself anywhere else? No way.</p>
<p>Yep I’ve stayed in NY for a month and visited NYU. everything above is true but i still love the city</p>
<p>is this that stupid, poorly-exececuted Princeton Review survey coming back to haunt us?</p>
<p>look at the methodology of that survey, it’s absolutely atrocious. </p>
<p>i’ve lived here my entire life, and i can’t imagine myself anywhere else, except Paris, but that’s because it was so similiar to NY.</p>
<p>i really think the root of it is that people have this idealized version of NY, and then get depressed when it doesn’t live up to something unattainable. </p>
<p>i walked by five homeless guys walking back from class last night. all on the same block. that’s not the NY that people want to see, but it’s real life.</p>
<p>that being said, there are ways to make NYU a little more home-y, but things like debt are harder to feel better about.</p>
<p>all in all, i STILL can’t imagine myself at any other University. i’m a Violet for life.</p>
<p>“is this that stupid, poorly-exececuted Princeton Review survey coming back to haunt us?”</p>
<p>nah i’ve just heard from my friends that go there that a lot of people seem depressed there overall, and so i was wondering why.</p>
<p>the answers here definitely make sense, thanks guys!</p>
<p>…oh yeah, forgot - it’s full of artists who are full of angst.</p>
<p>JK on all this of course…I LOVE New York. I’m just ASSUMING, as an answer to the question.</p>
<p>From a parent’s perspective: My daughter has always been very (very!) social and been able to make friends of all types; it’s one of her strengths. While she adapted quickly to the NYC/NYU environment and loved it from day one, she had trouble making friends at NYU. Ironically, it wasn’t until she did a study-abroad program that she found friends; once they all returned to NYC, they continued those friendships. It’s not a school that makes it easy to connect with other students, even if you live in the dorms. That’s been the most challenging aspect of her attending NYU, from my perspective. (The education has been remarkable. She graduates in May.)</p>
<p>^out of curiosity…why couldn’t she make friends in her classes or at student organizations? also, since most people at college DO want friends, it seems weird that a lot of students at nyu would not want to make friends with your daughter and other people in general.</p>
<p>I kind of don’t know if I want to apply to NYU anymore. Jeezee, thanks guys. :(</p>
<p>There are sooo many positives too. Dont let the negatives get you down!</p>
<p>although debt is not a problem, I live on Long island, I’ve been to the city and love it, this is kind of scaring me lol. I’m kind of startin to be afraid of falling into this kind of depression</p>