New York University. Leonard N. Stern School of Business

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1 New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business Lily HAO Fall 2014

2 Table of Content PART I Activity Log... 1 PART II General Exchange Information... 4 PART III Checklist... 8 New York University ii

3 NYU Exchange Activity Log September 2014 I arrived in New York in late August and spent one week to travel around this amazing city. New York is indeed a melting pot of different kinds of cultures, which can be seen from food, especially. Other than trying all kinds of cuisines, with the help of Lonely Planet, I also visited places of interests. Among those places, I highly recommend MET (The Metropolitan Museum of Arts), where thousands of masterpieces are displayed. All kinds of farmer markets during weekends are worth visiting as well. Besides, I watched the Broadway Musical the Lion King, and did have lots of fun. In addition, I also travel to Boston to visit the famous Harvard and MIT. They are both brilliant. Make sure that you try the Boston Lobster during the trip. October 2014 In October, together with friends, I travelled to Chicago, Princeton, and Philadelphia. During those trips, I visited University of Chicago, Princeton, and University of Pennsylvania. Those campuses are all attractive, among which I like the Princeton most, as it is the setting in the movie A Beautiful Mind. Apart New York University 1

4 NYU Exchange from travelling, I also took part in some local service, and helped organized a Charity Bazaar in Manhattan. It feels awesome to serve others in need and to make friends with those caring volunteers. In October, the IBEX program led us to visit headquarter of United Nations in New York. It is really impressive to see the original copy of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to have an idea about how people fight for those human rights. November 2014 The most exciting holiday, Thanksgiving, is in November. In order to celebrate this special day, the NYU IBEX program organized an unforgettable Thanksgiving party, where we were encouraged to express out appreciation to others. Besides, I also used the Thanksgiving break to travel to Texas, so as to know more about the Cowboy Culture in Western America. I visited Dallas, San Antonia, Austin, and Huston. During Thanksgiving, Black Friday was actually a good time for shopaholics, when almost all goods were on sale. December 2014 December was my last month in America. It was actually the time to prepare for the final exams. After the final week, there came the Christmas and the New Year. Nutcracker is a traditional ballet show during the Christmas, which I New York University 2

5 NYU Exchange watched in the famous Lincoln Center. The show was amazing and it did inspire my interest in ballet. I went to Washington D.C. and Florida after the end of the semester by train. This experience was so unusual. I spent almost one day on train, and indeed felt the difference of scenery between northern part and southern part. In Florida, Miami and Orlando are must-visiting cities, with gorgeous beach and various theme parks accordingly. At the end of December, I went back to New York to join the countdown in Time Square. Although it was cold, we felt so excited. New York University 3

6 NYU Exchange General Exchange Information Visa Procedure NYU issues all exchange students with J-1 visa. It is required to make an online payment and activate your application. With the payment confirmation, you can fill in the online application form and make an appointment. I get my visa in Hong Kong Council, which may take a week for processing. Orientation Activities NYU International Business Exchange Program (IBEX) held a one-day orientation for all exchange students. During the lunchtime meeting, important information was emphasized. You can start to get to know your exchange buddies and other exchange students in the orientation. The buddies showed us around the building and helped us find classrooms. International Service The participants of IBEX are from all around the world. IBEX organized some events to help students better understand the culture. For example, we watched the Baseball game, had the Thanksgiving dinner, and visited UN. If there are some problems, just turn to IBEX staff for help. They were really nice and always ready for help. Accommodations New York University 4

7 NYU Exchange NYU provides dorms to exchange students theoretically. However, the quotas are limited. I have to rent my own apartment for one semester. NYU recommended some websites for reference. In the end, I picked an off-campus organization called Educational Housing Services, whose apartments are like dorm. Courses Registration We could not register courses directly online. Instead, we need to contact the IBEX team, and let them help to register the courses. Some courses may have some pre-requisite, but it is possible to waive the requirement as an exchange students. Teaching & Assessment Methods I took four courses in total, two finance courses (Equity Valuation & Risk Management in Financial Institutions) and two economics courses (Industrial Organization & Economics of Global Business). The whole assessment system in NYU is quite similar to that in UST. However, there were group projects in finance courses that requiring students to do the research based on the real world data they find themselves. And the two economics courses had relatively more reading materials. Professors in NYU were willing to answer any questions at any time in Stern. It is no wonder that Stern has the best finance major in U.S. Sports & Recreation Facilities NYU has a gym and students can use it for free. Also, there are some cinemas around the campus, which is really convenient. I didn t try that one since I also got a gym in my apartment building, which is handier for me to use. Cost/Expenses New York University 5

8 NYU Exchange The rental fee in Manhattan is so high that many students want to rent apartments in Brooklyn. Besides, the total expenses do vary a lot from person to person. If you do like travelling, you may spend a huge amount of money on it, because the transportation is expensive in U.S. Social Club & Networking Opportunities There are all kinds of clubs in Stern. You can take part in their events to make friends and learn more. In addition, NYU held service fair for students to find suitable social service in their spare time. Health & Safety The on-campus health center can deal with a large proportion of health-related issues. Remember to make an appointment before going there. There was a compulsory health insurance in NYU, but it is possible to waive it with the proof for other insurance programs. Food Canteen in NYU serves many kinds of cuisines. Meal plan is available to purchase. However, you can choose to buy foods outside the campus. There are many good choices near the campus. Chinatown is also not far away from NYU. For me, I would highly recommend bagels with lox and cream cheese for breakfast, which is the signature breakfast food in New York. Transportation The best way to get around Manhattan for me is walking, since it is not a big city. You can also choose the subway, which is convenient and timesaving. There are New York University 6

9 NYU Exchange shuttle buses from the NYU dorms to the campus. Sometimes, it is hard to get a cab in New York City, and you may use Uber instead of cabs. Climate It is a little bit hot in August and September. However, it is cold in November and December. Do remember to adjust clothes according to the weather. It does not rain a lot like Hong Kong does, but umbrella is still needed. The weather can be really cold in January and February, with storms sometimes. Communication s in NYU are as important as that in UST. Checking s from time to time is a must. There are huge differences between different carriers for mobile phones. Always compare them before making decisions. Cautionary Measures Do not forget your student ID card, which is needed to get into buildings in NYU. Besides, it is always a good idea to bring your passport and DS2019 form with you. New York University 7

10 NYU Exchange Checklist Passport DS-2019 Form I-94 Form Cash Credit Card Coats Umbrella Laptop Calculators Charger and Adaptor Sunglasses Bedding Mobile Phone Necessary Stationary In my opinion, besides identity documents and funds, there is nothing really necessary to bring to New York. Don t worry if you do forget something, since you can always find everything easily in New York City. New York University 8