#apug

When I first arrived at NYU, I had no idea how expensive New York was compared to my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. Annapolis and its surrounding county are notorious for being very expensive, so I figured it was similar to NYC - how wrong I was. My normal McDonald’s meal at home was $5-6; in New York, it ended up being $10. And don’t even get me started on the grocery store! 

When I came to NYU, I worked out a deal with my family where they would help with my loans and my tuition as long as I paid for all my other expenses (food, textbooks, and fun) while I was there. At first, I didn’t have a job. I blew through about half of my savings by October, and decided to get a part-time job at Starbucks to help off-set my coffee costs while hopefully actually earning money. I ended up earning almost exactly what I needed to cover my expenses every month, but I also followed these rules for myself:

~ Use your meal plan whenever possible - don’t waste money on McDonald’s when Weinstein is right there!

~ Don’t go shopping unless you’re looking for a specific piece of clothing. Of course, sometimes it’s nice to splurge, but it’s always good to have goals in mind of what you need to splurge on!

~ Don’t spend more than you’re earning. I had a rewards credit card that I put most of my purchases on to earn more points, and while that was nice, I saw how easy it was to get carried away and spend over my budget.

Living in New York City, it's easy to get caught in the trap of never leaving the 3 mile radius around your home.

But every now and then it's good to find a new place to explore and escape. I recently visited Governor's Island for the first time and it was amazing! 

There are a number of attractions including bike riding, Castle Williams (an former New York prison and military post), sight-seeing and not to mention so many food vendors!

Not to mention you take the ferry to get there? Ferry rides are free from Manhattan between 10:00-11:30 am. I'd definitely suggest going by yourself or with some friends to just hang out for the day.

#WomxnsHistoryMonth Spotlight Series 

This week’s spotlights are Abby Rusnak, Katie Mundt and Ancelma Vasquez (APUG). As contributing writers for OPUSzines, they have been exploring issues surrounding gender and sex in current social contexts in their papers 📚

Check out the newest Fall 2020 Issue of OPUS to read more and view work from other contributing writers. 

In the spirit of National Pet Month, APUG is featuring some of the pets that are part of the Applied Psychology community!

Gravy is a rescue dog Dr. Sumie Okazaki adopted through Muddy Paws Rescue NYC. She was transported from Texas to New York around Thanksgiving along with other rescue dogs named Cinnamon, Apple, Cranberry, and Spice. She enjoys leash-free plays in Central Park on weekends and loves chewing textiles and antlers. Her Instagram account is @gravyinthecity . Nellie is a 10-year old Shih Tzu, but still acts like a puppy. As an only child, she is basically Michelle Hansen's sibling. The phrase "I usually don't like dogs, but I like this one" is quite common among people who meet her. She is a big fan of belly rubs and corn on the cob, she walks into glass doors quite frequently, and can run for a whopping 30 seconds before flopping over and falling asleep. . Mouse enjoys sunbathing and fetching toy mice. Panda likes stealing paintbrushes and chasing his brother, Mouse. . Loki is a three and a half-year-old Shiba Inu living lavishly in south Florida. Hobbies include: sleeping for 16 hours a day, fighting with birds (specifically, herons), and rolling around in fresh cut grass. Like most dogs, he loves belly rubs, but his favorite spot is right behind his ears. He also has an Instagram account @Lokitheshibainu!

APUG Club will be receiving a 2018 President's Service Award this year for their work and commitment to serving the university and community!

This year's Curlfest was Curly Girl Collective's third annual beauty festival aimed toward celebrating natural hair! The event is free to attend and boasts workshops that teach techniques to care for natural hair as well as vendors of products made specifically for natural and curly hair. There was so much energy and positivity, I couldn't help but feel like:

No matter what you're interested in, there is a community here for you to get involved in. NYC had countless events geared towards celebrating diversity and promoting self-expression.