Corey Kindberg

A heavy course load like mine can really take a toll on your sanity. It is a week like the one coming up that I will question if I actually am crazy or not -- the week of midterms.

Not all professors at LIM College will give you a midterm; some will either give a paper or a project. Regardless, it is still just as stressful and just as time-consuming.

Some things I like to do to de-stress from the whole midterm madness are simple inexpensive activities. One thing I love to do is grab a coffee and window shop on Madison. It's truly therapeutic.

I also like to take a short study break and grab 16Handles (the best frozen yogurt) with my friends and just talk! I also like a nice stroll through Central Park if the weather is nice enough.

There is so much to do in New York City for fun that can easily calm you down and won't cost you a whole heap of cash.

With a hefty work load and a part-time job, finding time for yourself can be hard. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. Schoolwork can definitely become overwhelming and hard to manage with everything else that's going on.

I strongly recommend to any student or future student to just take a break every now and then. Luckily for me, my hometown is in New Jersey -- just a train ride away. Whenever I have the time I always get out of the city. Even without work and school, staying in the city can be stressful and it's hard to find some time to relax.

This past weekend was spent in Jersey -- a full weekend of rest and relaxation. I spent time with my mother who I missed ever so much and created new memories with friends that I hardly get to see.

Future students and current students take my advice -- go home whenever things are getting stressful.

One thing every fashion student should definitely experience is the bi-annual Barneys Warehouse Sale! Think designer shoes reduced from $900 to $300. Fall coats and jackets from $3000 to $1200. I find it to be somewhat of an initiation into the New York lifestyle. Hundreds of bargain-hunting fiends trying to get the best items for the cheapest price.

Be prepared to fend for your life in the shoe aisle. Limited sizes and everyone wants that pair of Proenza Schouler pumps. Before you even get into the warehouse be prepared to stand outside and freeze. On the first day of the sale die-hard fashionistas wait on line up to two hours before the doors open. Dress comfortably too -- you will be waiting a while.

Also, don’t wear that many layers. The lack of dressing rooms in the warehouse will provoke you to strip down and try things on in the middle of the aisle. Don’t be ashamed, because everyone else is doing the exact same thing. Just look your hardest and watch for the flying elbows coming at you and you will be just fine.

Last Thursday was the start of one of the biggest weeks in the biz, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. I’m sure that many of you know that this is the week when American designers showcase their new collections. For many LIM College students this is also a time that we get to experience what it’s like to work a fashion show backstage. A few friends of mine got to work the Charlotte Ronson and Richie Rich show, along with many others.

Unfortunately for me, I was unable to work any shows due to a heavy courseload and work schedule. However, if you go back into my past blogs you’ll be able to see what it’s like when I worked the Ports 1961 show last Fashion Week.

In more exciting news, I was recently published on one of the industry’s biggest online blogs -- Racked NY! This site has information on sample sales, retail partnerships, and much more that pertains to the fashion industry. I’d love for all of you to check it out and let me know what you think. If you have what it takes to sneak into a fashion show follow my tips and tricks and let me know how it works.

As much as I would love to sit here and tell you all about how glamorous my life is here at LIM College, I’d rather not lie to you.

Don’t get me wrong, it does have glamorous moments. Such as riding in a town car to Lincoln Center to the Ports 1961 S/S 2011 Show with their Chief Merchandiser, or going out to great dinners in the Meatpacking District with some of my closest friends. But that doesn’t happen all the time.

This week was rather boring due to the large amounts of snow that came down upon Manhattan. You won’t find me complaining though, that meant that I didn’t have to wake up early for class due to the school being closed. Not only high schools get snow days, colleges do too!

This week was spent mostly at Tommy Hilfiger, working my days and nights away. We did our Spring rollout this week. That meant staying 'til about midnight unpacking boxes of new merchandise and placing them in their proper spots and packing old merchandise so it could be shipped off to our Secacacus, NJ outlet store. It was also spent catching up on homework and projects.

I love my school, but please don’t think its all fun and games here. It’s a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication. In the end though, it’s all worth it!

This past week was the start of my second semester as a freshman at LIM College. I’m currently working towards a bachelor's degree in Marketing with a concentration in Fashion Publishing, with hopes of one day becoming an editor at a men’s lifestyle/fashion magazine (like GQ or Details).

My winter break was anything but a bore. If you read my past blog posts you know that for my Work Project I internship I worked at Tommy Hilfiger on Fifth Avenue in New York City. I was a sales associate and an in-store Public Relations Assistant. Instead of ending my Work Project internship when the semester was over, I decided to keep it. So for my whole winter break, I worked and worked. I assisted with high-profile clientele and tried to sell as many Tommy Hilfiger sweaters to tourist as I could.

Now I’m at the start of a new semester. My class load is filled to the max with 19 credits and I'm taking classes I’m interested in to complete my concentration. These include Fashion Magazines and Fashion Writing. I'm also taking Business Law, Marketing, and other courses. 

There are a few things I like about Work Project I. One of them is a paycheck. Another is no classes. And then there is the learning experience.

I thought that not having classes during Work Project I would give me enough time to have my social life back. However, working 35+ hours a week doesn't really leave much time for fun. I think every Work Project I student feels the same. We're all working a full-time job and trying to learn as much as we can. That's why a good break is fully appreciated. This Thanksgiving break was probably the best I ever had. I got to have a day off without stressing about work and enjoying time with my family in the Hamptons.

The day after Thanksgiving wasn't as fun. I used to love Black Friday, but working on it isn't so lovable. Picture this, opening the store at seven instead of nine. Lines outside the door and around the block all to receive 30% off. I normally would appreciate another person's devotion to saving a few dollars, but today, I was under different circumstances. I stood for nine hours straight behind a cashwrap dealing with customers of all types. I dealt with snobby fashionistas, bargain-hunting tourists, and all-around loons. I must have rang up a few hundred cashmere sweaters and about a thousand pairs of jeans.

Was it worth it? You bet. I was so proud of myself at the end of the day -- I learned how to deal under pressure. As for Black Friday next year, bring it on!

I thought I knew what stress was. Then finals week hit, and it hit hard. This weekend I have never felt like more of a loser. I didn’t go out, I didn’t see any of my friends, and I basically hid in my room all weekend.

Monday was probably the worst day. I had my math final in the afternoon, which was basically a make or break deal for me. If I did well on the final, then I would pass the course. A 10-hour cram session and other countless hours of doing practice problems really helped. The biggest help was the review session LIM College offered. The review packet they gave out at the session was basically the final, only with different numbers. I’m not sure if other colleges do this, but they all should! Not only does it give students an upper hand, but it also gave me a boost of confidence.

My second final on Monday was Computer Applications. I’ve always been pretty good at computers so I wasn’t really worried about it. Tuesday I had a whole Intro. to Visual Merchandising project due for my final. I had to create a whole store, with a floor layout, color scheme, logo and tagline, promotional ads, and examples of clothing that would be sold in the store. Thursday is my Retailing final, which is going to be hard. Another 10- hour cram session is needed.

After that my semester is over and it's Work Project I time 'til Dec. 24. At least I don’t have to go to any classes. There’s always a silver lining...