Corey Kindberg

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. 

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...

Living in New York has given a whole new meaning to the word "nightlife" for me.

The best part about New York City is that the nightlife doesn’t start until 11 pm. Even though I work five days a week at Tommy Hilfiger on Fifth Avenue, have an internship, and have a full course schedule, I still have time to get everything done and go out.

Friday nights usually consist of going out in Chelsea with some friends from FIT. The best part about Chelsea is that everything is in walking distance. Cafeteria has got to be my favorite place to eat. Good food and better conversations with friends.

Saturday night is where things really get fun. This past Saturday night started off with me and all of my friends getting ready and taking the subway to midtown. We went to this place called Johnny Utah's that has bull riding and after we had enough of that we went elsewhere. Next thing I know were in a cab on our way to a great place called 49grove. After a night filled with dancing and mingling with some of New York City's best people, it was time for me to drag myself in a cab and get to bed.

Every single student takes Sunday night off so we can recover from the weekend. It’s also when I get most of my work done.

In high school I was able to wake up at 7:30 and roll out of bed and drive to school. Now, going to school in New York City, it is a completely different situation. Especially going to a fashion school, where every day is an opportunity to show your creativity. "Dress to impress" is the hidden slogan of LIM College. You never know who you’re going to meet at school, or even on the street or when you’re out on your lunch hour.

I get up at 6 on the days I have 8 a.m. classes. I always want to look my best, especially during rush hour. Instead of driving to school or taking the bus, I run to catch the subway and try to squish myself and my bag in a subway car filled with people in suits. Next, I wait in line for my Iced Venti Vanilla Latte, this way I can get through my day, (and this will probably be the first of many lattes).

All of my classes are fun and interesting, and they are in subjects that I want to learn about, so I don’t mind taking notes and reading the textbooks. Then the best part of my day comes, and it’s lunch hour. I get to chat with friends and finally eat a real meal!

The rest of the day is filled with classes, a quick nap, and then, most likely, an hour or so of homework. 

The greatest thing about LIM College is our location. New York City is the powerhouse of fashion in America. Even better than that is the fact that New York City is also the site of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. For the past week I have been sneaking in and out of Lincoln Center and witnessing some of the best S/S 2011 Collections known to man. I’ve seen designers like Ports 1961, Betsey Johnson, Parabal Gurung, Davidelfin, Toni Fransenc and many others.

I now live in the center of where fashion takes place. I know that if I want to get ahead in the fashion industry that I can’t live anywhere but here. Throughout Fashion Week I’ve made so many valuable connections. I’ve met the Creative Director of Vogue, Grace Coddington, an editor from WWD, and people from many PR firms.

The even better part of Fashion Week is the free stuff. I’ve gotten swag bags from Betsey Johnson, Gurung, and Fransenc. Who doesn’t love free stuff? This whole week has probably been the most hectic week I’ve ever had to deal with, but I loved every single second of it. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life. This week only assured me I made the right choice in deciding where to go to college.