Corey Kindberg

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.

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!

When I started thinking about college in my junior year of high school, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a school that offered interesting classes, intriguing professors who care, and, most of all, acceptance. I didn’t want to be in a place where I would feel uncomfortable. I knew that by slimming down my choices to mainly fashion schools that my being gay wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Little did I know how accepting the college I chose actually is.

LIM College has few boys, and because many of them are homosexual, acceptance is a big part of our student life. During LGBT Month the student body has really shown that to me.

First by starting an anti-prejudice campaign known as LoveIsMore! The campaign promotes acceptance in and out of school by letting students take photos with the LoveIsMore Logo and then we can make them the profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter and other social networking sites.

Acceptance is not only shown through campaigns. It's also done by having guest speakers and recognizing days devoted to the LGBT community. One of them is National Coming Out Day, which promotes greater acceptance and awareness of the LGBT community and recognizes just how big we are.

The Student Life Office also knows about the high risk of HIV in our community and offers students HIV testing services that are free and confidential. After this month, I knew that LIM College was the right choice for me.

The best part of freshman year at LIM College is the Work Project program. I will have the experience of working at a retail job in the greatest shopping district known to man -- New York City. And the best part about it is I get paid! And the best part about getting paid is payday! Ask any LIM College student, the day after payday or even right after, that day turns into a shopping spree.

The City obviously has some of the best shopping. My first stop is SoHo. South of Houston St. has some of the greatest stuff. Take the 6 train to Spring St. Make a left and there's TopShop/TopMan. Or make a right and there's Bloomingdales and UniQlo. SoHo is also filled with really great boutiques with some of the season's hottest trends.

Next stop, Midtown Manhattan. Fifth Avenue of course. It has the biggest H&Ms, the biggest Zara, and of course Bendel's, Bergdorf's, and Saks! Next stop, one street over to Madison Avenue. This is where the real damage happens. High-end designer boutiques.

Next thing I know, I'm broke again and hauling all of my bags back uptown to the dorms. I struggle to fit everything new into a tiny little closet!

This past week has ranked as the second-busiest week I have ever had - Fashion Week being first, of course.

My days were spent either in class or working at Tommy Hilfiger on Fifth Avenue. I work five days a week and doing that and also being a full-time student is probably the most difficult thing to manage.

Also on my plate, a huge project due for my Introduction to Visual Merchandising class. Of course I’ve had weeks to do it. Unfortunately, I left it for last minute and rushed to get something done in two nights that I had weeks to do.

I have yet to figure out the whole time management thing that goes along with college, but I think that’s what freshman year is for. If I don’t ever figure it out, well then at least I know I’ll always have my Starbucks.

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.