With a summer internship in hand, this NYU sophomore made the most of her year
ThriveCash Customer Spotlights
--
You can also read this story on our website.
It sucks to be the friend who says “no” to that concert, or “sorry I can’t make it” to that dinner. It is not because you don’t want to go, it is because living in New York on a student budget is tough.
Basic living expenses are some of the highest in the country and the pace of the city is relentless.
Rachel, a junior at NYU, felt this pressure when her friends would invite her out. The city was a world away from her hometown, a small suburban town in Massachusetts that could not contain her ambition.
“I always knew I wanted to be in a big city. There was no way I wanted to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.”
She ended up at New York University studying Business and Political Economy. “The reason I went to NYU had nothing to do with my passion for business and political economy and everything to do with the fact that I wanted to go to school in New York.”
But once she was on campus, a genuine fascination with technology and business emerged, and she delved into the city’s startup ecosystem. Building websites, developing apps of her own, and taking part in competitions, she was fascinated by start-ups and entrepreneurship. During her sophomore year she was able to score a summer internship as a UX Designer for a prestigious firm.
But though she had worked hard to get this job, the day-to-day pressures of the academic year did not relent.
She heard about ThriveCash through her friend Ben, he mentioned that it might be a good option for her given she would be earning a salary over the summer.
”I wouldn’t have to limit myself from things I wanted to do during the school year.”
“I took a weekend to the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania with my friends.”
With the extra money in her pocket she was able to take advantage of her sophomore year and make memories with her friends. It refreshed her to be able to take a trip out of the bustling city and in the forested peaks of the Poconos.
She was also able to treat herself to “eating good food and going out to nice restaurants.” But also “even small things — like I could splurge a little more when it came to groceries. It didn’t have to be extravagant, but y’know.” She also saw her favorite band, Susto, live. Concerts were another thing that she did not have to hesitate before saying “yes” to.
“I feel like I am just a regular college student, trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.”
Many describe the four years they spent in college as a vignette in time that cannot be replicated. Rachel is making sure she makes the most of hers.
