Posts by Tessel Grubben
Tessel Grubben, NYU, post #3, Friendsgiving
November has been a very good month! It started off with two of my best friends coming to visit me. I tried to show them all my favorite places in the few days they were here. It is so much fun to be able to show people around in this new city that now somewhat feels like yours. We visited museums, did some shopping and sightseeing, and above all we ate a lot. New York offers such a big variety in restaurants. It’s amazing! I think they went home all tired and satisfied after that one week, because we had been walking so much!! The picture shows us on top of the roof of the New Museum.
I also celebrated my very first thanksgiving!! Some of my friends from around here stayed in New York during the holiday instead of going back to their family to celebrate thanksgiving. So we decided to do a so-called ‘friendsgiving’ together. We woke up really early in the morning that day to go and see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade that takes place around Central Park. It’s a famous parade that includes big floating balloons, dancers, clowns, marching bands etc. After that we went back home to start dinner preparations. One of my friends goes to culinary school so she was in charge of all the cooking. She made so much food, including a big stuffed turkey. It was a very fun day and a true American experience!
Tessel Grubben, NYU, post #2, Classes & midterms
Hello,
Very happy to say that I have passed my midterm exams! And at the same time a little sad as well, because that also made me realize that I am already halfway into the semester..
The theme of the courses I am taking is Sustainable City Design. Not only is this a field of study that interests me a lot, but also could there be a better place in the world to study city design than in New York? Besides that, I think it is useful for every future engineer to be learning about sustainable design in whatever field. We need to be aware of the impact of our work on the environment, the climate, and the people around us, for the present as well as the future generations. And the ways we can best be building our cities is really something to think about considering the rapid urbanization and population growth in the world.
Model of New York (The Skyscraper Museum)
New York is often used as an example during a class and we have visited several places for field trips such as parks, musea, and an urban farm on top of a rooftop (see pictures). It is really cool to be walking around in the city and then seeing things you have been studying in real life. Having that extra knowledge about my living environment makes me feel a little more like a New Yorker and less like a tourist, at least just a bit.
Field trip to the urban farm (Brooklyn Grange Farm). I am the sixth from the left, top row
The courses are organized very differently from what I am used to in Delft. They involve a lot more reading, which was something I had to adjust to. Moreover the classes are a lot smaller, attendance and participation is required and counts for you final grade, and lastly the contact with the professors is more personal. They almost all know you by your first name and are open to individual guidance. I really like this style for a change. However, if one day you’re not really feeling like it, there is no possibility of hiding out between other students in a great, big, anonymous lecture hall. Which can be nice sometimes as well 😉
Tessel Grubben, NYU, post #1, Arriving in NYC
Hello!
My name is Tessel Grubben. Not so long ago I arrived in the city that never sleeps: New York. I am currently studying at New York University and will be doing so for the coming few months.
Before I arrived I didn’t know what to expect. And even on the plane flight here, I think I still didn’t fully realize where I was about to go. It wasn’t until the uber driver drove me from the airport to my residence in Brooklyn and we passed all the skyscrapers, amazing buildings and bridges when it all started to sink in: New York was going to be my home for the coming time.
  
I am staying in a student residence in Brooklyn Heights. I have to share my room with two other girls, one American and one from Australia. That was definitely something that I had to get used to, because having two roommates equals no privacy. However, it is also really fun and a true American experience. My residence is at a walking distance from my faculty which is perfect. Besides the convenience, I also really like living in Brooklyn. It sometimes feels like a cosy, seperate village on the egde of a huge city. It is perfect for escaping from the hectics of Manhattan. Nevertheless, If I do want to go into Manhattan, it is only one subway stop away. And on top of that, the Brooklyn Promenade, which is at a minute walk from my dorm, provides the very best view over the New York skyline.
The first few weeks have passed by so quickly, it is unbelievable. I had one week to settle in and get used to my new environment before my first classes would start. So during that week and during all of my free time between classes and on the weekends I have been trying to explore New York City as much as I can. Yet there is still so much more left to see and do. My list continues on growing. Luckily I have three more months to go, so no rush!
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