Hello NYLC scholars! Below you will find helpful tips & words of advice from those who know best: alumni of the Conference!

To start you off, Emily (Emmirose2008) wants to share her advice with all of you!

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1. Attend NYLC. Even if you know nothing about politics, go. I learned so much when I knew so little about how the government worked. I made friendships that will last a lifetime.
2. Be involved. During your LGM (Leadership Group Meetings) simulations, take on a role. Be the President or the Chief Justice. Be a leader.
3. Make friends. Get all the contact information for anyone that you meet at NYLC. You will want to e-mail them the minute you get off the plane. (I know I did!)

Emily (Emmirose2008)
York, ME
July 29-August 7, 2006

*NYLC Alumni, if you'd like to add your words of advice, please do so below!

1. Go with a positive attitude. Even if your parents are making you go, you’ll get out of it what you put into it.

2. Be nice to your room mates. Even if you have nothing in common, you’ll be spending a good deal of your time with them, and if you don’t get along, or at least be civil to one another, it won’t be as fun.

3. Enjoy the experience! This was one of the best things that ever happened to me, and you’ll never forget it.

4. Don’t let money stop you from going. Fundraise, apply for a scholarship…do whatever you can so you can go, because you’ll regret not going!!!

Kristi (HighOnJesus)
Lakewood, CA
July 22nd to 31st, 2006

i third this, be sure to go if given the opportunity, you will make memories that will last a lifetime! also, be sure to bring a reliable camera (if you are buying something, buy a canon powershot); you will want to take tons of pictures! finally, i reemphasize, connect with as many people as you can while at the conference and be sure to get contact info for anyone you meet! personally, i met most of my best friends at the conference. it truly will impact you in a profound way!

do girls usually wear dresses or pantsuits whila at NYLC? What about shoes?

do we need pant suits for girls? i have dress pants and some dressy shirts and sweaters to wear with them.. would i need like a blazer jacket for the pants?

I would say no. I went the entire 10 days without wearing a suit. But I would make sure that you have some kind of cardigan of jacket you can wear, because there can be cold snaps in the springtime in DC.

Do you need to send in your assignments because that is what my teacher said, but it didnt say anything about that

How much would a plane ticket from Texas to Washington cost?

I'm planning on going to one in D.C. this summer, but my dad says that since I've already gone on 3, I have to pay for this one. Any ideas for fundraising? Or where should I get started?

jAGS field hockeyyy =]]]

You can ask local companies if they will sponsor you in some way.

Does anyone have any ideas for professional attire for girls going to the conference in April. I heard it can be pretty rainy, cool sometimes and warmer at others.

Would it be appropriate to say, wear a sun-type dress from Target with a swaeter over it, or is that to casual?

Any recomanded stores, ideas, and pictures would be greatly appreciated!

I'm super excited to attend NYLC in 30 days!
=)

hey, Bryan Warning said to make lots of coffee, i am planning on bringing coffee but do i need to bring coffee filters?

Prepare to get hardly any sleep! I was so sleep deprived when i got home. But it was all totally worth it because I was living out the best experience of my life.!!!

I second that! NYLC is a great experience, but sleep deprivation seems to be an integral part of it - be prepared to live on caffeinated beverages, and try not to schedule a late plane flight home because you'll want to go to bed early that night!

I've also got some sleep-related advice: If you're going to a conference at a hotel (i.e. Best Western, not the 4-H center), bring a camping mattress and air pump. There will be 3 people assigned to each hotel room but only two real beds. The fold-out cot provided for the third person is half the size of a twin bed and quite uncomfortable, and getting a bad night's sleep trying to sleep on it will only add to your sleep deprivation. I was much more comfortable on an inflatable twin-size camping mattress, and it only took up an extra cubic foot or so in my luggage.

Other than that, though, I can only just agree with everyone else's advice - bring a camera, get everyone's e-mail, etc.

What I learned during NYLC last week:

1. If you're vegan, or if you're vegetarian or you eat kosher or anything, be sure to bring your own food. I am vegan and I knew there would be complications with my diet, so I brought a lot of dried fruits, crackers, and rice cakes. I also stole a lot of apples from breakfast and snacked on those during the day. The only thing I could eat was the salad and that rarely came with tomatos and cucumbers, so I would dress it up with cut up apple and dried fruit.

2. Don't spend all of your money in the first couple of days. There was a kid who would buy all the food he saw when we went out and he ran out of money the 4th day. The rest of the conference he had to talk people into buying food and stuff for him. So, don't spend all of your money in the same place!

3. bring a camera! You'll be taking a lot of pictures of the sites, the people in your LGM and MoCo, and your roommates.

4. COME WITH AN OPEN MIND! There were so many people who didn't come with an open mind who did nothing but complain about what we were doing and how 'liberal' the conference was. I was really hearing about it after the issue advocacy meetings. You'll be meeting a lot of different people who have very diverse views. In order to get the best experience from this conference, the most important thing you need is an open mind.

5. Make new friends and talk to everybody. You never know what you'll learn or who you'll meet.

6. Be involved. Ask the speakers questions, be active in your LGM and MoCo, take a leadership position in simulations, do everything! You'll learn sooo much.]

7. When you're let loose upon D.C. for lunch, go to a local restaurant that has food you've never had before. For example in Georgetown, i went to this amazing vegan-friendly restaurant that was started by two Georgetown students a couple of years ago. My friends (who were non-vegan) said the food was amazing and that the frozen yogurt was better than any they had had before. We went there and had a great time while other kids went to Subway and McDonalds. Go taste the local culture!

8. Take advantage of breaks and bus time. during the breaks you get during meals and sometimes throughout the day, you can do your homework so you don't have to stay up late that night. You can also sleep if you're feeling tired. One day I got my homework done and then took an hour and a half nap in the break times we got.

9. If you're a girl, bring a huge purse so you can put all of your things in it and so you don't have to carry anything. But, be sure to bring a small purse (big enough for a wallet and a cell phone and that's it!) to take on Capitol Hill.

10. Be nice to everybody, especially your roommates. Your friends will make your experience much more enjoyable.

Okay, that's my advice. Enjoy!

NYLC was by far the best experience i have ever had. If i have any advice for someone attending it is to make new friends. I consider my self a shy person but it was so easy to meet people and become GREAT friends. Make sure you stay in touch too. I know that i had such an amazing time because of the people i met.

I totally 100% agree with Runnergirl. Best experience of my life by far. You will never forget the people you met or the memories and jokes you made. It was freaking awesome

Yes, be really open with everyone, because everyone is a little nervous, and we all want to make friends right?! Be inclusive with everyone. I know that a lot of girls go for style instead of comfort, so if you're going to do that, take some flip flops in your bag so you can change into them, especially if you're going during the summer or late spring months. As for money, don't bring a fortune, but definitely bring a little more than you think you'll need, because I remember some people blew their money early on and had none left for the last few days. Also, don't stay up all night long....you are going non stop the whole week from place to place...get a little rest!

quote:

Originally posted by smallvillefreak:
You can ask local companies if they will sponsor you in some way.

I really want to go to next year's NYLC but I'm worried about paying for it. Can anyone give me some advice/details about having companies sponser me or fundraising?

quote:

Originally posted by Kayley Scruggs:

quote:

Originally posted by smallvillefreak:
You can ask local companies if they will sponsor you in some way.

I really want to go to next year's NYLC but I'm worried about paying for it. Can anyone give me some advice/details about having companies sponser me or fundraising?

If it's mom & pop shops, ask if you can talk to the manager - you'll want to take any NYLC materials with you that you can, that way you can prove you're serious about it. You may also want to see if the local newspaper will do a small article on you - you could get donations that way. Or you could see if they'll pay you for an interview after you come back from NYLC. Take pictures for them, be like a little reporter and all that jazz. Don't be afraid to ask your family if they have any connections; same goes for your teachers.