Jil Sander livestream in a FIT class (Photo: Kieran Dallison)

For the last several years, our contributor Misty Sidell has braved the sometimes-harsh elements of the fashion biz while simultaneously attending classes full-time as a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Now, the recent grad has done her time and lived to tell the tale–albeit with more than a few sob sessions in Conde Nast bathrooms and paper cuts inflicted by fashion week invitations. And with four years of FIT under her belt, in addition to several internships at Conde Nast and Hearst, she’s got more than a few helpful hints and hilarious anecdotes to share with anyone who’s ever considered swapping ‘real college’ for fashion school. Read on, little ones…