If you are studying for a career in becoming a secret agent, moving to New York City is the move. Living here teaches you some unique life skills. You learn how to walk down the street with a rough, hard, exterior; one that warns people, don't approach.

You also learn skills like how to tactfully avoid people handing out brochures, and how to use your nonverbal skills to make it very clear that you're not interested in a second date.

You also learn how life hack the priciness in this city like a pro. 

Art openings with free wine? You're there. Ordering bacon cheeseburgers? Absolutely not. Ordering a cheeseburger with bacon on the side is almost always less expensive.

You also learn how to walk long distances, climb stairs like an olympic mountain climber, and cheesy as it may sound, follow your dreams.

What other life lessons do you learn in NYC? Read on to find out.

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1. Boldness

If you've ever been exhausted on your commute home, handling a pounding headache and aching legs, you'll understand this scenario. You wanted a seat more than you wanted dinner that night, and there's a woman with her bag on the seat.

You heard us right. Her bag. On the seat. There is little in NYC life that's more infuriating than this scenario, but when you just moved here, you would've just grabbed a nearby pole and stood, stewing in your anger.

Now, you walk over and command, in a loud voice, "Excuse me." It's not a question. She moves her bag, and you sit down. Would you ever been so bold before you moved here? Probably not. Are you now? Certainly.

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2. Sometimes generosity is self-defeating

Of course being generous is excellent, but sometimes the sad truth of this city is that it's better to just... not. 

Here's what we mean: It's a terrible lesson to learn, but when you've given a guy begging on the subway a ten dollar bill, and then you don't have enough money for a burrito the next day, you sorely, sorely regret your generosity. 

When you're finished eating the most delicious buffalo chicken grilled cheese at The Melt Shop and you give a homeless guy outside your half a sandwich, you really regret that decision when you're hungry later that night. Especially if he didn't get as excited about it as you wanted him to.

The point is, sometimes living in this city you realize you really need to look out for yourself.

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3. People can be kind

We don't recommend leaving your cell phone in a cab. We don't recommend it at all. We do, however, have empirical evidence that more times than not, cab drivers will return lost cell phones.

We know a girl who got drunk and left her phone in a cab three times in one year, and all three times she got it back. Once from the girl who rode in the cab right after her, and twice because two cab drivers drove to her apartment to return it.

We also know this is an expensive city, but it's not that hard to life hack things to make it a little less pricey. If you're nice to the people ringing you up, they might knock down prices. At least, that tends to happen here more than everywhere else.

It's not a science, it's more like an art, but let's just say being nice to bartenders and street cart vendors has its perks.

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4. Be ready for anything

This city definitely teaches you to live life on your toes. You thought you were just going to go to work and go home? Nope. Inevitably, one of your friends will shoot you a text asking you to happy hour, an art gallery, or some sort of niche documentary opening.

Soon, you realize you never know what hurdles this city is going to throw at you. So you need to be ready for them all.

Thought you were heading out for a casual night on the town? You'll probably wind up meeting James Franco or something, we don't know. It could happen. 

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5. Connections are key

As if "connections are key" didn't apply everywhere else in the world. 

The thing is, though, we imagine in North Carolina you could blindly send your resume around and get some calls back. In NYC, that's not the case. In NYC, you get a job because one of your friends' friends is looking to hire someone.

In New York, you learn to put yourself out there. You're probably super passionate about something, and you know there are people in NYC gathering in hoards to discuss the thing you're passionate about.

Savvy New Yorkers know that they need to go to these gatherings, and they need to schmooze. They know these connections will matter later.

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6. Don't burn bridges

Thought this was a huge city? Thought you wouldn't see the ex whose head you poured a beer on ever again?

Wrong. You will certainly see him again. The city has a cosmic way of throwing the people in your path that you want to see the least. 

Quickly, you learn not to curse someone out even though you want to. Badly. You accidentally got drunk and said exactly how you felt to one of your co-workers last year, and then you ran into her at a book opening. 

That kind of thing happens again and again, so eventually you learned it's best to just keep those bridges in tact.

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7. Be yourself

The way to get the most out of this city is to pursue your passions, the things that really turn you on.

Your friends may scoff at your pottery or comic book obsession, but it only takes one quick search on Google to find a whole clan in NYC who's into exactly what you are.

Before you know it, you'll be heartily rewarded for being yourself. You'll wind up having friends with the same interests as you, and you'll start realizing the city will reward you for being exactly who you are.

Seriously, don't even try to get a job you don't actually care about. Everyone in this city is a hustler, and if you land a job you don't care about, they'll be able to spot it a mile off. The only way to grind like everyone else in this city is if you're sprinting after your dreams. 

The secret to success here is that getting three hours of sleep doesn't seem so bad when you're doing it for your dream.

What can we say, this city brings out the very best (and sometimes worst) in people.

Check out 9 Signs You're Totally Over NYC. 

[Feature Image Courtesy Julep]