First job out of undergrad. How to make the ask and what should I expect?

The situation: I am a soon to be graduate and have opportunities in investment sales and office leasing at some of the big firms (think CBRE, C&W, JLL, NKF) with top tier teams in NYC.

While I have yet to receive formal offers, I have an idea of what the base compensation would look like and am well aware that any commission or bonus is unlikely during the first year or even possibly the second.

My questions:

1. Is it possible to live comfortably in NYC on a salary of 40-55 K? Personal experiences/advice here would be appreciated. I know it won't be easy and family support is not an option.

2. This is a rather situational question and pretty much answers itself... But how do I make the ask at an interview? Go to lines, do's, do nots- anything would be helpful here as i've come to realize that securing a job in this industry isn't as simple as killing the interview and then getting an offer a week later.

3. Finally, what should I expect during my first year at one of the aforementioned firms? I'm prepared for a struggle and know I will probably get screwed repeatedly. I understand it to be part of the "paying your dues" process, but am more worried about having to little to do and not being an asset to the team.

Sorry for the deluge of questions. There's a lot happening at the moment and I'm beyond excited to see how it turns out. Huge shoutout to all the contributors to this forum- its given me some great insights, advice and laughs.

Cheers