Survival Guide: Baruch Edition

If a potential employer typed in your name in the Google search engine, what kind of things would show up? Best class president? Highest grade point average? How about a picture of a mug-shot from a recent arrest of drug-possession? Well, that is the reality that Maxwell Birnbaum, the college freshman that is the subject of David Segal’s “Mugged by a Mug Shot Online” had to face. While Birnbaum was riding with a group of friends to enjoy spring break, the police pulled over the crew for a trivial taillight malfunction. The police discovered not one but six ecstasy pills in Birnbaum’s possession. Consequently, he gets placed under arrest and a number of “mug-shot sites” publicize his picture. What once started as a night to get “high” brings Birnbaum in the lowest position possible:criminal. Now he has to pay for it- literally. According to the article, the cost to remove these pictures range from $30-$400. I personally do not know of any college student, talk-less of freshmen alone, can dish out this amount. Can you?

It is better for us as college students to realize that everything we do now will have a direct affect on our future. Our whole purpose in attending college is to make a name for ourselves in a particular career industry.Perhaps it is in business, science, or the arts. Regardless of the field that you want to pursue, the image behind your name will determine your success. Let us not create a rotten stigma for ourselves because of the lure of peer pressure or the desire to fit in. Rather, let us create a reputation-a legacy, a brand- that will allow people to see our talents, achievements, and true character. Birnbaum got rejected from a potential employer because of something that he did on one night in his freshman year. That one night determined the employer’s first impression of Birnbaum. Our actions determines people’s perceptions of our character. Have you engaged in any activities that may have jeopardize your future (i.e. drinking underage, etc.)? If you have, smile, because even though your mugshot wasn’t taking this time, you could be next. The time to rid yourself from a reputation of crime- or anything negative for that matter- starts…NOW.

The article entitled “Dealing With Default” by Paul Krugman expresses the increasing fear of the United States Government going into default. Republicans have decided to raise the debt ceiling but the extension will be short-term, meaning that there is still a possibility of hitting the ceiling. Just recently in 2011, Congress had voted to increase the debt limit for the U.S. to $17.1 trillion, clearly showing their inability to stick to their budget. If the U.S. enters a general default after failing to meet its legal obligations, there will be dire consequences. These consequences include unpaid interest on bonds and delays in sending Social Security checks.

The result of the United States Government defaulting can only be a financial crisis. This is what we as college students, must do our best to avoid. If we mismanage our expenses and liabilities, we fall into a financial crisis that could ultimately lead to long-term debt. As college students we need to budget effectively, unlike what the government has been doing. This means being conscious of the amount of debt we have in terms of student loans, credit cards and cutting down our expenses in order to pay back the debt in a timely fashion. College students must acquire financial responsibility and accountability so that they can be masters and not slaves-more specifically debt slaves-to their money.

A day without sleep is like a day in the Sahara after forgetting your jug of water at home, at least for a college student that is. Between homework, class, exams, and school related clubs, sleep is an essential part of the college experience. However for some people, sleep doesn’t come easily, and attaining a good portion of sleep can be a hardship.
So how does a college student deal with the pressures of not being able to get a good night of sleep and receive the amount of sleep required to be on their top game for the school day? The answer to this very question was tested by Dr. Baron and published in the New York Times article “ How Exercise Can Help Us Sleep Better” by Gretchen Reynolds. In this article, Dr. Baron examined the affects of exercise patterns in comparison to sleep patterns in insomniac women. He concluded that exercising daily and regularly for four months can actually improve sleep cycles.
As learned through the wise words in my English class, Professor Troy acknowledged that “ An essay written at 2 p.m. might sound brilliant, however at 2 a.m., it just sounds silly.” There in fact is a strong correlation between the amount of sleep a student receives and their particular progress in school. In consideration to the findings of Dr. Baron this also ties together exercise with academic achievement. Therefore, to advance in school, students should try to regularly exercise to ensure a healthy sleep pattern. This in turn would promote time of rest, and raise the productivity of a student, and give way to more coherent thoughts on assignments, exams, and classroom discussions. Take a sip of the water in the Sahara students, sleep, and exercise regularly to prevail in school.

What’s a Baruch student to do with two hours of free time? Yep, I said it: FREE TIME. Who would have known that such a thing existed in a world where we are always bolting to class, papers are constantly being thrown in our faces, and deadlines need to be met? Well, at Baruch, there is something called “club hours”: an approximately two-hour period where no classes are scheduled. Not only are club hours a time to wind down and relax, but it is also a time to build up. By build up, we mean the professional development that transpires as a result of club membership. Baruch’s variety of clubs and organizations range from cultural to religious to degree-oriented. It may be a little overwhelming at first, but they are all designed with one purpose in mind: to broaden the horizons of your social network.
The old saying that “it’s not only what you know but also who you know” holds true. Through these clubs, students are exposed to the professional world; students receive internships and partake in opportunities and experiences that will only benefit them in their career journey. So don’t just blast your new Kanye album or grab a slice of pizza or build a puddle of drool on the lounge’s couch (We know who you are!); use club hours wisely to build relationships that will last a lifetime. No more clubbing during club hours!

Having a part time job is an experience that some students partake in and others do not. Having such a job is usually a matter of whether or not you can place time for it in your schedule. Since there are many activities like clubs and sports that students can get involved in, finding a job isn’t possible to do sometimes. Even so, what is the value of a part time job in relation to these extracurricular activities? In the article, a mother considers whether or not her children can find the time to get a part time job when their schedules are already filled with clubs and sports. The whole purpose of school is to learn how to critically think, to acquire knowledge, attain a skill set that makes you a competitive candidate for a job in the career you want to pursue. My English professor once said: “Part time jobs, not matter how insignificant it seems, always looks better on a resume than being a member of the bonsai club.” Students always complain about not being able to find a job because lack of experience. If they stopped participating in on or 2 activities, they may be able to find a minor job that provides their resume with that valuable experience. Of course clubs are important, but students should try to avoid the frivolous ones in favor for the ones where you can make professions connections. Extracurricular activities may be fun, but they don’t hold the value that a part time job does.

What if you were asked to draw a picture of your favorite place to go or thing to do? Easy enough, right? You’ll probably draw yourself at the local hot-spot on a night out with your friends, cooking (or burning) your favorite meal, or who knows-maybe your favorite place to be is school (yeah, right). But this is besides the point. The ability to envision one’s self in a particular scenario is a luxury that so many of us take for granted. Some individuals, as we have come to discover, are able to envision things, but they are unable to actually see them. Our New York Cares volunteer experience, a graduation requirement for all Baruch freshman, taught us the true value of sight.
In order to believe in something, many of us have to see it. However, we learned that those who were visually impaired or lacked the ability of sight altogether believed in things that they did not see. The adults that we worked with described vivid images of nature, places, and things, created beautiful pieces of jewelry, and compiled creative groups of fabrics just by believing. We, as college students, can relate this measure of faith to our success at Baruch: although the end of the road seems unclear, we must envision ourselves achieving greatness by simply creating an image in our heads. Seeing, therefore, is not the only way to believe.

Technology is an essential aspect of a college student’s life. Most people assume that the students of this generation come to college with a certain level of proficiency on technology. However, many seem to forget that such a skill set is an acquired trait and not that of a natural one. As a result, there is an occasional instance of miscommunication between professors and students. Unfortunately, Baruch students aren’t an exception to this situation. In the beginning of October, my English professor sent an announcement through Blackboard, CUNY’s virtual directory, saying that class would be cancelled that day. I ignored Blackboard at the time and I expected that such an announcement would have come through email. I came to class that day and learned my lesson. In a way, that is really what the college experience is about; learning how to adjust and adapt to a different type of life by being self-sufficient.
The article entitled “Technology and The College Generation” mentions what professors are trying to do to fix this issue. While their efforts are appreciated, they shouldn’t be doing this because it isn’t their responsibility. Students have an obligation to take the initiative to find the solution to this problem. If students are coddled all throughout their lives, they won’t be able to adapt to a life after school. Being in a safe environment like Baruch allows students to make the minor mistakes and learn the necessary skills they need for the future. If we didn’t have such institutions, the mistakes that could have been made would have held much deeper consequences.