Where have you been and Where are you going?

Hi, my names is Alexander Siegel and I was born and raised in Brooklyn. I live in Manhattan Beach, a neighborhood that is considered “Little Russia”, besides Brighton Beach. Most people expect me to be Russian, but I’m actually as American as you can get. Like some of you know, I am a third generation Baruch Student. My Grandfather and father both graduated in previous decades.
I live one block away from my elementary school, so as a kid there was never an excuse to be late to school. Growing up I was rather sheltered in the sense that I never had to leave the general area to do anything. Everything was pretty close and in walking distance. As a kid I was only familiar with Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, and the Emmons Avenue area of Sheepshead Bay. All of my closest friends live in the neighborhood.  Most of us have been close since Pre-K and Kindergarten.
My first big step to independence and maturity was getting accepted to Mark Twain. This was a big leap for me since I was so used to walking to school, and then was required to take the bus every day. Obviously at first new things are somewhat scary, but with time it became simple. Going to high school was like a mini journey every day. I had to take the train to Ave M, which at first seemed like a great distance. All of these “trips” were just the stepping stones to preparing me for the hour trip to Baruch college. This taught me independence and how to travel alone and deal with my own problems on the way.
Some other things that helped shape me into the person I am:
Fishing with my family since I was a child.
Growing up with nature in Pennsylvania and the beach in Brooklyn.
Working at my friends restaurant on the Coney Island Boardwalk.( Rubys Bar and Grill)
I have always generally been a good student. Throughout my student career I have always put homework above leisure as soon as I returned home. College is a different story. There doesn’t seem to be enough time to carry out the same time schedule in school. I already noticed it is much harder starting homework right when I get home since its around dinner time. I know college is much harder than High School due to all of the independence you are given. No one is there to tell you what to do every step of the way. My main concern for the first semester is how tests are in college. Im not used to major essay exams where the student must write multiple essays on multiple topics in one test. I also am concerned for classes in lecture halls since they are so impersonal. Im hoping that sticking to my good study habits will be enough to get good grades. I can only wait and see what the dreaded finals week will be like.