I over-analyze everything to death. A single thought, idea, situation, gesture, or question, enters my mind and I will process it through multiple perspectives. Over-analyzing is not perfect because there are limits to the number of views I have, which omits the foreign perspectives and usually the most obvious views. The over-analyzing can be advantageous at times but the negative results become the fixation of my over thinking. My beliefs on the origin of this obsession, which might have also been skewed due to over-analyzing, began in school.
In grades four to six of elementary school I belonged to a specialized class. The class of thirty or so students varied slightly from year to year; a handful of students left and joined between the years. At the end of my elementary years, I was active, loud, spontaneous, and mischievous. My belief is that the isolated environment rendered me naive.
When I made the transition to middle school, the enormity of the world became apparent. My natural defense was to withdraw. My new-found introverted personality left me with little to do but watch, observe, think, and let my imagination wander. It seemed inevitable that I would develop an obsession with over-analyzing everything.
Entering Francis Lewis High School with its open atmosphere and welcoming students made it hard not to make friends. Despite a short period of relapse after transferring to the Bronx High School of Science, I found friends who made it virtually impossible to be alone. Although I cannot say that I have completely strayed from my introverted self, I can say I have made progress and wish to continue that process.
Baruch College and its courses have an emphasis on public oration and presentation. These emphases will provide the motivation and the necessity to improve myself, which will benefit me in my career and personal life. The departure from my detached self doesn’t mean leaving and forgetting everything; the attributes like patience, tolerance, and over-analysis would hopefully useful and beneficial.
My only hopes and concerns for my first semester are to familiarize myself with college and embrace what Baruch has to offer.
