Participation in the Community Service Project made me realize how important it is to have someone there to help you. My group had a misunderstanding and had to change our organization last minute. While we were disappointed, Pamela was ready to help us with whatever we needed to find a new organization to work with. This was very reassuring because it is comfortable to know that our peers are here to help us. Throughout the semester, whenever I came across a struggle or a problem, I went to my peers (friends!). Ultimately people need people. To know that there is someone that can help me with math homework, understand why I’m having a bad day, or even listen to me ramble on about how much working in retail sucks, is all very reassuring. Working with a team on the Community Service Project was great practice for my other classes. While there were some disagreements and slow-downs, I realized that in order to be successful, you have to be open to getting help from resources. In participating in the project, I realized that community work takes more team work than I thought it did! To be able to have fun doing a project like this, there has to be a sense of cooperation and equal involvement. By getting to know my group, I am looking forward to completing the service hours! I think we will have fun helping others.

Oh man. How are we gonna talk about the next 3 years when I’m still worrying about all my finals for this semester?! While I spent this semester adapting to college life, I look forward to doing more in the future. This involves joining a club (already planning to join the music business club next semester!) and just keep working hard (while simultaneously not overwhelming myself…how am I going to do that?). In the next 3 years I need to stay on top of being organized and balanced. I especially can’t wait for the internships! But before I do that, I have to survive calculus next semester….

Can’t wait to see what the next 3 years have in store for me and all the new friends I made!

We live in comfort. We have a roof over our heads, food, water, and a bed to sleep on. We get so caught up in our crazy lifestyles that we sometimes forget that it is our responsibility to give back to our community. For the last 2 summers I worked at All Souls’ Soup Kitchen in Manhattan. The woman that ran the program is in her 80s, yet still going strong, feeling an urge to help those in need. She has inspired me to believe that it is our duty to help the less fortunate.

Coming into Baruch, I still hold onto this responsibility of service. Giving back to our community shouldn’t feel like a burden, but rather we should be eager to help. This is promoted by the culture of service of the Honors Program. As academic work makes up majority of college, service is also a really important part of our time here. It helps us develop, learn about our community, and most importantly make a difference to someone else! I also volunteered at the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and feeling the gratitude expressed by these people is ultimately rewarding. By taking the time out of my day to serve food and talk to people, there was a sense of joy in their holidays. This made me question what my priorities are. I am now a strong believer that it is the simple things that provide us with the greatest happiness!

There are so many fun organizations to get involved with in a wide variety of fields. I can’t wait to see what this service project has in store for us!

What makes us who we are? My love of music has dramatically shaped me into the person I am today. I went to my first concert (Hannah Montana, of course) at the age of 11, and ever since then I’ve profoundly attached myself to music. There is something about it that allows us to be free and expressive, as well as there being a song for every mood you’re in. Going to that first concert made me realize that I want to be involved in music for the rest of my life, especially with my career. My values are stemmed in the idea that music is a universal way of uniting people of wide ranging diversity. I believe that music brings people together and has an huge power to inspire.

My main expectation as a college student is to get as much out of the experience as possible. I expect to try my best in all of my classes, but to focus on the usefulness of the content learned, rather than to aim so singularly at getting the highest grades. I really expect to get involved in internship opportunities, as I want these to be the gateways to my future career. They can help me realize exactly what field I want to work in, as well as help with networking opportunities. I am also excited to get involved with study abroad, as I believe that these are once in a lifetime opportunities, and cultural immersion can be one of the greatest learning experiences. As for the first semester, my main concerns are adjusting and learning better time management. I have already realized that planning ahead is crucial, especially with balancing school and a job. As for the adjustments, this includes utilizing all of the facilities the school has to offer (Everyday I learn something new about this place!). I want to get the most out of Baruch so I can look back at it with pleasant memories.