Where do you see yourself in three years? Wow, it isn’t “four” anymore… first semester of college is basically over.

Well, after completing the community service project with my group, Meir and Sharon, I’ve realized (even more so than before) that it is our responsibility to help less fortunate people, especially being that we are so lucky to be living in good homes and going to a great school with amazing perks and opportunities. As a whole, we learned that community service projects generally stem from very large issues, and people attempt to fix them in some way. We look forward to reading to young children at “The Pajama Program” in order to fuel their curiosity and encourage them to work hard, and have fun, in school. We want to be role models, and hopefully we succeed in doing so.

Now that I have a good idea of what college is like and how terrible I was with time managing school, work, and a social life – I think next semester is a great time to get involved in a club or two, as well as focusing on choosing a major. I really want to start interning soon and networking in order to have a successful career search, so the STARR Career Development Center will be my go-to this Spring. The last three months I spent doing a lot of work and meeting some incredible people, so with this I know I can move forward in building my future, as well as improving on my study habits. Having an adviser like Mr. Medina is very comforting in that he is a very understanding person, and works hard to encourage us to time-manage and really focus on why we are Scholars and how we will maintain that title.

So back to that question that is lingering on the top of the post. Right now, my hopes are to still be a Scholar here at Baruch, and narrow down my possible paths to a career. I feel there are too many uncertainties to predict anything too soon, but I have confidence that my hard work will pay off.

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me and my fellow Scholars, and I am so grateful that my first semester of college was spent with them.

Where do you see yourself in three years? Wow, it isn’t “four” anymore… first semester of college is basically over.

Well, after completing the community service project with my group, Meir and Sharon, I’ve realized (even more so than before) that it is our responsibility to help less fortunate people, especially being that we are so lucky to be living in good homes and going to a great school with amazing perks and opportunities. As a whole, we learned that community service projects generally stem from very large issues, and people attempt to fix them in some way. We look forward to reading to young children at “The Pajama Program” in order to fuel their curiosity and encourage them to work hard, and have fun, in school. We want to be role models, and hopefully we succeed in doing so.

Now that I have a good idea of what college is like and how terrible I was with time managing school, work, and a social life – I think next semester is a great time to get involved in a club or two, as well as focusing on choosing a major. I really want to start interning soon and networking in order to have a successful career search, so the STARR Career Development Center will be my go-to this Spring. The last three months I spent doing a lot of work and meeting some incredible people, so with this I know I can move forward in building my future, as well as improving on my study habits. Having an adviser like Mr. Medina is very comforting in that he is a very understanding person, and works hard to encourage us to time-manage and really focus on why we are Scholars and how we will maintain that title.

So back to that question that is lingering on the top of the post. Right now, my hopes are to still be a Scholar here at Baruch, and narrow down my possible paths to a career. I feel there are too many uncertainties to predict anything too soon, but I have confidence that my hard work will pay off.

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me and my fellow Scholars, and I am so grateful that my first semester of college was spent with them.

I have come to realize that many people underestimate what Baruch has to offer coming into college but I learned that although Baruch might be a commuter school, it still has a lot of resources and opportunities at hand for students. For example, I have frequently made use of the Writing Center to receive help with my English papers and assignments. Being that the people that are looking over my work are actually certified English professors, I am glad that I am accessible to the expertise of faculty and staff and can make use of them. In terms of my academics in general, I also have Mr. Medina, the Baruch Scholars advisor, to turn to for direction and guidance when it comes to the Honors Program. Since Baruch Scholars have different requirements to meet compared to other students here at Baruch, Mr. Medina provides the help that we need to meet those standards.

With regard to the Community Service Project, my group members and I have done extensive research on our non-profit organization and we’re really excited to take part in the first chance of volunteer service that we get at the Clinton Foundation. Volunteering for any organization, and not just this one in particular, would help us to expose ourselves to real life problems, which will allow us to broaden our perspectives in general.

I have committed myself to a club from the very beginning of this semester because I knew that I wanted to get involved in some way or another. Although this club is taking up a big chunk of my time as of now, I hope to manage my time more appropriately and be able to allocate my use of time wisely so that I can involve myself in a lot more clubs next semester. Some of the clubs that I find myself drawn to are the Accounting Society Club, USG, and Women for Empowerment. But first, I want to set a stable foundation in terms of academics and then join other clubs when I see fit in the future.

The Community Service Project has made my expectations of my life in three years even more uncertain than it already was; in preparing my group’s presentation and viewing the presentations of other groups, I discover more and more intriguing organizations and activities to consider participating in. During my high school years, I’ve only volunteered in hospitals and soup kitchens, which I find to be rather typical. Though I’ve heard a lot about other types of volunteering organizations, such as programs to assist less-privileged young kids, the Bill Clinton Foundation, and so on, I have never seen myself with the ability and opportunity to possibly contribute to them. However, seeing the Community Service Proposals that my group and other groups came up with, the possibility of expanding my range of volunteering experiences arises. Along with this comes the uncertainty; will I have enough free time to try these organizations? Will I be able to manage my time well enough in the future? For now, though, I’d like to focus on the organization my group chose and hopefully, it goes well. Especially when so much has changed in life in the past three months, a clear vision of how my life would be in the next three years is difficult to form. Nevertheless, I hope that I’ll still have the enthusiasm to contribute my time and knowledge to my community in some way, the drive to improve myself as a person and a student, and the motivation to continue and invest the best of my ability in whatever I’m doing.

My participation not only in the Community Service Project but college in general has encouraged me and actually made me seek out some of the available resources on campus. There are so many resources available for most of our student needs which makes college life more enriching and manageable. I, personally, made us of SACC (Student Academic Consulting Center) a lot this semester. I had some difficulties with my math class, mostly for not being adequately prepared for the course before it started. SACC made me more comfortable in this class and clarified certain topics and concepts I would not had been able to figure out on my own. The one-on-one help I received was helpful and in a way it released some of the stress that class might have brought about. Other resources I utilized was meeting with faculty members to discuss my current stands in college. From Mr. Medina, to some of my professors, meeting with them during their office hours truly allowed me to express my concerns with certain aspects of college. They all provided me with guidance and excellent recommendations to improve my experience in learning experience.

With respect to the Community Service Project specifically, my group members and I made extensive use of some of the library resources. We manage to find a non-profit organization that fit well with thither of us and we are looking forward to actually volunteer. The library, for me, was the best place to study and do my assignments during this entire semester. It is one of the few places where I can truly focus on homework and study efficiently. Overall, my experience during my first semester of college has been good, with a few difficulties managing my time efficiently but it has been a truly enriching experience. In the next three years I see my self in a better position when it comes to time managements, hopefully having landed one or two internships, and on the right track towards meeting my graduation requirements.

-Edgar Marroquin

My participation not only in the Community Service Project but college in general has encouraged me and actually made me seek out some of the available resources on campus. There are so many resources available for most of our student needs which makes college life more enriching and manageable. I, personally, made us of SACC (Student Academic Consulting Center) a lot this semester. I had some difficulties with my math class, mostly for not being adequately prepared for the course before it started. SACC made me more comfortable in this class and clarified certain topics and concepts I would not had been able to figure out on my own. The one-on-one help I received was helpful and in a way it released some of the stress that class might have brought about. Other resources I utilized was meeting with faculty members to discuss my current stands in college. From Mr. Medina, to some of my professors, meeting with them during their office hours truly allowed me to express my concerns with certain aspects of college. They all provided me with guidance and excellent recommendations to improve my experience in learning experience.

With respect to the Community Service Project specifically, my group members and I made extensive use of some of the library resources. We manage to find a non-profit organization that fit well with thither of us and we are looking forward to actually volunteer. The library, for me, was the best place to study and do my assignments during this entire semester. It is one of the few places where I can truly focus on homework and study efficiently. Overall, my experience during my first semester of college has been good, with a few difficulties managing my time efficiently but it has been a truly enriching experience. In the next three years I see my self in a better position when it comes to time managements, hopefully having landed one or two internships, and on the right track towards meeting my graduation requirements.

-Edgar Marroquin

Looking forward, towards the next four years at Baruch I can confidently say I believe my future here and even further, after graduation will be very bright. The incredible faculty, advisors, and students I have met these past few months have inspired me as well as provided me with the various resources and information necessary for me to chase my dreams. I am in the process of visiting and making use of all the support centers here, as well as the various clubs and teams available. Specifically, I want to become better associated with the STARR Career Development Center as in the upcoming semesters I hope I will further narrow down what I want to be studying as a major/minor. Further, this semester I told myself I would look at a lot of different clubs but refrain from joining anything too quickly as I wanted to fully adjust to college life and work loads before committing myself to anything. In doing this and kind of visiting different clubs I found myself drawn to a number of different clubs and as a result am incredibly excited to start joining different clubs next semester and over the next few years. Specifically, I applied to TEAM Baruch (Freshman Seminar Peer Mentor, or Orientation Leader or Peers for Careers), and am considering joining Pre-Law Society, Sigma Alpha Delta, USG and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The community service project, that is to be fulfilled next semester, has not only drawn me closer to some of my fellow Scholars but further has reinforced the importance of giving back and forever being thankful for the everyday things we have. Overall, my first semester at Baruch as a Scholar has been better than I could’ve ever imagined. Of course, there have been very stressful moments and hardships have come up however, I have never felt more grateful for the endless opportunities I have here that I simply would not have at another college. Not only am I looking forward to learning new things, joining new clubs, having various internships and studying abroad but further, I’m looking forward to sharing new memories with a group of individuals who are brilliant and have a genuine desire to help others.

Looking forward, towards the next four years at Baruch I can confidently say I believe my future here and even further, after graduation will be very bright. The incredible faculty, advisors, and students I have met these past few months have inspired me as well as provided me with the various resources and information necessary for me to chase my dreams. I am in the process of visiting and making use of all the support centers here, as well as the various clubs and teams available. Specifically, I want to become better associated with the STARR Career Development Center as in the upcoming semesters I hope I will further narrow down what I want to be studying as a major/minor. Further, this semester I told myself I would look at a lot of different clubs but refrain from joining anything too quickly as I wanted to fully adjust to college life and work loads before committing myself to anything. In doing this and kind of visiting different clubs I found myself drawn to a number of different clubs and as a result am incredibly excited to start joining different clubs next semester and over the next few years. Specifically, I applied to TEAM Baruch (Freshman Seminar Peer Mentor, or Orientation Leader or Peers for Careers), and am considering joining Pre-Law Society, Sigma Alpha Delta, USG and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The community service project, that is to be fulfilled next semester, has not only drawn me closer to some of my fellow Scholars but further has reinforced the importance of giving back and forever being thankful for the everyday things we have. Overall, my first semester at Baruch as a Scholar has been better than I could’ve ever imagined. Of course, there have been very stressful moments and hardships have come up however, I have never felt more grateful for the endless opportunities I have here that I simply would not have at another college. Not only am I looking forward to learning new things, joining new clubs, having various internships and studying abroad but further, I’m looking forward to sharing new memories with a group of individuals who are brilliant and have a genuine desire to help others.

Throughout the past semester, I have learned that Baruch College has numerous resources students can turn to for just about anything. Although I haven’t taken advantage of any of them yet, I know where I can get help if I’m ever having trouble with my academics or even my personal life. The one resource I have used since being at Baruch is the scholars’ academic advisor, Mr. Medina. Mr. Medina helped set me straight when I was stressed out about my status as a Baruch scholar. He also connected me to other people he knew, usually within the natural science department, who could aid me when Mr. Medina felt he couldn’t fully answer my questions. He was/is a very great help and I would consider him one of the most valuable assets of the scholars program.

As for the community service project, I cannot wait to start volunteering at DoSomething.org with Karen and David. From the emails the staff has sent us so far, I can tell that the environment at their NYC office is fun and upbeat. Through volunteering, I will definitely know more about the world around us and the issues I may have not known existed.  I can apply this knowledge to my classes, even furthering my understanding of the world.

Unfortunately, I have not committed to any clubs this semester though I do plan to in the Spring semester. This semester, while I did have the time, I did check out the BioMed Society as well as the Undergraduate Student Government. I will have to get more involved with the BioMed Society seeing as I am on a premed track, but I don’t currently have the time for it. I also plan on becoming a committee member of the Undergraduate Student Government. I have a lot of exploring to do; I’m sure I’ll find many clubs that’ll suit my taste.

Three years from now, I hope to have fulfilled a large majority of my requirements, both honors and premed. By then, I should be studying intensely for the MCATs. I hope to maintain a close relationship with the rest of the learning community since they have been an immense help during this first semester. Wishing you all the best. Happy holidays! Happy New Year everyone! :)))

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!