I have always been a very self sufficient person, preferring to figure things out on my own rather than depending on someone else helping me find the answer. However, I have realized this way of thinking just isn’t possible in college. Especially in class when the professor isn’t clear about an assignment, I have to look to other people for help in order to survive college.

For this project, I got help from Maria (our peer mentor) and from the visits from the different centers. For example, one of the Honors program liasons helped us find our organization by providing some websites for us to look through. This proved extremely helpful because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to find any non for profit organizations.

By going to these centers for the project, it has let me learn that it is okay to ask for help and that I should actively look for it. Because of this, I have learned to ask the professor questions whether in class or by email (I prefer to email, less personal) or draw on the knowledge of my friends for answers. Additionally, I have gone to the writing center and SACC for help on assignments. Those sessions are usually helpful and they point me in the correct direction for each project.

I have definitely grown as a student this past semester. I feel like I will be more successful over the course of the next 3 years because I won’t hesitate to reach out to all these resources so that I can accomplish all my goals. During the next 3 years, I see myself keeping close with my friends in the Baruch Scholars group and making sure to ask for help and give help to those who need it. College isn’t an individual project, instead it is a group project where one person is the leader and they draw on others around them to help complete their project of graduation. There is no way I would be able to survive this first semester let alone the next 3 years without everyone around me supporting me and helping me grow as a person and as a student.

I have always been a very self sufficient person, preferring to figure things out on my own rather than depending on someone else helping me find the answer. However, I have realized this way of thinking just isn’t possible in college. Especially in class when the professor isn’t clear about an assignment, I have to look to other people for help in order to survive college.

For this project, I got help from Maria (our peer mentor) and from the visits from the different centers. For example, one of the Honors program liasons helped us find our organization by providing some websites for us to look through. This proved extremely helpful because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to find any non for profit organizations.

By going to these centers for the project, it has let me learn that it is okay to ask for help and that I should actively look for it. Because of this, I have learned to ask the professor questions whether in class or by email (I prefer to email, less personal) or draw on the knowledge of my friends for answers. Additionally, I have gone to the writing center and SACC for help on assignments. Those sessions are usually helpful and they point me in the correct direction for each project.

I have definitely grown as a student this past semester. I feel like I will be more successful over the course of the next 3 years because I won’t hesitate to reach out to all these resources so that I can accomplish all my goals. During the next 3 years, I see myself keeping close with my friends in the Baruch Scholars group and making sure to ask for help and give help to those who need it. College isn’t an individual project, instead it is a group project where one person is the leader and they draw on others around them to help complete their project of graduation. There is no way I would be able to survive this first semester let alone the next 3 years without everyone around me supporting me and helping me grow as a person and as a student.

As a Baruch scholar, we are expected to be achieving more than the other students. We are supposed to be more active in the clubs or community, achieve higher grades, and just set a better example. As a scholar, we are supposed to be a role model for the other students, guiding them when there is confusion and helping them out whenever possible.

As a way to do this, we have to be active in and out of school. Participating in clubs, whether as just a member or as a board member, allows us to keep in touch with various students in a social context.

Besides clubs, we are required to volunteer outside of school so that we can better our community. By taking time out of our busy lives, this ensures that we are giving back to our community in any helpful way. It enables us to connect with different groups of people that aren’t in our daily lives. If it is reading books to young children or serving food at a soup kitchen, volunteering makes us reconnect with people outside of school and learning. It teaches us that there is more than just school books and homework but rather there is a whole world out there and we need to help make it a better place.

By requiring us to volunteer our time to different organizations, it guarantees us that we find something that we would like to do and then really learn from the experience. Those required hours really make us touch base with what is going on and reminds us of our role as a Baruch Scholar. I am definitely looking forward to finding the organization that interests me and volunteering to better my community.

As a Baruch scholar, we are expected to be achieving more than the other students. We are supposed to be more active in the clubs or community, achieve higher grades, and just set a better example. As a scholar, we are supposed to be a role model for the other students, guiding them when there is confusion and helping them out whenever possible.

As a way to do this, we have to be active in and out of school. Participating in clubs, whether as just a member or as a board member, allows us to keep in touch with various students in a social context.

Besides clubs, we are required to volunteer outside of school so that we can better our community. By taking time out of our busy lives, this ensures that we are giving back to our community in any helpful way. It enables us to connect with different groups of people that aren’t in our daily lives. If it is reading books to young children or serving food at a soup kitchen, volunteering makes us reconnect with people outside of school and learning. It teaches us that there is more than just school books and homework but rather there is a whole world out there and we need to help make it a better place.

By requiring us to volunteer our time to different organizations, it guarantees us that we find something that we would like to do and then really learn from the experience. Those required hours really make us touch base with what is going on and reminds us of our role as a Baruch Scholar. I am definitely looking forward to finding the organization that interests me and volunteering to better my community.

Hey guys, my name is Markella Giannakopoulos. I pretty much went to Baruch College because I would get free tuition, the accounting program is top notch, and because my sister told me to. When I was a junior in high school, I believed that I wanted to be a math teacher because I liked math a lot. However, as I was helping my friends I realized that I had absolutely no patience. I could explain it to them, but if it took to long I would get annoyed. That career choice went down the drain. My sister suggested I try accounting because I was so similar to her and that is how I came to go to Baruch.

I come from a large family (there are 8 children in total) and that has really affected me. I am really outgoing when I am with my family but when I am by myself, I am sort of shy. I am also a twin so I’ve always had my brother with me to sort of help me when I needed. Because I am going to Baruch, this is the first time that I am completely by myself. I was so nervous that first day but having all the orientations helped mollify my fears. Since I am by myself,  I hope that I can make enough friends or a few close friends to get me accustomed to college. Having the learning community as well as the swim team has really helped me grow as a person. I am finding myself being more outgoing although I will never really be extroverted.

I am really nervous about the first semester. I am trying to juggle practices everyday, doing my homework, studying, and having time with my family. I have come to the realization that I can’t study at home so I need to stay later in the library. Otherwise I am going to try really hard to stay on schedule and even go beyond so that I can really flourish in this school.

I hope I have a great time in this school.