The fact that the semester is almost over surprises me. Has it really been three months? At the same time, the past three months have felt much longer than that. However, the semester isn’t over yet and neither is the Community Service Project. I realize now that without the support of the staff and faculty of Baruch, the past three months would’ve been much harder. To start off, I would like to thank Stephen Francoeur for taking the time to help myself and other Baruch Scholars find the organizations that we would eventually volunteer at. I’ve volunteered at certain organizations before and have learned that it’s very important to make sure that you’re spending your time productively. Don’t spend the summer working for an organization that you later realize is not that great! Although I have not actually volunteered for my organization in the Spring yet, I have learned a lot about my organization through their site already. The proposal itself has also helped me think about the organization from a different perspective. Community service isn’t just spending hours doing mindless work as I had previously though. Community service is about giving back to the community and becoming a part of a greater cause through seemingly small actions.

I have learned a great deal from the support centers here at Baruch. Although I have not sought help from every center in Baruch, I have been to the Writing Center, SACC, and even the Student Health Care Center. These centers, especially the Writing Center, has proved to be very useful. I am not the best writer out there and that is exactly why I’m here at Baruch. I have learned valuable writing tips from the Writing Center and received help on assignments from SACC. Although the Student Health Care Center does not provide for me educationally, it gives me a feeling of confidence. I know that if I ever feel a cold coming, I could drop by the center to be checked out. Next semester, I plan on visiting the Study Abroad and STARR office to prepare and plan for the future that isn’t so distant anymore.

A big part of student life is, of course, clubs. Baruch emphasizes student life so much that it actually has club hours twice a week. With a slight feeling of guilty, I admit that I have not joined a club yet. From the beginning of this semester, I knew that I would settle in for my first semester and then consider clubs in my second semester here. Although I have not joined a club, I have attended a handful of informational events held by various clubs.

I imagine the experience of the next three years to be like driving like a road trip. There will be bumps here and there but I’ll eventually make it to my destination. Along the way, I’ll stop by places, meet new people, and experience many new things. I expect to see myself visiting STARR and the study abroad quite often. Hopefully, I would be able to build a strong resume and skills that will help me succeed not only in finding a job but in keeping one. In the last two years of college, I’m going to study abroad at least once. Although my parents are against it right now due to costs, I’ll do my best to work something out.