Bo Ming Wang

Eng 2150

https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/bomingwang

I love stocks

Before I was enrolled at Baruch College, I struggled to find my major. I was clueless about what I wanted to study and focus on. For example, in middle school, I wanted to be a policeman; In elementary school, I wanted to be an artist; in junior high school, I wanted to be a doctor; in high school, I wanted to be a teacher. I was so puzzled. Some people say follow your heart, but then there are many subjects I love equally. Realistically, if I really did listen to that advice, I would have multiple occupations. Keeping this in mind, I went on a mission to find another field I felt enthusiastic putting my heart into, and in return, be able to provide me with a stable and long-lasting career.

I found what I was searching for while I was on vacation in China. That year, I became interested in finance, specifically the stock market aspect of finance, which was first introduced to me by my uncle.  I remember that my uncle would always babble about the fluctuations of stocks’ value, but I did not pay much attention to him because it sounded too complex and crazy to me, at first. He personified stocks. Somewhere along the lines of “How could you betray me. I placed my trust in you.” and “I love myself. I knew you would grow.” To be honest, I found it peculiar that every few minutes, he would check his computer like he was possessed or addicted. I expressed disinterest until I found out that he earns money by following a simple process of buying and selling stocks. I was shocked at how he was able to secure sufficient income to support his family and purchase almost anything he wanted while staying home looking at charts. It made me curious. So, in my free time, I developed a habit of performing research on simple guidelines for beginners. I was thrilled but the hype in me quickly dissipated as soon as I found out that I failed to meet a requirement. I needed a guardian’s consent to participate in the stock market. Too bad I was not eighteen at that instant. As a result, I gave up on it because my parents did not approve of me investing in something so risky. But, at eighteen years old, I began stock trading on Robinhood app to get a taste. I was mediocre; I did not win or lose money.My lack of skill made me want to improve even more because I want to be the best in everything.

Luckily, in my senior year of high school, I was reintroduced to stocks in my economics class. My economics teachers separated the class into teams of three and made us play a stock market simulation game on iPads. In this game, teams were given ten thousand dollars to purchase stocks, and the team with the highest net worth at the end of the year wins real money. The competitive and serious nature of the game was lovely. I remember it like it was yesterday when my teammates and I debated over whether spending the last thousand on Apple or Facebook. Things got heated, but like true gentlemen, we fought with words and reason, with no malice involved. This shows how engaged and absorbed I was. Although my team did not win, I learned a great deal and absolutely enjoyed the experience. I always believed that I was solely motivated by the financial aspect and would take any job that promises high salary, but I was wrong. This game was influential; it made me realize how much I enjoyed stock trading. Companies sell stocks to raise money, and buying them is technically financing their business. If the value of a stock I bought increases, that means I assisted the company’s growth. I love to see things I put trust in bloom.

Finance, in general, is the study of money management, which is a must. Wealth management is an essential skill for everyone to learn, and mastery in this would improve judgment on financial decisions, buying, saving, and investing is an example. Plus, in a financial center such as New York, I would get more opportunities to learn from prominent professionals. Also, I like to look at the suitability of a major that is relevant to me. I was taught by my parents and teachers to build on my strengths. Since I excel at math, it is sensible to select a major that is related to it. Of course, finance is not only about math. In order to be involved in finance, one needs a plethora of skills, including problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills. In my honest opinion, a finance degree is perfect for me because I have these skills in my arsenal. One time, when I was a cashier in a retail store, I was on my shift and a violent customer came and demanded a return on a product, but this store had a no-return policy. So, for some reason, the ruthlessly angry man mocked my ethnicity and my family, and even worse, the manager was absent. I had the option of cursing him and potentially be fired or endure the abuse and come out unscathed. I held my head high and maintained eye contact because I was not intimidated by him. Of course, I kept my cool and politely explained to him our policy, and I told him to wait for the manager if he had additional problems. When facing a difficult problem, I do not panic, rather, I take a calm and timely approach to generate as many solutions as I can, and in the end, I would take the best option. I also possess a strong and reasonable mind; I would not allow any of my emotions to influence my decision-making. Although I might not be a powerful speaker, I can positively communicate things loud and clear–currently in speech class and will continue to improve.  

Baruch College’s most popular major is finance. It is not surprising since financial knowledge is in demand in almost every part of the world. Finance is one of the fundamentals of, ranging from, something small like managing a business to something massive like investing in the world’s well-being, for example, technology. Technology accelerates everything–education, food production, health, and finance contributes to the widespread of technology. Financial professionals have an unimaginable impact on the corporate world. They can eliminate stagnant behavior and promote the growth of an organization, and I want to join them. Recently, I am performing research on corporate social responsibility, a policy in which a corporation helps society and environment. Managers usually use CSR as a marketing device to attract consumers in highly competitive industries. If I grasp the concept of CSR, I hope to gain the ability to effectively invest and utilize CSR to benefit my employers.