Today I attended a workshop for managing relationships. This workshop was more than I expected as we got to meet new people and discuss certain issues we all have in common. At first we discussed family relationships and how it can sometimes affect our school life. Many students live in dorms and are far away from their family so staying in contact can sometimes be a problem. Not only that, but schoolwork, clubs and teams get in the way of ever seeing your family. Many students shared that being on a team keeps them at school and by the time they come home, it’s time for bed. So communication with your family is sometimes difficult.
Apart from managing family relationships, we also discussed maintaining friendships. While discussing this, the mentor asked us if any of us came to Baruch not knowing anybody. A great number of students raised their hands, including myself. I did not know anybody in this school but for the past time I’ve been here, I met a lot of new people. We did an activity where we had to walk around and meet 5 new people. During this time, I met a lot of interesting people that I’ve never spoken to before. This was a great activity to do because it opened up many boundaries.
After discussing friendships and doing this activity, we began to discuss about romantic and intimate relationships and how it can affect our time at school. If someone was in a relationship in high school and is still with that person, things will be different now because you dont see that person everyday as you did in high school. This change affects both people and it can be stressful to make time for each other, especially if one is in another state or even in another school. We discussed that every relationship should indicate progress in relational maturity. That way, it won’t affect our school life. It is important not to stress out over a girlfriend or boyfriend because school should always come first. And in case you are stressing out, the mentor told us that there is a free counceling center next to the library. It’s for free for the time we are at this college and most students should take advantage of it. It’s a great way to let someone aid you when you are feeling helpless or stressed.
Overall this workshop was very helpful. I met new people, learned new things, and got great advice to make my college life even better.