My first semester at Baruch has proved to be an overall success. I expected college to be busy, lively, and a new sense of independence. In these aspects, college has lived up to my expectations. Time has been passing by so quickly, and it’s so hard to keep up with the new faces and personalities you meet on a day-to-day basis. Because I was so excited for a new start and the opportunity to meet new friends, I was disappointed by the lack of student life. It’s hard to be a commuter student and stay back at school for events. But I believe with time, I will be able to balance a social life at Baruch as well as academics. One way this experience exceeded my expectations is that I didn’t think Baruch’s classes would have been so demanding, but in a way, I’m glad they are. It helps keep me on track. I also didn’t expect the Starr Career Center to be so helpful, but the workshops and websites are really informative.
This semester has been pretty up and down for me. Getting used to the freedom and large student body has been a task on its own. However, I’ve met some cool people and learned a lot from my classes already. I was a little intimidated by a few classes, but I’ve learned that the professors are here to help. If I could do one thing differently, I probably would have joined a club or two, instead of rushing for a sorority. I have no regrets because you don’t know what you’ll like until you try it. But I will definitely be looking into clubs for next semester.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve changed since my start at college. I’m still myself but in a different setting and new friends. College hasn’t changed me, but it has exposed me to new things such as taking the train everyday to school, different ethnicities, career development workshops, and even New York City. The changes in my personality or mindset will probably not be apparent until I have that diploma from Baruch, and I can really reflect on my freshman year and my journey at Baruch.