Author: lewis.wong

My experience at Baruch has live up to my expectations. When I originally applied for Baruch, I expected to meet new friends, do better in classes, as well as be able to have more time to myself. In many ways this is true, though at certain times, such as times around midterms, the workload seems to pile up. I was hoping there could be a way in which teachers could collaborate to promote a more stress free environment, but unfortunately that would take a lot of work and I don’t see that happening anytime in the near future.

I think my first semester didn’t go as well as I had planned originally. I’ve had many sleepless nights due to either poor time management or stress from assignments all converging on one week.

If I could do it all again, I would be more on top of my work. I would also be more active in my social life in Baruch. They may seem contradictory, but they probably could work together somehow. Other than that, I don’t really see anything else I could do to improve my experience. Perhaps join a team.

I don’t believe that I’ve really changed much. Perhaps I’ve gotten lazier in some sense, but overall I believe that I’m the same as I’ve always been. One notable difference may be that I am beginning to appreciate 70s and B’s.

Not many people know me or know of me until now. This is why I am here to tell you about me. First off, I am afraid of public speaking, which is why I show common signs of anxiety, such as racing heartbeat, shaky voice, as well as profuse sweating. The reason why I am telling you this is because I would like to make as many lasting friendships as I can while I’m at Baruch. Usually when I make friends, they come and go, but what I really crave for are friends who would maintain contact with me despite the fact that we would no longer be in the same classes. This is why I am telling you about me today.

Who do you think I am? That is a question that cannot be easily answered. Do I exist? DeCartes once said, “I think therefore I am.” I often wonder if this is really true. How would I know that I am thinking. But for the most part I usually don’t describe myself, I let others describe me. This in a way is a description in itself, yet it isn’t. This should tell you a lot about me already.
If I were to change during my 1st year, it would depend on my situation. Sometimes unexpected things happen. For example, new friends who like to do unconventional stuff or a failing grade and mental instability.
Some concerns I have include maintaining my GPA as well as doing well in classes. I’m also worried about making friends. These constantly go through my head.

The first few weeks of Baruch weren’t what I had imagined them to be. So far I’m not having problems with most of my classes and their workload is tolerable. The commute is longer than what I’m usually used to. I’m also not used to the prices of the food around the area, for example, general tso’s chicken for $6.50. Although there are other places to eat, lunch usually ends up costing me at least $6 a day which is still over my daily budget. With the big gaps in between classes, I had hoped to go to the gym, but unfortunately during that time frame, it is usually packed to the brim.

There are, however, some upsides to these downsides. The long commute allows me more time to read assigned articles and the expensive food has taught me to find alternative food sources, which will probably save me quite a bundle. What I liked best about these few weeks is that I have met some great friends who seem to be very understanding and very easy to get along and communicate with. So far the beginning of this semester may not taste as good as chicken, but at least it doesn’t taste as bad as brussel sprouts!

Thank you Ms. Rojas and Ms. Kim for setting this up. My expectations of Baruch is to see the whole class on Wednesday!

-Lewis