EG 3A

I’m a Freshman in Baruch College right now who’s exploring  future career options. I’m a determined and optimistic student, setting personal goals for success in my academic studies. College is making me more independent and decisive in every aspect of my life. My first year will make me much more responsible, hard-working and sociable to my classmates. I have three concerns about my freshman year. One is learning how to balance my job(s) and social life with my homework and assignments. Another is trying to get into Baruch Honors because based on my H.S. grades and SAT, I feel that I should’ve gotten in. A third concern is figuring out which classes to take next semster, but I believe that the Academic Advisement center can help me out.

I think I am an ambitious person, but only in the subjects that I care about, meaning math. I think math is going to make my first year in college much more difficult than other freshmen’s. A lot of the professors in freshman classes “baby” us because we’re still trying to transition from high school to college, so my math class is a lot different than the rest of my other classes. Although my professor is pretty nice, I’m already falling behind and getting lost in class. That’s my first concern for this year. My second concern would be managing my time wisely. I was never good with that; I would always go out and have fun until it comes down to the night before something’s due. I think I’m getting better at it now just because there’s so much pressure on me right now and so many more responsibilities. I’m getting home earlier to start on my homework, and I’m organizing my workload and responsibilities better. My third concern is basically getting good grades in all my classes. In high school, I never really got good grades unless it was math, just because it was always something that came naturally to me, and I never really had to study for it. Other than that, I barely passed my history, english and science classes. I don’t want the same to happen this year though. I really hope I will do well in english and communications. I actually really like philosophy, so I expect to do well in that class. Sociology is really too boring for me, but I’ll try. And I’ll definitely try in math. Oh and of course, I expect to pass freshman seminar (:

I can already see college changing me because I have become a bit more organized and responsible in this past month. I am hoping that it will help my fear of public speaking and my lack of writing skills. I am so far loving college, so I’m sure my first year at Baruch will change me a lot for the better.

Who do I think I am? Well, for starters, my name is Robert Ali and I’m a freshman at Baruch College with a vague idea of what I want to do “when I grow up”.  I am a brother to two younger sisters, an aspiring athlete, and ulitmately a student of higher education for probably the next five years of my life.  After that, the road seems hard to predict.  Hopefully, by the end of this year I will be a person ready to tackle all the challenges I currently face throughout business oriented activities and events (e.g. speeches in front of large audiences and motivating myself to crack down on the books a little harder).  In short, I hope to be more business savy, develop charisma, and tackle two new languages: all things I belive to be helpful for my future as a business leader in America.  I also wish to finish all my prerequisite classes by the end of this year (I will be taking summer classes to increase my total credit count) and ultimately graduate in 3 years.  The only concerns I really have are discovering ways to go beyond the classroom to therefore benefit myself in it, dealing with … uncertain professors, and retaining as much information as quickly and efficiently as possible.  I know this year will be a good one; it feels like it’s already off to a good start.  Suprisingly, the homework load is not as bad as I anticipated.  I study for 30 hours each week and keep myself monitored on a calendar I keep at home.  These hours include both homework and extra study.  In addition to the 30 hours of study each week I’ve alloted 2 hours each day for working out with 8 hours of sleep each day.  Unfortunately, I’ll have to rearrange my hours after this semester (another concern) but I plan to keep the same basic principles throughout my years here at Baruch.

I’ve never thought that a person can describe himself. Nor other people can describe him or her properly: we are all prejudiced and have to admit it. So you’ d better not rely on what I say about myself (although I’m trying to be honest), just explore me. I find myself a little bit shy, smart and sincere. I don’t think I’m a very opened person, but that’s the thing which changes in every freshman – we become more outgoing and open. Also I’m a perfectionist sometimes – want everything to be done well.

I think I will change during this year. Well, I think people constantly change, even if a little. New world requires new habits, new behavior and overlooking your world view. So that’s what is happening inside my head now. I think with time things will settle down and we all will adjust to this new culture.

Of course, I’m concerned about my GPA, as all freshmen. Also there is a thing which crosses my mind very often – I want to find a dance studio and sign up. College dancing club is not enough for me –  only once a week – although it’s nice. And I can’t live without my body being involved in movement, it’s hard to do without dancing when you’re so get used to it. The last concern is about friends – I want to meet a lot of new people, but the main point is that I expect some of them to be my really best friends.

I think I’m a person who’s looking for the college experience that is hyped up by the students of years ahead of us. At the same time I’m looking to make sure that I stay focused on my studies and get good grades. So in essence I’m someone who is trying to find a balance between the social aspect of college and the educational portion. I think my first year of college will change me in that it will force me to be somewhat more independent in making my own decisions and it will make me more open minded towards exploring new opportunities. Three concerns that I have about my freshman year are that I will not find the balance that I’m looking for between friends and school, that I won’t find the college experience that is hyped up, and that I won’t join a club or sport that I’m interested in.

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.

I’m a person who’s a firm believer in going after what your heart wants, not what your brain wants, because life is seriously too short for that. To many I’m an acquaintance. To few am I a friend. To fewer still am I a brother, although not in a literal sense of blood brothers. I think that I am a person who has just entered an entirely different world. That world is college. I’m a college freshman who’s looking to fit in to a whole new life. The fixed days of life are gone, because we are all now adults. What we do from now on is our own choosing. Professors don’t check homework, and sometimes showing up for class isn’t even mandatory. I think that this first year of college will bring about great change in me. Although I think myself to be pretty mature for my age, I realize now that I’m naïve about things. Life’s not easy, and we almost never get what we truly want. I’m hoping for college to teach me the lessons I need in life. I sense that by the end of my first year in college, I will be a totally different person. How different? I don’t know and I won’t until it’s all said and done. However, there are some changes that I want. I want to become a more outgoing person then I am now. When placed in a new environment, it’s hard for me to begin to connect with people unless it’s sort of like a small group conversation. I’m not the loudest person, nor am I a person people remember for something specific. I need that to change. I also want to develop a new hobby or a skill by the time this year is done, something totally novel to me. I do have a few concerns for this year. My first concern, as with many is my GPA. However, I don’t think it is placed as high on my priority list as it is with others. I do want a high GPA, preferably enough to get into honor society, but if I don’t then it won’t be that big of a deal to me. I feel like my concerns with my grades aren’t as high on my priority list as it would be with others, but everyone’s different. My second concern is not related to school, although it does relate to freshman year. When the summer was over, my closest friends all left for college. We vowed to each other that we wouldn’t forget each other, a pact that I am hoping to be honored. My last concern with freshman year is passing my sociology class!! Hope everyone who reads this enjoyed it.

Certainly college is nothing like I imagined it to be, it’s actual simpler than I thought but some of the older student said that this will change as u advance. Currently I’m just sitting around wondering how am I going to pass my classes and I’m coming out blank, but it will hit me soon enough that I need to step my game up. For me as a 3.8 Gpa student to enter college I’m starting to think I’m not as smart I thought I was, but all this is fairly new. I expect that sooner or later I will get into the school spirit and thing will be better until then I’m just trying to get my time management down.

The only thing I am really concern about is Sociology but this has been said so many time 1 more time won’t hurt. During that class i can’t focus at all I blank out and same with English. During English I’m always concerned about my grammar; my grammar is not the best in the world and when I think about it more the more grammar mistakes I make. So  during this school year or semester I hope my grammar improves and Sociology I think I’ll cross my fingers and hope that when we confront the instructor things would turn for the best other than that college is fine. Also I need to start socializing .

Last year, I thought I was a writer. Slowly, my identity began to morph, to adapt to what I thought a writer was. I was blogging constantly, devouring fiction, and carrying my little black notebook around, whipping it out in moments of spontaneous inspiration. Last summer, I thought I was an artist. I would sit on my couch and watch Work of Art on Bravo and say, “Yes. That is what I want to do!” I looked through my folders for all those neglected student passes to the MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Last month, I thought I was a psychologist. I would sit at my computer and read about how those who have creative thought processes have similar brain activity as those who are schizophrenic and about the new case studies that prove that being shy is genetic.  Last week, I thought I was a neuroscientist. I was fascinated, completely entranced by what the brain could do, what it is capable of.  

Next week, I may be a mathematician (just kidding. If there is one thing I know I’ll never be into, it’s math). I may be a philosopher, a traveler or a photographer. Baruch may mold me into an anthropologist next semester, or an I/O psychologist next year. I know for a fact that I will change, and that Baruch will aid me in that transformation.

Something I know that will change within this first year is my sense of independence. I already feel it simmering as I become more and more accustomed to Baruch’s culture.

Some concerns  — I fear that I won’t have time to do everything I want to. I’d like to study abroad, I’d like to join the photography club, the writer’s society. I’d like to take courses in Italian language and fashion marketing. I know that I don’t have to do all of this in my first year, but it is a general concern of mine — that there just isn’t enough time to accomplish everything I’d like. I’m also afraid that I won’t create strong friendships. Everyone always says that your college friends are those friends that stay with you for the rest of your life. I know it’s only been about four weeks, but it still worries me. How can you hold onto friendships in a school where the people you are with changes every 4 to 5 months. Hopefully, as time goes on, these concerns will be dismissed.  I sure hope so!

My name is Jessica Chu-A-Kong, but many people just call me Jess or Chewy because of my last name. I believe I am a complex person with lots of layers and attributes. First of all, I come from a mixed heritage including being Chinese Guyanese and Indian Guyanese. No one has ever correctly guessed my background but it’s entertaining to let people try.  I enjoy trying new things and traveling, yet I have fears of dogs, roller coasters, and failure. Tennis and basketball are my athletic hobbies where my aggressive side can come out; some more passive activities I love are photography, dancing, and lazy days watching movies. I’m generally a down to earth, friendly person, but I also have an edgy side of me. I am nocturnal in that I absolutely hate getting up in the mornings. I have a several career interests like Business, Marketing, and Sociology.

Entering Baruch, I geared myself up for a more hectic life with a busy commute, long classes, and hopefully interning. On Orientation Day, however, one of the many things I remember is that the academic advisor informed us that freshman year is the easiest in terms of workloads. She also said this year is the time we should set out to try new things and explore our options. I really absorbed this information because I think freshman year provides the most freedom since we all have a clean slate where grades and friends are concerned. I expect that freshman year will really provide the foundation of my college experience. I want to take advantage of these two semesters to explore student life and maintain balance in my personal life. I plan on getting involved in several clubs, having fun, but still working hard this year.                

Three concerns I had with Baruch were the commute, size, and workload. I have never relied on the subway to get to high school, so commuting to college would be a new experience. I was worried on train delays and being late to class; but now I discovered the train is quite reliable, and a lot more walking than getting a bus ironically. Baruch’s immense student population also worried me coming from a small high school. However, I enjoy the busy feel of coming to big school at the heart of an active city. It’s also refreshing to see everyone focused on their work and what they have to do. Lastly, the college workload rumors were intimidating. However, I find that the freshman courses are much like the ones I took at Townsend Harris High School. I guess the work won’t start piling on until a few years from now. I have to admit, I was a bit anxious about coming to Baruch or coming to college in general. But to my relief, the entire experience has been manageable and even enjoyable so far.