Monthly Archives: November 2010

Baruch has lived up to my expectations although I didn’t have many for it. It was fun but I hate waiting for elevators on the 23st building. Baruch also takes so much time to update their systems and I always have to run from one building to another to get paper work done. Other than that baruch college is fine.

My first semester was ok. I just did not like the fact that I had to be put into a block and not being able to choose my schedule. It was a bit challenging getting used to the surrounding and the classes.

I would try a little harder than I did now because I haven’t done as well as I could have. I would talk to the teachers more and come to class on time more. I also would try to have less absents because I miss some materials.

I have changed a bit since i  joined clubs in the school as well as met new friends to bond and spend time with.



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B+C

I think my first semester in Baruch was rather hurried but  appreciated at the same time. I met amazing people both in school and outside of school. I am slowly beginning to see how college can question your morals, knowledge, and understanding but consequentially accept every piece of you.

So I would not change anything, even if I were given a free ticket on a time machine ride. I never believed that a small thing like turning a page in a book can change everything… that is until it happened. Everything that happened; every breathe I took since August 26; every step I took, left a footprint in my life.

My first semester here has been pretty eventful in both good and bad ways. I really don’t think I had any expectations for Baruch, I went into this college experience blind, at the same time however  I was biased against it.At first I thought I was going to be miserable at Baruch, it was not my first choice college wise .I feel that the fact that I involved myself in Baruch’s undergraduate student government has really helped me ease into college and Baruch’s lifestyle. I also think that being in USG has helped me become more open and outgoing . Since there are so many people in USG I’ve met individuals that I would not have met otherwise.I do not think I’m performing as well as I should be academically and I also don’t know what to do with the rest of my life. I began to analyze whether business was truly the right career for me seeing how much I struggle with math. I guess it’s a great thing that I’m undecided at the current moment major wise because I’m being honest with myself .I would have to say that I’m content with what I have right now but I’m not really. I guess I expected to change drastically when I entered college but not a lot has changed. I’m still commuting, I’m expected to get home at a certain time and I still feel like I’m very dependent on my parents.  I wish I could say that Baruch is my dream school but it’s not, it is however helping me realize my fortes and weaknesses. I should have tried to be more productive school wise, I know I could have been an A student this whole semester but I wasn’t at least not in every class I took. In order to make amends, I’m taking classes during the winter session. I realize that I need to prioritize better and even as I type this I know that I can’t really expect my habits to change for next semester. Time management isn’t an issue because I know how to manage my time but quite frankly I haven’t felt like doing anything about it .Since I started at Baruch I’ve been taking on more responsibility for my actions. For example when I decided to withdraw from a course I accepted that it was my fault not the professor’s for my failing grades.

In my first semester here at Baruch I realized that I can find people that relate to me and that will be there to support me in my endeavors. I know that next semester I’m going to continue my involvement in campus affairs because its something I thrive at. I’m excited that I’ve made friends and I have people to turn to when the going gets rough. It’s still my first year of college and I know that many things will change over the next four years so I’m preparing to take these things in stride. I’m well aware that there are certain aspects of my life I can’t change but how i perform in college is something I do have control over.

My experience here at Baruch has lived up to my expectations. Most of my teachers are very helpful and I’ve met a lot of interesting people here. I actually feel at home here, which is something I didn’t expect.

My first semester has gone fairly well, except for maybe math, which was always hard for me anyway. The workload isn’t too tough (if you don’t procrastinate.) I didn’t do that well in the beginning of the semester, so I’lol look to improve my GPA in the second semester.

If I could do this semester over again, I would definitely have studied for calc more and actually done my work in the beginning of the year. I would also have tried to stop procrastinating.

I think since I’ve started at Baruch, my work ethic has gotten a lot stronger. I find myself handing most of my assignments in on time (except the blogs for freshman seminar :/) Personally, though, I don’t think I’ve changed too much.

My time at Baruch has been so far satisfactory, not perfect. The college met my expectations of being a place filled with helpful people and resources. This semester has progressed reasonably well, with a few exceptions, but was overall acceptable. If I were to live through my first semester again, I would not have come to school as early as I had on days which classes were canceled with short notice, and find my way around more quickly. I have learned how it is like to not do well in a class. I have also learned how to complete tasks more speedily.

I was born in Northeastern China and have lived there until around 7 years ago. I play many roles to others; friend, child, little cousin…-you name it. I wish to be helpful to others and be reliable when they need my assistance. I sometimes find myself struggling to manage time efficiently, and I often suffer from laziness. A time I’ve felt embarrassment or regret was when I was forced to give away my favorite white toy car (thumb-sized) to the child of my father’s acquaintance at a dinner because he didn’t want the bad green car I brought for his use. I treasure my family the most. I cannot bear to lose any of my relatives. I cannot stand heights or the thought of blood and the like (the sight of them is fine), either. I look forward to meeting new people in my first year at Baruch and I hope to do well in my classes.

“What diversity means to me: An extra credit assignment.”

What is diversity?

I treasure diversity. Living in the most diverse county of the most diverse country in the world, and going to a diverse high school and one of the most diverse colleges in the country will do that to you.

Diversity, first and foremost I think, means understanding. Diversity without understanding leads to confusion and then dislike and hatred. In a country like America, one must recognize other cultures in order to properly communicate, understand, and live and coexist with them. What happens if this doesn’t happen?

You get situations resembling the one in lower Manhattan, where 9/11 families are protesting a planned community center, that they are calling a shrine to the Islamic terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center because the top two floors are devoted to a Muslim prayer space. You get situations resembling the one in Michigan a few years ago, when residents in several towns protested after Muslims were allowed to amplify their call to prayer five times a day. You get situations like the one out in Long Island where Latino immigrants are being harassed and assaulted.

So unless American citizens learn to truly understand and respect our diversity, we can never be able to enjoy it, and these problems will in fact grow worse, because we are only growing more diverse by the second.

Secondly, diversity for me means development, and by that I mean personal development and growth. I grew up in Richmond Hill, a community largely populated by Indians and West Indians, and I went to elementary school and middle school with the same. But going to the high school I went to really shaped who I was because of the diversity I experienced there. There weren’t just Indians, and West Indians, there were Asians, white people, black people, Hispanics, etc. And because there were only about 400 people in our school (and 100 in our grade), we were able to become a small community and enjoy our diversity more. For the first time in my life, I hung out with Asians. In eighth grade, I didn’t know where Flushing was, but when I was in high school, I was going there all the time to eat, or play basketball, or just to meet up and chill. So diversity is an important part of one’s development because it enables one to open up and experience things that he or she hasn’t experienced before.

Which brings me to my last point which is that diversity also means exploration. There is so much to discover, not just in New York, or even America, but the world. Different cultures, lifestyles, food, music, ideas, religion, etc; there are all these things to find, and none of them would exist without diversity! One could sit and accept his or her own culture/life and not attempt any exploration of diversity, but life would then be pretty bland.

Diversity is an important concept to me. It’s important to treasure diversity because, especially in a country such as America, it’s extremely important in shaping your life and helping you to discover who you really are.

Who am I?

I’m Rajdeep Chahal, 18 years old, and born and raised in Queens. I like playing sports and video games, getting to know new people, making new friends, and just hanging out. I like going to Baruch, but dislike having to get up at 6 in the morning some days.

My first concern with going to Baruch is the commute. The commute to high school took only ten to fifteen minutes, but for Baruch it will take around an hour, meaning there’s a lot more discipline involved in getting myself up and ready to go. Another concern is getting to know new people in Baruch. I have made a few friends, but I hope to meet a lot more people along the way. If anything, I could just chill with the FOURTEEN other kids from my high school who came to Baruch with me. The last concern is the workload. It’s not something totally new since I went to a specialized high school, and all the classes there were honors level, so we were pretty well prepared. But I’ll have to try to stop procrastinating and get work done on time.

 The biggest thing that distinguishes Baruch from my high school is the size, both of the building and the student body. My school had only 400 students in it, 100 per grade, and coming to Baruch for the first time gave me a weird sensation of being in a “regular high school”. The only other major difference would be the independence that comes with going to college, and being able to go to school in the heart of New York.

 I don’t know yet if I’ll change in during my time in Baruch. My high school experience was vital in shaping who I am today, so I don’t really think college would do much, but there’s still four years left.

When I came to Baruch, I thought it would give me the college experience I’ve always wanted. Unfortunately, it didn’t meet up to my expectations. I guess it’s because I yearn for the campus life and want a change of scenery. I thought making friends here would be easier too but the commute makes it hard.

I think my first semester is off to an alright start. Besides the evil art professor I have, it has been going quite swell. The few friends I made here so far made my start at Baruch bearable. Also, I know my way around the school now and I started to use the facilities this place has to offer to my full advantage.

If I could redo this whole semester again I would have definitely studied a lot more. Now that I know what my professors are like, starting all over would have been much easier for me. Oh and I wish I invested in caffeine.

I feel like ever since I attended Baruch, I’ve had more freedom. Spending a lot of time in the city and it’s inhabitants exposes you to many different things. I mean come on, where else can you buy an ostrich egg when you can grab one at Union Square. My philosophy class changed the way I think about life. Sure it gets confusing at times, but the bits I do understand makes me question so many things now. I hope the rest of this year gets better.

Just kidding. Bad things don’t really come in threes. At least, not that I believe.

Firstly, I had no expectations for Baruch mainly because it was not my top choice. I honestly felt like I was going back to high school again. I was, and still am, unimpressed with Baruch. I know that sounds sort of apathetic and…mean but I think I would be much happier somewhere else.

My first semester has its highs and lows. I’m definitely a procrastinator. I think it’s one of my favorite hobbies. I did meet a lot of new and interesting people and I’m glad to have met them. I’m not doing so well in math (then again, I never had) but I’m doing alright in my other studies. Hopefully with a little extra studying, I’ll be able to pull off a better GPA than I think I have right now.

Honestly, I don’t think I would have done anything differently. I believe everything happens for a reason, so I think I’d probably stick to the choices and mistakes I made this semester. It’ll lead me somewhere where I’m bound to end up. But, if I had to choose, I think I would have switched out to a different math class and spoken to some more people that I would’ve liked to know.

Since I’ve come to Baruch, I’ve turned into more of a wanderlust. I find myself constantly daydreaming of moving and exploring different cities, states, and even countries. Being surrounded by city inhabitants who seek to thrive in a standard 9-to-5 cubicle job solidified my opinion that I’m not meant to be here. It also made me realize that however brave I am, I’m still not brave enough to stand up to my parents and tell them that this isn’t what I want to do for the rest of my life.