Author Archives: frances.mitelman

I can’t believe that my first semester at Baruch College is nearly over.  Time really has flown by quickly.  I must say, though, my first semester at college was not bad.  My high school (Edward R. Murrow High School) really did prepare me in the sense that I had to pick my own classes for every semester, and I was even used to the fact that every semester, I would be with different students.  However, there were some things that my high school did not prepare me for, but I was expecting this as part of my college experience.

Even though I expected this, I was also not really prepared for the many readings that I would have to do for college.  The other thing that I expected to be part of my college experience was the amount of responsibility that I would have.  I am aware that now that I am in college, it is my responsibility to make sure that if I have any problems, I need to make sure that I take care of that problem by calling the college and seeing what the problem is and then taking any action to fix it.  The other thing that I have realized about college—and this is actually something that my mother helped me realize—is that I remember in high school, I could get somewhere in the 80s on an exam, and I would still somehow get an A in the class.  It could probably be because I would do well in the other areas, such as get an A on a project, but I think it’s also because the teachers knew me; they knew that I was a good student, and they would give me the A in the class.  In college, however, it’s not like that.  If a student gets a B on all of his or her exams, then the student will get a B in the class.  From this, it has made me realized that I actually need to work hard in order to get the grade I want.

Overall, though, I think my first semester at Baruch College went well.  I met a lot of fun and amazing people from my Block and from the Undergraduate Student Government that I joined earlier this semester.  However, there are some things that I would have done differently this semester.  I would have made sure that the distractions in my personal life would not have affected some of my studies.

I have changed since I started Baruch College, and it relates to something that I have mentioned before, which is that now, I have to actually work hard for my grade, rather than thinking that I can get any grade and still manage an A in the class.  From this, it has made me want to study more, and honestly, I love the feeling of actually working hard and receiving the reward that I deserve (hopefully a good one, of course).

I went to the Rubin Museum of Art, and this museum is absolutely stunning and beautiful.  I truly was upset that I was only able to stay for half an hour.  The mood of the museum and the sense of spirituality that is in the museum really did make me want to stay there and absorb the culture.  The mood and the setting (i.e. the lighting) of the museum were absolutely perfect.  I do believe that in order to truly feel what the person is trying to portray in their artwork, the setting and the mood and the lighting needs to be perfect; for instance, if the person is trying to portray something sad, there shouldn’t be any bright or happy colors.  In the Rubin’s Museum of Art, the light setting was perfect.  It gave me that spiritual/meditation feeling.

The art in this museum was quite unique.  Usually, in a museum, there would be artworks from Picasso and Van Gogh; however, this museum mainly showed the Southeast Asian culture through statues of gods and goddesses and pictures.  I feel that the statues, especially of the gods and goddesses and especially the Tibetan shrine that they had really truly did show the culture in Southeast Asia and what they believed in.  I also thought that the way the bodies were positioned and the meanings that each hand movement had was quite unique and interesting.

I’m definitely going back there again some time soon.

The workshop that we went to go see based on interview skills and how to write a resume was very helpful.  Even though I did have some prior knowledge to writing a resume and interview skills, this workshop actually helped me out even more; for instance, sometimes, when I write my resume, I forget to add an important information under the section “Skills” or “Education.”  In addition, when it comes to the interview skills, I was never taught that it was important to have small talk, because it can be helpful in the business world, or that the color of your nails can really say something about yourself.   I did think that it was thoughtful of them to provide us with copies of different types of resumes.  This will definitely be useful for me, considering that I sometimes am not sure of what I should or should not put in a resume.   I did also think that it was quite thoughtful of them to have all the information on their website as well just in case we were not able to attend the workshop or if we are not sure of something about doing an interview or writing a resume.  I also do think that it is also thoughtful of them to be able to help us find internships and work with us on our interviews.  It really does show that they want to make sure that we do well in life and in our interviews, so we can go far in life.

It was quite interesting to finally meet the author who wrote the novel that we had to read over the summer; however, I did think that I would just see the author discussing his novel.  I did not expect to see four or five other people as well.  I felt that Charles N. Li had so much more to say, but he had to limit himself to how much he could say, because he had to consider what the other panelists wanted to say and leave them some time to talk.  However, overall, what each panelist, including the author, had to say was quite interesting.  Each panelist pretty much talked about identity—finding where your home is and who you are.  What was absolutely so great about this panel discussion was that every student was able to connect with what was being said, which was the topic of identity.  Regardless if you were born in the United States or outside of the United States, everyone goes through of phase of wondering who they are and what their home is.  For most of us, we are trying to find out our identity now through college, especially since now, college helps us to broaden our horizon and see more and what’s really out there in the world.  Before I went to college, I thought I knew who I was like I knew the back of my hand; however, when I saw the back of my hand, there were some spots on my hand that I was not sure how it got there.  Now that I am in college, I am trying to find out what these spots are—who I really am and what is out there in the world for me and what I can do in this life.  Basically, it’s time for me to do some soul-searching, which is what I am currently doing.  I still have not found some of the answers to my questions, but I do believe that I am getting close.  All in all, I do believe that this workshop has been quite helpful to some of us, because it has showed us that we are not the only ones who are trying to find ourselves or where our home is and that college may be the answer to all of this.

The question of the day is “Who am I?”
Good question.
I am…
Kind
Generous
Selfless
Loving
Understanding
Reasonable
Independent
I actually happen to love these qualities about myself.

I identify myself as a…
A sister
A daughter
A granddaughter
A niece
A provider
A best friend
“The-Person-I-Can-Go-To”
A Mitelman.
You’re all probably thinking, “What is a ‘Mitelman’?” Well, yeah, it is my last name, but Mitelman’s tend to be stubborn, too kind, big eaters, funny, loving, caring, and hard-workers. Now, THAT’S a Mitelman, and you’re looking at one right now.

Don’t get me wrong, though, there are things about myself that I hate, like how I’m…
Disrespectful towards those who do not deserve it,
who love me,
who would fight for me,
who would die for me,
I always question myself why I am not disrespectful towards those who do deserve it,
who hurt me,
make me bleed,
and make my head spin.
I also hate that I have not been the daughter that I should have been within this past year.

I am slightly afraid of heights.
My friends and family make me happy.
Cooking makes me happy.
Seeing people happy makes me happy.
And, of course, food (e.g. ice cream, mangoes, and strawberries) makes me happy.
I find being successful, having good health, and my mother, my father, my brother, and my friends important in my life. I also find myself as being important, because, well, I am the one that is living my life. Oh, how can I forget?! I find school VERY important.

As you all know, I go to Baruch College. So far, I am enjoying it. I love the fact that I am going to school in the city and the fact that I am meeting new people with different backgrounds and learning new things not only from my professors but also from my peers. The workload is not bad, and I definitely do see that if I want to be successful and make it to the Zicklin School of Business, I will have to work very hard. I also do know that teachers are not going to baby me anymore, and that everything is up to me. I am responsible now. It’s not high school, it’s college, it’s being an adult, and I’m so far enjoying it.

Well, I guess that’s enough about me, but before I end, I do want to leave you all with something that I believe is true:

–Everything happens for a reason—

I do believe that the people we meet and the experiences we encounter will help us in the future in one way or another. You all may not realize it now, but trust me, when all of you one day will be sitting on a chair and thinking about all the people you have met and all the experiences you have gone through, you may realize some of the things that happened were for a reason in one way or another.

Thank you.

As a freshman at Baruch College, I, Frances Mitelman, am actually still trying to figure out who I really am.  I do have a brief idea of who I am:  I am a sister, daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and a best friend.  Also, as Lucy Stone said, “My name is my identity,” and my name “Frances” means “free,” and that’s how I also see myself:  a free-spirited, strong, independent, caring, loving, active girl.

Well, even though I somewhat know who I am, I am still trying to find my identity, and college is definitely the place.  I have just started college, and I do have a few of concerns for my freshman year at Baruch College.

My first concern is that I’ll automatically fail college even if I tried my hardest.  The reason that I probably feel this way is that this is the pessimistic and paranoid side of me talking in order to push me to try hard and to do the best that I can here.

My second concern is “Freshman Fifteen.”  I have heard stories of students that were fit and thin at the beginning of their freshman year at college, and, at the end of the year, they gained fifteen pounds; for instance, I had a computer teacher at high school who was telling me that her son was thin before he started college; however, when she saw him again, she was shocked to see how much chubbier he got.  Considering that I do not want to be a victim of this, I need to make sure that I watch what I eat.

My third concern is that I wouldn’t take college seriously as I should.  I think the reason I feel this way is that I remember when I was a Senior in high school, I become very lazy and nonchalant, and it didn’t affect my grades, but I do know that in general, this wasn’t me, and I could do better.  I’m just hoping that this wouldn’t continue in college.

My Baruch college experience will definitely be different from my high school experience.  In high school, teachers would usually call the parents to tell that their child was absent or is failing a class.  Also, in high school, we would have Parent-Teacher Conferences, and mid-term report cards that informed the students and parents how the students are doing so far.  In Baruch, there are no phone calls, no conferences, and no progress report cards.  It is all up to the student to work hard and find out how they are doing in the class, which now brings me to answering the next question.  In Baruch, students like me are becoming more adult and more responsible, which is definitely how I think my first year at Baruch will change me; for instance, now, teachers will only tell you once when something due.  It’s up to students like me to write it down and remember when it’s due. I am willing to take on this responsibility.