Author Archives: michelle.marus

I identify myself as being Ukrainian and Jewish. I pride myself, however, in being a true New Yorker. I was born and raised in the famous Brooklyn, New York. My parents, though, were born in Odessa, Ukraine – they both came to the U.S. when they were young children.

The first language that I learned was English, because my parents wanted me to get into a smart class in public school. I picked up the Russian language from hearing it being spoken by my family members. I took Spanish for quite a number of years in school, and then started to learn some Italian. I take pride in my religion as well as my culture, but I enjoy learning about other cultures as well. I am very passionate about languages and want to make sure that I have time to learn more of them. I also enjoy watching foreign films and trying to pick up some of their dialect.

What I like best about myself is my drive to succeed and not let anything get in the way of my happiness. I work hard to get what I want, because I know that things are not just handed to you on a silver platter. The American Dream nowadays has shifted its focus into trying to keep up with the changing society, rather than building a completely new life. People are forced to work hard in order to make it through the tough times and everyday hardships of the new America. I am diligent, determined, and I know what I want in this life.

What I like least about myself is my impatience. When I get impatient, I get easily frustrated and sometimes end up giving up on something or someone. I may come off as being mean or rude, but really it’s just that I am on my last nerve. I try to relax more, and take a step away from the situation to calm down and not do anything in the moment. My motto is: never make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.

The best part about college is meeting new people and having my doors opened to a wide array of new opportunities. I am learning a lot about the myself, the city I live in, and even the world. College is forcing me to get accustomed to the MTA, bipolar New York weather, and the everyday chaos of living in a big city. Oh well, even with the negative stuff, I am going to make the best of college. I will stay optimistic and make sure this college experience is advantageous to me. 

^ This will be me working hard and having to prioritize/manage my time better.

Who do I think I am? Let me think about this for a second… I am a Ukrainian and Jewish girl who was born in Brooklyn, New York. Although I do not look Jewish, I take pride in my religion as well as my culture. But I do in fact take interest in other cultures as well. I speak English, Russian, and Spanish. I am very passionate about languages and want to make sure that I have time to learn more of them.

If you want me to get into my personality, that’s a whole different ballgame. When I am with my friends I am really outgoing, friendly, and always smiling. At home I tend to be a pest because I sometimes take my angers and stresses from school out on my family members. In school I try to be attentive, quiet, and reserved but if I have my friend next to me I might not be able to resist talking. One thing about me is that I absolutely love talking – my phone bill says it all.

When it comes to Baruch, I have some concerns. One of my top concerns is that I will get behind in the work and not be able to catch up. I have always been good with prioritizing, but lately I seem to have way too many things on my mind, which gets in the way of what I have to do. Another concern is that I will be too busy with homework and studying and lose out on some great opportunities to take part in extracurricular activities. I want to make sure that I meet a lot of people and make friends because that’s one of the great things about college – especially in a diverse one like Baruch College. My third concern would be that I get some professors who are not as favorable as some other ones. Also included in this would be that I don’t get the professors/classes I want when I get to register for my Spring 2010 schedule in January.

Even though I just started college, I can already see the differences between high school and college. At Baruch, like any other college, the professors only say things once. For example: they will announce the due date for an assignment or post the exam’s date on the syllabus and you will have to know about them. They will not repeat themselves and/or baby you – after all, they have hundreds of students and to them you are just a number. Most of the professors may not even know your name, let alone be able to pin a name to a face.

I think my first year of college will change me in a few years. It will teach me the hardships of living in a city. For example: cold winters, hot summers, train delays, school closings, and terrorist threats. I have to be aware of the traffic and weather news to make sure that nothing will affect my commute to school. College will hopefully make me into a more organized and disciplined student. Senioritis may still be in my blood… I also hope that college will teach me how to effectively prioritize and then carry-out with the things that I have to do in order of importance. I am not worried about my grades because I am a hard-worker. So, in this sense, I hope that college doesn’t change my perfectionist personality and my drive to succeed.