Hello everyone! My name is Melissa Singh and as you all know I am currently a freshman at Baruch College. I live in Queens with my parents and one older sister, making me the youngest child. My family background is Guyanese however I was born in the United States. I attended Martin Van Buren High School where all four years was a fun experience that I will always cherish. My senior year was a lot of fun since I was executive advisor for the Scholar’s Institute, which is a program designed for students who has and maintains good grades as well as completing community service. As executive advisor, I along with the other board members worked as well as participated in various events such as International Festival, Junior Achievement in addition to other events. When I am not focusing on my academic career, I like to spend my spare time listening to music, taking walks and most importantly spending time with my family and friends. In the past, I have been told by many people that I have a “serious-looking” face which leads them to believe I am mean but they are quickly surprised to find out that I am shy, soft spoken and the complete opposite of what they thought. My choice was easy when deciding to come to Baruch College since I have an interest in pursuing a career in business and it is right in the center of the city. As I walk down the streets of Manhattan, it is wonderful to see the many different people, rushing yellow cabs and tall buildings every day.  I love that something is always happening and there is never a dull moment. It makes coming to school more exciting.

                After a few weeks of college, we can all tell that college is completely different from high school. Although college is a lot of work, Baruch has its upsides such as almost all of us get a day off to sleep in late or to catch up on work, we have breaks in between our classes, and we get to meet and interact with new people. Although these are some of the many upsides to college, the adjustment to college for our first semester will be a  challenge. My challenge is that I need to learn how to handle a more heavy work load as well as doing readings, completing assignments and studying in a more orderly fashion. My major issue would have to be organizing my time to do my work without feeling overwhelmed. If I can learn to do this I know that college will just be a new challenge that I am ready to face.

                After my first year of college, I know that it will help me grow as a person. I hope being on my own in the city will help me become more independent. While traveling and studying in Manhattan, I can predict that I will come across situations that I will have to face on my own. I expect myself to handle these situations and overcome them like a mature adult. This will only make me stronger and capable of handling difficult situations after I leave Baruch.