After experiencing my first semester at Baruch, I can say that it exceeded the expectations I initially had for college. I perceived Baruch as a glorified version of high school since we were still in the city with most of us not dorming. College life was a bit slow at first with the transitioning and everything. I knew college came with a lot of freedom and lacks the restrictions that we were used to having in high school so I took time to wander around campus in order to get a feel for the place.

I think my first semester at Baruch went well. I’ve made plenty of new friends and I sort of enjoy my classes. My grades are okay, but not where I want them to be. I need to focus next semester, especially since I got a tougher schedule than the one I have this semester. As long as I study and put in the effort, I know I can do better.

The one thing I’d do differently during my first semester would be to not slack so much. I did things half-assed when I could’ve done them thoroughly had I taken the time and initiative to get started properly.

Since going to Baruch, I’ve changed a lot. I’ve been more social since I keep in contact with the brothers of a fraternity. I go to the gym a lot to play basketball or work out so I’ve gotten more athletic. Academically, I’m keeping up, but I want to excel.

College life so far has been pretty fun, active, and interesting. However, going to a CUNY is somewhat a glorified high school experience so my friends sometimes call college “Baruch-lyn Tech” since we went to Tech. My LC has been really great, and I think I can confidently say that we’re the most tightly knit and close compared to all the other LCs. I see a lot of LCs and they seem a bit quiet compared to ours. My LC is like always laughing and cracking jokes, a couple people in particular. I really like the freedom that college life gives you. I can just walk out of campus to get food or hang around whereas that’s practically impossible in high school. My classes are alright, but it’s not as interactive when you’re in a lecture hall with 100 other kids and teachers probably won’t learn the names of more than half their students. I mostly go play basketball in the gym or go work out whenever I’m not in class. I’ve made plenty of friends because of that and they’re fun to play games against.  Early on in the semester, I rushed for Lambda Phi Epsilon. The brothers of the fraternity were really chill and fun people to be with. Every rush event was guaranteed to be entertaining. Through them, I also met sisters of various sororities as well as their rushes. It’s too bad I didn’t get a bid to pledge, but I’ll definitely go for it again next semester. Here’s to hoping the rest of the year goes well.

I think I know who I am, but I’ll just refresh your memory. I’m Robert, 18 years old, and all that other stuff you could find on my Facebook. Okay, for real though, I think I am a unique person who is searching for a role in life; a part to play in the grand scheme of things. I’m spontaneous as hell with a very blunt view of things at times, but people get used to it.
Since coming to Baruch, I did have some concerns. First and mainly, is my long lasting case of senioritis. I haven’t gotten over senioritis since 8th grade maybe. Yeah, it’s that bad. I know how to do the work, but it just sits there waiting to be done. That can’t be good for me. Secondly, I was wondering how I’d adapt to the new environment and making new friends and all that. But in the month or so that I’ve been here, I’ve made so many new friends through basketball during my breaks and rushing with Lambda Phi Epsilon, so that concern isn’t such a big deal anymore. Lastly, I was concerned with my classes and hoping that I get good teachers, which I actually did, since I had bad luck with crappy teachers in the past.
I think the main thing that makes Baruch different from high school is the freedom you have. You can wander around the campus, go to the library, participate in sports in the ARC at your leisure. Also, the presence of sororities and fraternities is definitely a new thing since nothing  of that sort existed in high school.
I think my first year of college will change me because I see it now as a business. Back then, our years at school were provided for by the state, so we didn’t have to pay for it. Now we have to pay for tuition, books, food, etc. I have to make use of what I paid for or it’d just be a waste.