Monthly Archives: September 2010

Who am I?

My name is Jon and I’m a freshman at Baruch college. I’m a pretty good student, i occasionally enjoy going to class and learning new things. I love sports, sports are my life. My favorite sport is football. It’s really hard on Sundays trying to do work when there’s 14 games going on and i can’t watch them because i need to do some stupid essay. On the weekends, i love going out and having a good time with my friends. Since i live in the city, there’s places all around for me to go and I’m looking forward to what will come next.

One of my first concerns this year at Baruch is the amount of work i’ll get. I’m not very good with keeping up with work until last minute. I need to change my work ethic and learn how to stop procrastinating and do my work before the night it’s due. Another concern i have this year are the tests. Usually, tests aren’t a huge deal if you don’t do well on a couple per semester. Now, each test is huge and there’s so much pressure on me to do well on every single test. My final concern is being able to say i got the full college experience. I have a couple friends who go to Baruch as well. However, a lot of my friends went to party schools and they’re telling me what a good time they’re having and i wish i had that also. Baruch is mainly a commuter school, there’s no true campus where people live. I need to do my best to stay active and find things to do to interact.

Baruch is definitely different than high school. At Baruch, everything is about me. Whether i go to class or not, that’s for me to decide if i want to learn and not take each class hour for granted. I make each choice here at Baruch, which makes me feel more independent and on my own. I don’t see my family every day anymore, so I’ve learned to take care of myself and gone to appreciate the things i used to have.

My first year of college will change me a lot, hopefully for the better. I hope after a year, i will be able to be more comfortable speaking in front of a large group of people, making a speech. My classes all have a business aspect to them, so i hope i will learn new ideas that go along with business. I will be more independent after this year, because i will be living without my family for a year. In addition, i will have a new group of friends which i will have enjoy my freshman year at Baruch college with.

Growing up as a kid, I was always active and ready for adventure. To this day, I still embody that eagerness. The new environments I have encountered have held different effects on my nature. In high school, I did not see the adventure awaiting me in the classroom. Instead, I saw a world of possibilities to have fun outside of class. In my freshman year at Baruch College I encompass a new outlook of a will to succeed. With a new eagerness to succeed, I see an adventure in the college that I did not see before.

With any new experience comes an amount of concerns. For my freshman year in Baruch, I can only wonder whether I can create work ethics that will propel me to do well, whether I can establish a presence in work or organizations outside of school, and whether I will have a fair amount of leisure time to relieve stress.

At first, Baruch College reminded me of the setup of my high school, Bronx Science. We were free to roam the campus during our free periods and I saw many of my high school friends. However as a couple weeks passed by, I began to notice the difference. In college, you are free to do as you choose. There are no guidance counselors and teachers to tell you that you aren’t doing well. There are also a variety of organizations that serve members of all kinds of interests.

The first year of college is the first year of an individuals’ freedom of choice. Individuals are recommended help and aid, but ultimately the choice to take initiative belongs to the individual. My first year in college will teach me to become self independent and create strong work ethics. A balance of time management will be necessary to break me or make me.

1.) Tell us who you think you are.

2.) Share your top 3 concerns about your freshmen year at Baruch College and explain why.

3.) So far, what do you think will make your Baruch College experience different from your high school experience?

4.) How do you think your first year at College will change you?

——————————————————————————————————–
1.) Okay, first off, I am Ji Won Seo (John), Korean, and 18. But those are basic facts. Personality wise I think I am a generous, friendly, and a shy type of a person. At first, around strangers I am extremely shy but once I get to know them I tend to get comfortable with them in no time. There are things that I do not like about my personality but I will not share that with you. Oh and I get discouraged real easily but I spring back up with confidence in a short amount of time.
2.)My main concern that I prioritize are probably my grades. My grades in high school were not the best but not the worst either. So in college, having a fresh start I want to get a high GPA so that if I would want to transfer out of Baruch to change my major I would be able to. My second concern is the fact of me getting more involved in Baruch. I believe I will be one of those type who go to class and go home right after which will bore me as I commute in Baruch. My last and third concern……… I can’t think of any but those two are plenty for me.
3.)My high school and college experience will differ mainly on the work I get. In high school you do not need to take more than an hour on a single homework assignment while in college you might have to take days. Another thing is that in college you get much more freedom than in high school. For example, you do not have to do the works if you don’t want to and the professors probably won’t care, on the other hand in high school the teacher will nag and scold you if you don’t do your work.
4.)I don’t think my first year in Baruch will change me, if anything, I will become a busier person since I get much more work than I did in my senior year in high school.

I don’t know why, but I could not get myself to write this blog post. As everyone has more or less stated, being asked to describe yourself, let alone asked “who are you?,” can possibly be one of the hardest things to answer. But here we go. I am a driven student, an AFS volunteer, an alter server, a great friend, a loving daughter, a funny sister, a crazy Latina, a responsible individual, a good listener, a leader. Someone who is outgoing, painfully shy, ambitious, realistic, impatient, reliable, sweet, loud, decisive, independent, thoughtful, competitive, adventurous. A person who loves to smile, laugh, travel, dance, go on roller coasters, listen to music, watch movies, watch television, study languages. A girl who loves her Italian host family, her friends, her crazy family, to meet new people, live for the future, and enjoy her present. I want a big family and get married, but not before the age of 27 and I’m a person with a lot of hopes and dreams. I guess this pretty much describes who I am. There’s a lot I probably can’t think of right now, or simply haven’t figured out yet, but this is a good start.

As a freshman my greatest concerns are my grades, and having the time to get involved. I’m really good at convincing myself to put things off until it is 3 am and my assignment is due in just hours. It was a continuing cycle in high school and there were times when I didn’t do my work all together. But my grade always remained high somehow. That’ll be one of the biggest differences between high school and college. In college you can’t bullshit your way to a good grade. A’s are obtained through sweat and tears, and I fully expect to shed a few tears. Time is very valuable; it was endless in high school, but not anymore. In high school I had all the time in the world to join a long list of clubs as well as run my own. Now, I feel as if I don’t even have time to sit and have lunch. Which brings me to my second concern; I need to find the time to get involved with the school. Clubs and organizations, made my high school experience as memorable as it was. I met great friends, attended fun events, and experienced being at the top of an exclusive club. I had a great time getting involved and I just hope that I find a way to do the same at Baruch.

a) Tell us who you think YOU are!

Who I think I am… I don’t know. I think there’s far too many things to list here in this blog, and it’s rather exhausting to try to do so. My friend says I’m a pessimist, but I consider myself a realist. I care a lot about my loved ones, I guess that’s kind of a give-in for everyone here, but I feel like it’s an important part of who I am. I don’t like to burn bridges, meaning, once I care for someone I don’t let them go easily. I really like to laugh.. And, I don’t know what else to say. Oh, I actually like free-writing. I really wish that I was creative. I feel like, when it comes to being creative I hit a brick wall. I hate wearing jeans. If I could I would go to school in sweats, but I.. Don’t know why. Being in the city makes me feel like I really shouldn’t be wearing sweats. I’m scared easily, and I’m really afraid of pigeons and squirrels; luckily I haven’t seen many since I moved in on Ludlow.

b) Share your top 3 concerns about your freshmen year at Baruch College and explain why.

One of my top three concerns at Baruch is choosing the right major… For obvious reasons. I don’t want to be stuck with a major that isn’t going to do anything for me economically, but at the same time I want to be happy and enjoy what ever I end up doing. My second concern is keeping my grades up. I really want to do well at Baruch, and I’m worried that I’m going to slack off. I’m extremely lazy, but I don’t want that to affect my grades the way it has in the past. My third concern is choosing classes.. I have no idea what to choose or how to choose.

c) So far, what do you think will make your Baruch College experience different from your high school experience?

Dorming definitely makes my Baruch College experience different from my high school experience. I no longer have the comfort of going home to my mother cooking dinner and my father sitting and watching the evening news. I have to budget my own money and figure out my own meals. The amount of freedom that college has is incredible. I’ve also realized that this freedom comes with a lot of responsibility. If I know I have plans for an upcoming weekend, I’ll do my work ahead of time so that I don’t have to worry about it later. I also have to find the willpower to go ahead and read the assigned pages even though the professor won’t really assign any handwritten work to accompany it.

d) How do you think your first year at College will change you?

I don’t think it will change me much asides from the fact that I’ll learn how to better manage my time. I’ll definitely meet more people and have other sets of friends that I’ll make, but as far as my personality and my morals and values – I doubt that those will change much.

Let me start off by saying, despite popular belief, I’m NOT this guy:

[EXPLICIT CONTENT]

My top three concerns about college are:
a) That I will end up partying too hard and die.
b) That I will not be able to keep all my classes in check and have to drop.
c) That I will get an STD. ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTION!!! …no, fo’reals.

Ok, I don’t think you can compare college to high school. High school, although essential, didn’t provide a very good way to learn, much the opposite. High school was boring, classes were too long, we would end up doing nothing productive all day except for maybe having lunch with a few friends. Oh, and of course, the high school favorite, memorizing a whole bunch of crap that you would forget as soon as you took your test the next day.

The difference between college and high school is simple. College = Learning ≠High School. I don’t have anything against having a school system for kids in that age bracket, it’s obviously necessary, it’s just done horribly wrong and, in my opinion, takes up too much of their time (Oh, and also starts way too early in the morning. You’re gonna start classes at 8 AM, really?).

I’ve already seen Baruch change me, just going to the city every day makes me a different person. Knowing my way around Manhattan will help once I’m looking for work. I’m gaining a new group of friends and new pass times. That’s what’s changing me, that’s why I’ll be different after my first year at Baruch.

Well on the most basic level, I’m a human. But I suppose thats not saying nearly enough. First and foremost I’m a friends, I will never betray those closest to me, I have few morals, but the one I have I’m adamant about.I’m also an athlete, I was on my school’s wrestling team, a comunity football league, did competitive swimming for four years, I cant stand to lose. I’m an artist, I love writing poetry in my spare time, and even made the semi-finals of a national competition once. I’m an academic, as is visable by the fac the I go to college and take my education seriously. I’m also a typical guy.

My first concern, as is everyone elses, is getting good grades as that will ultimately decide my future. My second concern is gettimng to know people, my high school was pretty small and with thousands of students in Baruch hopefully I’ll be able to make new friends. My final concern if having time for thingsa other than school, seeing as college takes up most of my day i hope it doesnt take over my life.

So far cellege has been very different from high school. There are WAY more students. Teachers don’t really teach but rant about whatever’s on their mind. While there isnt much homework, essays and big projects are given pretty frequently. And the professors are way more tech savvy.

I think college will finaly make me more responsible. And hopefully it’ll make me smarter too ;D

Ok, so it took me like twenty hours to figure out how to create and write this blog. So my first concern about my first year at Baruch is obviously my grade. I’m definitely working hard to get a 4.0 GPA because competition is so fierce now in this economy. A 4.0 will give me a much needed advantage over my fellow classmates and other students. My second concern this year is getting involved in school. I want to get the most out of my college experience so I’m deciding whether or not I should join a club or fraternity, if so which one?. My final concern this year is actually about financial aid for next semester. I mean who wouldn’t want to save some money?

College is different from high school in many ways but, the one thing that would make my college experience different from high school is the pace. It’s much quicker and therefore everyone needs to bring their “A” game. Also knowing that Baruch is the most diverse college in the nation I am looking forward to meeting each and every student at Baruch this experience would be unmatchable.

The first year at Baruch will make me a much more enthusiastic and open person. Especially because my fellow classmates and I are in a learning community which is a fabulous way to start off our careers at Baruch. It really helped me transit from high school. Who knows?, I may be a peer mentor in the future so watch out! As to telling you guys who I am, I don’t like to write it. I prefer to talk to you guys in person and I am looking forward to that! So enjoy your college experience!

P.S. my friend Raj stole my motto “JUST DO IT!” – NIKE, LOL.

a) Tell us who you think YOU are!

I am my own person.  I do not let others tell me who I am.  Some of my likes include food, music, and animals.  I love all animals, I myself have 3 cats, a dog (Pomeranian), and a goldfish.  As far as music goes, I like classic rock and my favorite song at the moment is Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls.  As far as food goes, my favorite is Italian, but I love trying new and exotic things.

b) Share your top 3 concerns about your freshmen year at Baruch College and explain why.

During my freshman year at Baruch my top 3 concerns would have to be 1. eliminating bad high school senior year habits, 2. developing better study methods and doing well in all my classes, 3.  Meeting new friends, and having a good time.  I need to get rid of bad high school senior year habits, like laziness, procrastination, and not caring about grades as much.  Studying in high school is different than college, I think that high school reading the chapter, memorizing, and studying 2 days before a test will get you a good grade, but now I think college requires a higher level of thinking and understanding and I will have to develop an improved study method.  Although Baruch has been labeled commuters school, I definitely do not want to go to school and home every day and not do anything on breaks.  Making new friends, getting to know the city better and traveling together, I want to say when I go home that the day was fun.

c) So far, what do you think will make your Baruch College experience different from your high school experience?

The major differences transitioning from high school to Baruch for me was the independence, and the size.  Going to high school always being pressured by parents, having to do everything, and then the parent teacher conferences were the worst, I am thankful there will be no more of those.  I also went to a relatively small high school, where everybody knew everybody, and Baruch is huge.  It is going to take some time getting used to.

d) How do you think your first year at College will change you?

Hopefully within my first year I will develop more as a person intellectually.  Although I entered Baruch with an idea of an accounting major, I am really not sure what I am going to do yet.  I’m just waiting for the right calling, and hopefully Baruch will be able to show it to me withing my first year.  I also think Baruch will turn me into a city person.  I never took public transportation really at all before Baruch, so I am still new to this whole public transportation world.  I intend to learn a lot more about the city and become train savvy.

My type of dog:

http://animal-world.com/dogs/Toy-Dog-Breeds/images/PomeranianWDTo_ApF6.jpg

And my favorite song at the moment:

As I read some of the previous posts, I’ve realized that identity is a difficult aspect to display in mere words and description. I think that identity is not just someone’s personality but also his actions, his cultural background, his religion, and sometimes his friends and family. So how would I answer the question “Who am I?” I’m a Catholic ABC (American Born Chinese) from Brooklyn. I try to be nice to most people. I’m always willing to help my friends in whatever way I can. I like to think of myself as cautiously spontaneous in that I will attempt crazy things spur of the moment but it depends on the context and the potential danger I’m putting myself in. I like witty and sarcastic humor but stupid jokes will make me laugh occasionally. I like listening to my friends’ stories as well as giving advice or just comforting them when they talk to me about their problems. I try to be open minded even though I might have an opposing view. I can have a quick temper but I’m trying to improve my level of patience. I’m really observant at times.  I will remember the most trivial details of a random day and I will think and rethink words or entire conversations that have impacted me in some way. I may without thought correct your grammar. I love English and I enjoy learning and using new vocabulary. I can be studious but laziness and lack of motivation are faults that I have to work at. Overall I’m just an average girl who takes it one day at a time on this journey we call life.

I’m not sure if I really have any top concerns at this stage. I have some minor worries that I need to address as the year wears on. I have to find my motivation again after the crazy slothfulness that I encountered senior year and then half of the summer. I need to set my priorities straight and stop procrastinating because the last time I did that it did not end well for me. I have to start focusing on my work and stop letting outside things obscure my attention. I need to work on my studying skills and figure out the best way for me to study depending on what subject it is and my strengths and weaknesses on topics. Finally I have to make sure that I’m making an attempt to eat healthier foods because it can be so easy to pick up fast foods in places around campus. I’ve started to eat breakfast these days. Cereal FTW.

I think what will make my college experience different from my high school one is the amount of freedom that I am given now. I’m now traveling to school via subway. I’m exploring more of Manhattan and trying different experiences with my new friends. I want to get more involved in my school. I don’t know if the first year will change me as a person but I’ll be sure to enter previously untouched fields and soak in the cultural diversity of those I encounter.

Just my view on how important the foundation of a good friendship or any relationship for that matter is. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhT2HhEllpw&ob=av2e