Monthly Archives: September 2010

I have been pondering on this idea for a while, it might be weird it might not be, but I really want to know your opinion on it.
The idea of Utopia has been around for a while, an ideal place, society or sometimes even anarchy. I understand that every person has his own idea of Utopia. Some friends of mine and I have discussed this question and what my friends agreed on is that the only Utopia possible at the moment is a place where there are no human beings, therefore there is no conflict, no war.
Another idea is a state of limited anarchy, where people are allowed to follow their own ideals and make communities based on the common goals without any outside influence.
Yet another idea was to genetically equalize everyone so that there would be no major differences between everyone, so everyone will be smart and attractive. The alteration will also put a limit on people’s choices because people today have too many choices and more often than not end up making the wrong ones. (Ignorance is bliss)
So I was wondering what is your idea of Utopia.

My name is Pavel named after my grandfather by my father. I was born in Uzbekistan, I speak Russian and my ancestors were Korean (from both sides of the family). I have come to US when I was 13 and have acquired experiences which help me describe myself.
I have come to a conclusion that people are ever changing. They are different from day to day and therefore no one can really say I am…..and be that person the next day. Whenever I declared myself as something, I found an error in it the next day. The only I am that has been constant over the years is I am lazy…
I do have expectations though. I expect myself to finish college being the most immediate one. I know that it is hard without a college degree out there and so I want to be prepared. There are obstacles in the way: the way I am unable to manage time, the way I do everything last minute (even this assignment). It is very hard to keep myself from sleeping in class and actually paying attention. Of course the source of all these obstacles is my laziness. Hopefully I will conquer it and then even the “I am lazy” will change.
I do look forward to see how I will be changed in order to define new me  time after time.

“Who are you?” Such a common question, yet so difficult to answer. My name is Kimberly Louis and yes, I’m that girl with the non-Asian last name. Many people often get confused of what ethnicity I am but I’m actually Chinese. I am eighteen years old and I live in Brooklyn for my entire life. Some people may think I’m that quiet girl, but really if you get to know me, then maybe you’ll think differently. My family is the most important aspect of my life since they are the reasons why I am the person I’ve become.

I don’t come from the typical Asian family. My family is actually very Americanized since most of my family members grew up in the U.S. and one word to describe them is crazy. But I’m proud to say that I come from a family of artists. I’m really an artist at heart. So what am I doing in Baruch? It’s like they always say, “you can’t make any money in the arts; you’ll just become a poor and starving artist!” So I devised a plan of getting a stable job in the future and then I’ll go to art school. I decided to make drawing and painting as a hobby and maybe possibly a side-job. Drawing is very relaxing to me and sometimes I can express what I’m feeling through sketching. I feel like having this ability (I wouldn’t call it a talent) makes me unique and defines who I am. I am an aspiring artist who is willing to learn anything, everything this world has to offer.

The top three concerns about my freshman year are time management, passing classes, and the workload. It’s common for teenagers like me to procrastinate often and I want to try to get work done on time rather than rushing before the due date. I am also concerned of balancing time doing papers and also studying since I get distracted quite easily.

The college experience is completely different from high school. In high school, you can slack off and not study for anything and still pass. I’m pretty sure in college, you can’t fall behind too much or else it’ll be tough to catch up. Also, the class sizes are different where in Midwood High School, there would be thirty-five students in one class with one teacher. I have to say, my high school is overcrowded where the original capacity was 2200 and it actually has around 4000 students. In Baruch, they class sizes are smaller with around twenty people and you get to know everyone more personally. But I believe Baruch will give me a more enjoyable experience than high school.

I believe Baruch will change me for the better. It will help me become more responsible and make me into a better person. Hopefully in the future, I will become the person I want to become; the successful part-time artist.

Hey! Where do I begin? Well, my name is Stefania Miro, my birthday is October 16th and I’m 17 years old. I live in Yonkers, N.Y. and always have. People call me shy, which I am until you get to know me. I’m very friendly and I always want to help people. My family is loud and Italian and I love every minute of it. One of my hobbies is taking dance classes which I’ve been taking for the past 12 years. I also just love being around my friends and family and have a good time.

One of my top concerns about starting college was not being able to handle the workload. I’m nervous that I won’t be able to manage my time at all and not being able to get any of my work done. I was also worried that the professors would be extremely strict and mean but all of my professors are really laid back. I was also concerned that it would take me quite a while to get used to being a college student.

Baruch is the complete opposite of my high school. I went to Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale, N.Y. Maria Regina is a small all girls Catholic high school that consisted of only about 500 girls meanwhile Baruch consists of about 30 times that amount. Baruch is also much more diverse than my high school and I love that. In my high school everyone knew each other no matter what grade you were in and here at Baruch this is very different. In high school we were spoon fed by our teachers and you can tell that is not the case in college. I know I have a lot more responsibility here to keep up on my work. The workload is a lot more than what I had in high school but I feel that I will get used to it eventually.

I think my first year at Baruch will change me into a more outgoing person. All these activities dealing with public speaking will help me break out of my shell. I’m hoping I can become a more responsible and hardworking person here. I’m looking forward to spending the next 4 years here and seeing how I will change as a person.

Who do I think I am? That’s an interesting question. Well I’m Korean, 5’11”, I have dark eyes and black hair but those are things that everyone knows already, right? Though those are things I am, they’re not what I have become. I have a Korean-American traditions, I have a height advantage in sports, I have glasses for my dark eyes, and I have a fauxhawk for my black hair. It’s what I make of things in my life, that make me who I am today.

I started my life off having no name but “Tim’s little brother,” Tim being my older brother. He made a name for himself: a great guy, loved by everyone, friendly, personable, awesome. I was in a shadow of my brothers life not knowing who I was but with the circumstances I was given, I found out who I was. Entering highschool, after my brother had just graduated after being Student Government President, people knew me as “little Tim.” But that wasn’t who I was, I was much more than just a shadow of my brother. I felt as if I needed to fill the shoes he was in: a great guy, loved by everyone, friendly, personable, awesome. Without sounding too arrogant or egotistical, I did become that person. I became a person driven to do well primarily through a strong work ethic, I became a leader, I learned how to use my talents and skills and apply them to different aspects of my life. I learned who I was.  I was no longer “little Tim” but my own name. I became Student Government president, I became home-coming king, I became concert master, I became president of this club and that club, I was well-known throughout the schools not by only the students but teachers as well. I accomplished EVERYTHING my brother did, plus more. Though we had the “same experience” of being this “person,” the experiences were different and therefore made me my “I am…”

Three concerns that have come up during my freshman year are: the workload, the stress and the motivation. The workload is very stressful and I don’t know if I can be motivated enough to do it. That was pretty simple.

Baruch College is me being back to that kid who entered high school. Not exactly “little Tim,” but basically a new beginning, someone new. At Baruch, I have to have and develop that same community I developed back at my high school.

My first year at Baruch has already changed me. I’ve realized the importance of money, the fatigue from commuting, and the incredible amount of work that needs to be done. My outlook as changed not in a pessimistic way, but for the better. I understand that I NEED to continue this path and need to strive to SUCCEED. But it will change me by making me an even better character than I was back in high school. I AM Christopher Ahn.

Who am I? Not only is it important to know who I believe myself to be, but to know those small little things that make me different from everyone else. Without the knowledge of myself I would be lost in a world were you can be left behind if you are still figuring things out. Let’s start with the things that I know about myself already and I am positive there is more to learn about myself in the future. My name is Syeda Nessa. I am seventeen years old and I am a typical college student with just some few quirky characteristics. I am always a very helpful person. I have a hard time saying no to people when they need help. I guess you can say that I am generous with my time. I love learning new things and soak up bits and pieces of information like a sponge. I hate not knowing something and if I don’t know something I have to look it up. My favorite hobbies include cooking, reading, and eating chocolate. I am a chocoholic and can eat tons of chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I like my rest but after a while I get stir crazy if I am not doing something. I been always described as an even tempered person except for the times my temper flares, other then that I am a really friendly and can even get along with my enemy. I am a natural worrier and I am really concerned about my freshman year in college.

So far integrating into the college life has been difficult. I am troubled about the amount of work that is given by the professor. I am also anxious about my ability to be able to complete the work efficiently. I am not so sure if my intellectual skills are up to college level. I am afraid that I am going to fail my classes during my first semester at Baruch, if I don’t study day and night. Mostly I am concerned that I am not up to the standard of a college student. My uneasiness lies in the fact that my high school experience will not be enough to continue my education.

So far my experience at Baruch shows that high school and college are two completely different entities. I know that Baruch will be able to give me further knowledge and education in the field that I am interested in. I believe Baruch can give me the experience needed for me to be a worldlier and open minded person and that starts during the first year.

I am absolutely sure that my first year at Baruch will change me forever. I will know this year, whether I am college material or not. I will know if I am capable of handling working under pressure and stress. This year at Baruch will further enhance my knowledge of me and in finding out what career path is right for me. Baruch will transform me from a teenage student to a capable adult.

Hey there LC17!! 🙂

Welcome to our class blog! I hope everyone had a well-rested and fun weekend! Feel free to start posting responses to the first blog or any of the voluntary blogs.

Best Regards,
Farzana