The thought of college brought mixed emotions. One of the things that both got me excited and scared at the same time was the idea of independence that college brings. Life seems to always be easier when things are handed to you, which is what happened during my high school years. I thought high school was difficult, but it’s nothing compared to college.
I knew that college was going to be different in that the professors will not spoon feed their students like teachers did in high school, the guidance counselors will not go out of there way to help the students unless the students seek help themselves, and the work load will increase dramatically from the amount given in high school. It all was not a surprise to me but I still was not fully prepared for it all. It didn’t help that my senior year in high school was a breeze. I was extremely laid back and just had fun the whole year, so once the work began to roll in during my first few weeks in Baruch I became extremely stressed and used the phrase “I hate college” often. I was not in “school mode” until three weeks into the semester. It took me awhile to build up my time management skills again. But during all those readings and essays I began to get used to it. I’ve learned that I need to make sacrifices such as sleep and hangouts with my friends. It’s really a give and take.
Now that I’ve gotten used to the schoolwork, I need to work on my Baruch social life. College is not all about going to classes and getting work done, but it’s also about getting involved in the many extra curricular activities that the school provides, and at the same time you would make new friends. So far, I have only joined the Eco Club in Baruch. If I were not at the club then I would either be at the computer labs or at the library. I definitely do not want to spend all four years of college doing the same thing. What I definitely want to do is tryout for Baruch’s Women’s Volleyball team and hopefully become part of their team. I wish I had tried out this year, but I guess I just didn’t have the confidence to tryout.
During my first semester at Baruch I did not do much. My focus was just on my schoolwork. Ever since I came to Baruch I could see some changes in me. The typical changes I saw were in my maturity and how independent I have become. School has become of an extreme importance to me, not just because there is money involved but because I would like to see myself successful with a well paying job that can enable me to have an enjoyable and comfortable lifestyle, and college can help me achieve this. I’m doing just “okay” in my classes this semester, but hopefully I will do great next semester and expand myself to become more active and a part of the Baruch social life.
