Who Are WE? We're PR3!

My name is Yong Liu but you can call me Tom. I was born in Wen Zhou China on July, 2 1992. I moved to America in 1999, when I was 7 with my dad and older brother. When I moved here, I lived with my aunt and cousins. I used to live and go to school in Chinatown until I moved to Elmhurst when I was 12, there is really a big difference between the two communities, I just graduated from Bayside High school and am now attending Baruch College and is planning to major in Accounting. I enjoy watching Baseball and Football games, my favorite teams are the Yankees and the Jets. Also I love listening to music; I enjoy all kind of music except country. My favorite music artists are Usher, Iyaz and Rihanna. I love the color blue and I don’t a favorite food, but I love food. During my free time I usually chat with friends’ online, browse the internet such as watching Youtube videos, and of course playing some games. My hero is my dad because he works his butt off for the family and never complains about anything. One of my main goals is to graduate college and let my dad retire early.

My Top 3 concerns are adjusting to College life, making friends, and Studying.  Adjusting to college life because its way different from high school, everything moves faster and a lot of the information like due dates for papers I need to find myself compare to high school where the teacher reminds you almost every day.  Making friends because in college it’s a lot harder than in high school because a lot of the class is in a big lecture hall and you don’t get to communicate with a lot of people around you during class time. Studying is another thing I am concern about because in high school, you didn’t really needed to study that much. So I need to learn how to manage my time efficiently to have enough time to sit down and study.

The differences between high school and college are the professor’s cares less about you, the workload is way more than high school, and the classes are a period longer. The professor’s don’t nag you to do your work like the teachers in high school and most of the professor’s won’t even know our names. In high school, we didn’t really have homework and even if we did it was very little but in college I spend 2-3 hours on 1 class alone. Also another difference is that the classes are way longer than in high school so you really have to adjust to it. I think the first year of college would make me more mature as a student and as a person because in College you really have to be independent and take care of yourself.

to borrow an idea from Dimitri Martin, i am matt scott, person. i am like everybody else, as long as they have two eyes, a nose, and an irrational fear of cherubs. something about them just creeps me out. i am an unwritten story, blank pages waiting to be filled by adventure and tales of heroism. Kurt Vonnegut once said: “Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything”. i agree with his statement, and i never want to grow up. i like to think that i am a person who never ceases to see the wonder in the world. that no matter how bitter and ugly everything gets, there’s beauty everywhere, and in everything. i also love to make people laugh, especially if they’re having a bad day. seeing someone’s frown turn into a smile really makes me think everything is worth it. i believe that laughter is the universal cure. i’ve also heard people claim that life is too short, and i can not disagree more. i think that people take life for granted, and that if they had less time here that they would make every second count. i try not to be serious about anything that counts, and although it sometimes gets hard for those close to me, it seems to make everything more manageable. in short i’m just another stupid human.

i have a multitude of concerns, each more ridiculous than the last. but lets stick with the top three i have concerning my freshman year.           #1: i know this might seem childish, but i’m afraid no one will like me for who i am. i grew up in a very small town where everybody knew everybody. i knew everyone in my school by name, and we all accepted each other. here, i see how big the world really is and how many people are in it. what if no one accepts me for me?             #2: my second biggest concern is that i’ll disappoint everybody. everyone seems to believe in me. my parents, my old teachers, even my aunts and uncles. all of them seem to have these huge expectations of me. what if i can’t fill those shoes?             #3: my third biggest concern is kind of a cliche. what if cherubs are real?

this one’s a good one. what makes baruch different from my high school. well for one, my high school had 400 people in it, including teachers. according to what i’ve heard there are lectures with more people than that. secondly this work is actually challenging. in high school i could’ve done the work in my sleep, now i actually have to use my brain in class. another huge difference is the commute. every day in high school i got on a bus and it took me to the next town over to school. now i have to wake up every morning and get in a metal tube for an hour or so, then walk a few blocks to class. every day is a new adventure.

i think my first year of college has already changed me. i already feel more mature and more like an adult. i feel like my first year of college will give me a glimpse of who i can be in the future, and what i’m really all about. in short, college is a time machine.

bak skyene er himmelen altid blå. (behind the clouds the sky is always blue)

Who am I? I know my name is Crystal Lee. That’s as far as it goes. Who do I think I am? I like to consider myself as a driven individual. I’m far from perfect, but I try. I know that I’m kind of weird, eccentric, and quirky. I’m quiet, shy, awkward and standoffish to people that don’t know me too well, but to others I’m just plain blunt. I know that I’m sometimes contradictory and always self conscious, but I always try to be nice and see the best in people. It’s hard for me dislike people and even harder for me to hold grudges. I may not be the smartest person anyone’s ever met, but I still believe that intelligence is important, and sometimes overlooked. I believe that creativity and expression are the best outlets in the world. Most importantly, I prefer to take everything one day at a time and enjoy the little things.

I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous about Baruch. It’s just so different to me. My top three concerns are failure, failure, and my future. Well, there are other things that i’m worried about, like having to pull all nighters again, drifting apart from people, and just not enjoying the experience. And what if, in the end, I didn’t find any guidance as to what I was looking for in my future. That really freaks me out.

I was comfortable in Brooklyn Technical High School. I got to know some amazing people, and all of the secrets of the building. Like the northeast entrance of the cafeteria is never guarded, the elevators on the west side don’t work, and there’s secret rooms scattered everywhere. Teachers knew me by name, or at least face. Now in college, no one tells you when to eat, security guards don’t stop you if you’re not in class, math teachers don’t check homework, and everything is done at your own free will. College has more choices and more freedom that I’m not used to. I like that I have, at most, 4 classes a day this semester, as opposed to 7 or 8. There are so many new faces, but a lot of familiar ones. The elevators don’t stop at every floor, and I have a lot more time to myself. It’s a lot more independent. It’s just something that I’ll have to adjust to. I’ve adjusted to 5,000 students in high school, I’ll get used to the 17,000 somehow. I think i’ll be fine here, though. I kno that i’ll grow more independently, and I’ll mature. I know that i have a lot to learn, and not to sound like a loser, but i’m eager to learn. I know that Ill meet some awesome people. I thought I was missing out on the whole, going away college experience, but I realized the city can be pretty amazing. I know it like the back of my hand now. And I just have to take things one day at a time. You know, enjoy the little things.

“If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”

Kobe Bryant hits a game winner on Dwayne Wade (Miami C-Heat)

Who am I? According to Professor Sarah from my Sociology class, I’m one person made of various different roles. By day, I’m a student at Baruch College, with high expectations for myself. By night, I’m a lowly employee at the most terrible place ever, Forever 21. I mean sure, roles are the easiest ways to define oneself, but does that really show who you are? I’m Derek; I’m not the perfect guy but I’ve always considered myself an exceptional son, and an even better friend. I’m that guy who seems like an ass the first time you meet him, but after a conversation, you’ll be surprised. I’m that guy who’s always taking care of his friends who had just a little too much to drink. I’m that guy who you can rely on to keep your secrets and his promises. I’m the guy that puts his friends and family before himself. I’m not perfect, but for the people I care about, I damn well try my best to be.

Baruch is so different than from what I’m used to. I came from a small one-floor school of about 500 students, and a graduating class of 108 kids. I used to be somebody, but now that I’m here, I feel like I’m just another random face. I used to be on the top of my high school, but I’m nothing here. I hope this atmosphere of impersonality fades soon. And then there’s that job I need to have while going to school. Paying for school out of your own pockets is tough, and requires so much patience. I’m taking it day by day, but it’s been incredibly hard to balance school, studies, work, and then of course, fun. It’s definitely taking its toll. And finally, this is it, college. I’m almost an adult, but I don’t know if I’m ready for it. I’m not sure who I want to be, but I know I can’t waste my time here. Hopefully it’ll work itself out.

The transition from high school to college hasn’t been easy. The responsibility is all on us. Our teachers (or professors) aren’t going to reach out to us individually. We are expected to take the initiative. High school was carefree. I didn’t bring a book or a book bag for the last year and a half of high school. Now I have a 5 subject book, filled with notes I diligently take down during every class, and I’ve actually bought textbooks. I can’t half-ass college like I did with high school. I’m going to get what I put into college.

College has totally reformed me! I slacked off most of my entire high school career, but ever since college has started, I have not missed a single assignment. I’m starting to organize myself, and my time. By the end of this year, I hope to reach a higher level of maturity, and reform my attitude completely. There’s a reason that there’s a picture of Kobe Bryant up there, besides the fact that he’s freaking awesome. He  has that killer instinct, and that’s the attitude I want. He knows what he wants, and he can literally win a game by sheer will. That’s what I want to do with my life. I want that drive and determination that he has. I want to set my goals, and have nothing stop from achieving them. CLUTCH LIKE KOBE !!

It's a Wonderful World

I used to be a mold. I used to attempt to mold myself into the stereotypical Asian boy to make my parents happy. I found out I couldn’t accept it, so I rejected it. Don’t get me wrong, I still mold myself into images that will hopefully make people happy. It doesn’t work a lot of times, so I’ve decided to throw it away and live the way how I want it. No more worries about images anymore but only about the future. Just living the life, valving the significant things, and discarding the rest. A little too carefree? That’s your call, not mine.

I have been very concern about college ever since when I started high school. Image problem remember? List those concerns? I don’t know where to start spilling my words onto this blog but I don’t think it will fit the blog. I can group all my concerns under one umbrella : How am I going to live my life from now on? Well, from there the concerns come flowing in such as how am I going to make money, where am I going to reside, and etc. I don’t want to have no idea which path I am following in the future, I want a vague view at least if not a well-planned future. An empty future is scary, don’t you think?

Well to start off, college and high school are spelled differently! High school was very relaxing and perhaps too carefree for me. Since nothing really mattered and besides a high school education is free, right? However, coming to college has been a completely different experience for me so far. To start off, school isn’t free anymore, it’s painful to pay for each class; this is one main motivation to go to college. My grades actually determine which doors I open or close in the future; this is actually the main reason I don’t miss class anymore. Finally, my professors nag about anything, which is a little odd for the first time of my education years, I have to steer myself to success alone. Overall, the college experience is a 180 degree flip from what I have experienced in college.

Change has been a very common word ever since our current president has used it in his campaign, and everything is indeed changing. I am already changing in college, well at least people say that. I am no longer the mute person who only sits in class and daydream. I open my mouth and words come out of my moving mouth to answer a question, not to talk to my neighbor about random things. I don’t participate a lot but I do the minimum at least; in high school I usually don’t earn anything for my participation grade. I am very happy I have erased my name as the mute one and corrected it to my original name. I am very interested what other changes I am capable throughout my whole college experience. I have no idea how college change me, but I wish it will be for the best!

thanks flickr

Sometimes people believe they know who they are, but I think that’s impossible. To truly understand one’s self, said person has to be all-knowing. Sorry to burst your bubble, but no human being is all-knowing. The most I can do is accept what I know (and don’t know), as of right now, and get ready for whatever changes are being kept for me in my future. Because the fact is that I know very little. I know I’m a person of many opposites. I know that the quote from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself “I am large. I contain many multitudes” resonates with me. I know I’m a college student and I know that I want to be, in four years, a college graduate.

I don’t know, however, how the hell I’m going to get there. I have endless concerns about college; most of which I’m not even aware of. I predict that I’m going to have trouble with balancing my life between the social and the academic. There have been and probably will be eras of my life divided by very distinct phases. I’ll go through a whole month doing nothing but work; only to be followed by a whole month of partying. Then, in addition to the crookedness of my life, I have the problem of not enough “me time”.  Me time is very important. With the right amount of me time comes a very natural ability to reduce stress, which is something I have a great deal of difficulty doing. I’m very afraid that I will do what I did in high school and freak out when stress comes my way. You know the theory fight or flight? I define flight. I am what it means to run away from a problem.

Then I remind myself — this isn’t high school. There are a few seemingly obvious, but very notable differences between now and then. I’m no longer a high schooler. My peers are no longer high schoolers. And my professors are no longer high school teachers. What does that mean? One: I’m more mature and, hopefully, so are the people around me. And two: my professors expect more of me and understand that since more is expected of me, for the first time since a long time, I am under a great deal of stress. And thus, the atmosphere has changed.

I figure that, with the above calculation, my freshman year should definitely be a switch. I foresee a bunch of little things happening. Things like: more friends on facebook, a significant decrease in sleeping hours, better pong skills, and so forth. But, on the grander scale, my worldview is bound to change is a drastic and wonderful way. With my own evolution and with the influence of my also-evolving peers, I will grow exponentially. Another huge change is going to be moving out of my house. If all goes accordingly, it should change me in a positive way. I should blossom. Maybe I’ll learn how to balance my life. Maybe I’ll pick up some stress reducing skills. One can only hope.

Dominique Bible

I am a simple human. Emotions shouldn’t make a person, but it’s unlikely that they wouldn’t. I am fear, I am desire, I am anger and I am love. When it’s not emotions that are me, it’s logic. In other words, I am never both. I am someone who keeps friends and family close to heart. I am careless about the careless. I am on a level of self-awareness. I am a daughter to a critical mother and an ignorant father, and a sister to a confused brother. I think that who I am won’t really matter until I’m living on my own, because right now who I am doesn’t come close to who I can be.

My concerns have nothing to do with Baruch College specifically, but of college itself. This is something so new to those who have never done it, and even about three weeks in I feel like I don’t yet belong. My top concern is about just being able to keep up with the work. I don’t want to disappoint my parents or myself by doing poorly. When I feel that I’m getting lazy I remind myself that this is now the real thing. I know that it’s the real thing because in this “real thing” everything costs money, which is another concern. Even though my parents aren’t denying anything yet, I feel bad for making them do this but also feel that I should just get used to all the expenses of college. My third most concern is not having enough time. Time is so ungraspable and so uncontrollable that it flies without warning. If I don’t make the right use of the time that I have, I’m scared that I’ll end up regretting something that I do at Baruch. After being in high school for four years, the pace in college actually isn’t much different. What is different is the freedom. I really love that about college. The individual freedom really gives each student individual responsibilities. We are responsible for our own work, our own timing, our own mistakes. In high school we have to abide to the school’s rules without much flexibility.

This first year of Baruch College will definitely give me more insight of what they call “the real world.” I still live with the parents but I find myself relying on them less and less. I love the city and going to school smack in the middle of it is very intriguing to me. I’m sure to get more acquainted with the surrounding areas as well as the surrounding crowd. I’m hoping to become more comfortable with myself and my time management. Maturity is key and I think that after high school everyone feels a little more mature, so after one year of college it should feel even better. The first year of college will change me in positive ways. Maybe I’ll even stop  picking on my brother, who’s also trying to get his life finally going, but who knows.

Either way, I’ll catch you on the flip side.

It’s always hard to take a look at yourself and define who you are.  I see myself as an Asian American male who tries to go above certain expectations  of those who know me.  Not because I aim to please them but because I know it’ll benefit me in the future.  I often find myself exploring because I’m not sure if i have a set identity.  As I live my life, I change and I think that’s one of the hardest things in life to accept.  We all have our moments in life and some wish that they could just stay in the period for the rest of our lives.

One of my concerns as a freshman at Baruch College is that I won’t be able to push myself to use my time efficiently and do my task before the last minute.  I’m a lazy individual so doing everything I have to is almost never an option.  Another one of my concerns is that I may not pass everything because I’m not one to study or exactly do everything I’m supposed to.  I fell under the impression that if I just go to class then it’ll all be alright because of my past education.  Clearly that’s not going to happen.  The last concern of mine is that I’ve heard we have to do all these presentations in our later classes and years, and I’m guessing it won’t be easy for me because I’m naturally a shy person.

I think my experience in college will be different from high school in that I’ll have a lot more freedom and no one will be there to guide you and help if don’t want to seek out help by yourself.  Also that the courses will be more demanding and the work will be more detailed.  I guess since we are paying for our education, it’s expected that we want to be in college and we find our own way to succeeding and actually learning.  Another difference I see is that everyone is focused unlike high school where everyone is forced to be there and I guess it creates a different environment and vibe.

I think my first year at college will have a few surprises with my courses and how college will impact my life.  My first year will probably make me more responsible in regards to my time management and my ability to accept the fact that I have to set my priorities.   College is like another portion in my life because every experience changes you whether it be good or bad.  With all the expectations of the students to do well and use what they learn to help out in their careers, I find it kind out hard to believe that I will become one of those people.  It’s not exactly who I am but I guess college is already changing me because otherwise I would be writing this blog at a different time.

There’s always been an internal struggle with me, a type of fight between my three beings. Who I am, who I’d like to be, and who I was, all struggle amongst one another for the dominant power. My mother once said to me “Eva, You need to stop being like everyone else, and figure out who you really are” Well, the problem with that statement is I DON’T know who i really am. I know i thrive in many facets. I know I’m very artistic and intelligent. I know I’m very outgoing and I know I have have a basic belief in human beings. I also know that I am very insecure. I know I am afraid of failure and defeat. I know that I cherish the words people say to me. I know that if I don’t succeed, especially in college, that it’d be more than a defeat to myself but to my family as well. I believe that school will always be the same: A social intsitution under the disguise of an intellectual one. It is however different from highschool in numerous ways. For one, it’s better. College is the way to see yourself in a new light, a light that is shined on you through others. You meet people who have the same interest as you, people who are real, and come from real backgrounds. People who know how to make things right, people who want to make the woorld a better place. And the classes are fantasic, even the worst of them. You learn from a person who has a real knowledge and love for the subject, and someone who is willing to share that knowledge with you, someone who WANTS to learn it. College, unlike high school, gives you opportunities that will take you as far as you want. Knowing all about all the things that college, in particular Baruch, can offer you, one can take on a lot of anxiety about it. I am soo nervous i will fail. I’m afraid that I won’t get into Zicklin and I won’t be able to achieve what’d I’d like to. I’m nervous that because I went to a commuter school that I won’t get the FULL college experience. The experience of partying and having fun. And most of all, I’m afraid I’ll leave Baruch without great friends. I always lived by “fear stimulates action.” So I know that no matter how much anxiety I may have about something, that i have the ability to make the best out of it. That is why I know that the first year of College at Baruch will be a  good one for me. I know that i will be able to use it to shape myself into a better person. I know that will meet a bountiful amount of great people who will be in acquaintance with for years to come. I know I will expand my knowledge of the world, humanity, and culture. I know my first year of college will be the most fruitful.

Live. Laugh. Love. These are the three words that harmonizes my life. I’m living my life to the fullest, laughing to my heart’s content and loving beyond all words possess. My life continues to grow day by day as I become more aware of the person I am. Eighteen years of life’s obstacles have made me the chill, knowledgeable, mature, understanding and optimistic individual today. I approach situations in a realistic manner and highlight the goods behind every bad. My ambition to succeed and be true to myself, involves my chapter of life in Baruch College. As a freshman, I’m fresh to the school. My concerns in Baruch are being involved with the school community, living up to grade expectations and balancing out school life with social life. I am also new to the city itself so I don’t wish to stay out too late, but all the clubs and activities don’t start until later in the day. I need to be accustomed to my surroundings first before I can be committed to multiple clubs. Doing well in school is the main focus of my interest and that means in order to do well, I have to worry about living up to the independence of college level studies. Then comes balance of both, doing well and having a life. How will I manage for both aspects to grow evenly and keep me sane?

School is always going to be school, whether it be high school or college. There isn’t much difference except for the level in material and independence. We learn through time to adjust with our dependence on others and we become more prepared for all that we have to face. In essence, Baruch is not much different than high school. Perhaps people are not as interested or close knit with each other initially as if it would have been in high school; but it takes a friendly reach out to make people a part of your social network. That is something that I am shy about, but I believe after my first year in college it will all change. I will be a more outgoing individual and initiate my friendships, initiate my social life and initiate my control on the people person I want to become.  I would hope that after being a freshmen at Baruch, that I’ve grown more mature and independent in everything. Change is the main drive to Obama’s victory for presidency and change will be my main success in life.

Day by day I will grow from the friendships I acquire, the professional relationships I encounter, the individual dependency I must live up to and finally the knowledge I obtain to better myself and the community. One year is enough to make me a little more prepared in life and one year is enough to uncover a bit of potential inside of me. So, Baruch will be a ground for learning, discovering, experimenting and growing if I give it my all. After all, life is consistently prone to changes and it wouldn’t be put to it’s test without the college experience.