Author Archives: al120202

Mon dieu. This is going to sound horrible, but Baruch College really hasn’t lived up to my expectations. The first time I came to Baruch was in November of 2009 for Baruch’s Student for a Day Program. All of the people were beyond friendly, there was (GOOD) free food as far as the eye could see and when we went to “class,” the classrooms were clean, seemingly new and had a bunch of pretty cool electronic stuff. None of what I’ve experienced as a student here comes even close to what I saw that day. A lot of people at Baruch are really douche-y, the food is mediocre and costs 4793274234872903847238 dollars and the nice classrooms from when I went to Student for a Day are all up on like the 14th floor or something, where I don’t have any classes. Baruch’s Student for a Day Program totally bamboozled me, so no, Baruch definitely has not lived up to my expectations.

I think my semester was okay though. I dropped pre-calc. I think I’m doing phenomenal in History and Psychology. I’m averaging a B- in English right now and a B in Communications. So it’s all ~aiight~.

If I could do this semester all differently, I would have dropped Maths sooner. It wasted a lot of my time and energy. Maths class was pretty late in the day, so I was always tired and couldn’t learn anything, not to mention the couple of hours I had to wait each day for Maths to start totally destroyed me.

I think I’ve changed a lot since I started at Baruch. I’m a lot more cynical and angry and a lot less naïve. I entered Baruch desperately trying to keep a hold of my childhood and not wanting to grow up. Before I could even realize what had happened to me, I’d matured. I’m everything that I promised myself I’d never become–an adult. I have responsibilities now, and no time to do anything I want. I’m convinced that everyone around me has the worst intentions. Just months ago I could see the world through a child’s eyes. When I wasn’t thinking like a 5-year-old, I was thinking like a 17-year-old. It was like a switch I could turn on and off. (Guess which one was more fun, hahah.) It gets harder to keep in touch with my inner child the more Baruch infects me.

tl;dr Baruch has pulled a Unit 731 (no offense to anyone) on my life, but whatever. C’est la vie, ouais?

Growing up, I always believed that I knew who I was–Ada Li: spawn of Chinese immigrants, born and raised in New York City–but eventually I realized that those were just facts that don’t really say anything about who I am.

I’d like to say that I know who I am, but I kind of really don’t. I am am many things, but they are ‘whats,’ not ‘whos.’ I am a culinary junkie, a writer, a human rights activist and an explicit Atheist, but what probably defines me the most is that I am a history enthusiast. From Ancient Egypt to Marie Antoinette, I find everything in the past fascinating, so usually when I’m asked to define myself, that’s what I tell people. I like history so much, I even want to major in it. But what does that make me after I get my history degree? A history teacher? A non-fiction writer? The same as I am now?

I don’t really know who I am or what I am going to become. Starting college hasn’t helped in the slightest bit either, as I now have no time for anything. Heck, I’m so busy that I usually only have enough time to eat once a day (or less). I’m not upset, however. That’s just the way life is.

Self-discovery is a lifelong journey. I’ll find the time to figure out who I am. …Someday.

Hello, everyone~ My name is Ada Li. I like children’s stories and olde-timey music, like Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf. My favorite television shows are Doctor Who, Torchwood, QI, Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. I’m someone who just wants to stay as a kid forever and never grow up. My dream is to win the lottery so that I’ll never have to. I also like to think that I’m a pretty righteous lady too. I fight evil, protect the innocent, support causes, attend protests, etc.

My top three concerns about my freshman year are making friends, finding time to sleep and getting my work done. Sleeping and getting my work done are self-explanatory. Making friends is what worries me. When I came to Baruch, I noticed that almost everyone had friends and that “cliques” had been established already. I feel like the odd one out because only one other kid from my high school had decided to come to Baruch and  she’s not in any of my classes. I’ve made some friendly acquaintances, but I don’t know how to make the transition from being friendly acquaintances to friends. I’m terribly self-conscious; I don’t want to be that kid (you know, the one who forces himself/herself into a group by latching onto them? It’s not righteous in the least.), so I don’t know how I’m going to make friends this year.

I don’t find college all that different from high school aside from the class hours and that my lack of sleep has grown.

I don’t think my first year at college will change me in any significant way. Everything taught in my classes are things that I’ve already learned, to an extent. Being in the city every day isn’t new to me either because I’m in the city all of the time anyway. Also, I’ve already been really independent since I was 13. For the past five years, I’ve pretty much lived on my own; My parents lived two floors above me and only checked up on me once every few months. I’ve cleaned, done laundry, bought food, etc. Eventually, I even got a job to pay for my own expenses. Nothing is new to me in college. I don’t think I’m going to change. I hope I’m wrong and that I do change though (but not like Gregor Samsa).

I hope my post is adequate, hahah.