Author Archives: ling.ling

Happiness can be attained by setting goals and working toward to achieve them. We become motivated, empowered, and excited when we have a goal to achieve whether it is short term or long term. We feel life becomes meaningful and full with hope when we have a goal. Of course the goals have to be desirable and attainable so we won’t give up too fast. While pursuing the goal, we can gain happiness by enjoying process such as overcoming obstacles in the way, sharing small step of success with others and becoming confident with supports from others. In the movie, “Best in Show” the five entrants all have the same goal that is to win the prestigious dog show “Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show”. They take time and energy to train their dogs and they all enjoy the process. Before the competition, the dog owners are very nervous about the challenge that is to come; however, they are also happy that they have a chance to achieve their goal. For example, Gerry and Cookie Fleck and their dog Winky, although they encounter many problems before the competition, such as being force to sleep in the hotel’s storage room for they don’t have enough money, they are still very happy that they have each other’s supports during the competition. Another point I want to make is success is the key to happiness. Having able to achieve a goal in the end would bring us more happiness. In the movie just before the final, Cookie dislocates her knees and Gerry has to take over for her. Gerry is really nervous for he is afraid that he won’t do a great job, however, with Cookie’s support Gerry gains confidence in doing it and ultimately Winky wins. The couples are extremely happy for all their hard works have been rewarded. Since the goal is very meaningful to them the final victory adds more to happiness to them.

In chapter 2 of Freud’s text, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Freud tells us a story of a child’s game “disappearance and return” which becomes known as “fort da” to explain his idea of “pain/pleasant”. Freud observes an eighteen months old child who repeatedly throws a wooden reel, with a piece of string attach to it, away from him while saying the word “fort” (go away) and when he brings it back he would say “Da” (there). Freud believes the child’s action is a relief of anger for his mother who always leaves him alone. The child doesn’t want his mother to leave him and wants to be the master of the situation; so he replaces an object in place of people. He sends the object (her mother) away and brings it back whenever he wants to. Freud analyzes action saying “the answer will perhaps be forthcoming that the departure must be played as the necessary prelude to the joyful return.” The child gains happiness when he sees the toy return even though it would be unpleasant for him to throw it away in the first place. I think Freud is trying to explain that we are just like the child who appreciates things more after we experienced the pain of losing it while gaining happiness as the outcome of the painful process.

Similar to the story of “Allegory the Cave”, the prisoner has been brought up with the belief that the shadows are the only realities. However, after he is released from the cave and sees things in a more real and more correct way, he would appreciate the true reality more than any other people who have been brought up in this true reality. The cost of this different view was years of suffering in the cave, but he enjoys the outcome of the painful process for he gains happiness.

Freud is portraying a happiness that is attained after experiencing a painful process. We might think that this kind of happiness would be more realistic for we use to believe in “no pain, no gain”, however, are we really going to attain true happy with a painful and unpleasant process?

Overall, my first semester in Baruch College is great. I really like the campus for there are accessible computers on every floor of the campus. I also like our library for it is spacious and loads with all different kinds of books. I was expected to be walking around the campus a lot. Since the escalators are all broken and it always takes a long time to wait for the elevator I always take the stairs. I remember once I climb the stairs from the fifth floor to the twelve, it almost killed me. One thing that really disappointed me is that college life is not as fun as I thought it would be. I had a difficult time finding a club that I like for there is no club that interested me. They all seem so boring! I feel very sad because this semesters’ grade might not lived up to my expectations. I think I will probably get B in most of my classes. However, I have tried my best in every class and hopefully I can get a satisfying grade on the finals and get an A- for the overall average. I really don’t enjoy many of my classes this semester. It turns out to be that I have a hard time focusing in class; I hope this won’t happen again next semester. I wish I can have some classes with interesting and devoted professors. One thing that I would do differently during my first semester if I could do it all again is study harder for my US history midterm. I didn’t study as hard as I did on the first test because I thought it would be as easy as the first test! Another thing I would do differently is attending more clubs. I was too shy to attend club by myself. I always spent the club hours in the library instead of attending a club. Since I started at Baruch College, I have changed a lot. I feel I become more like an adult by making decision, managing time and arranging schedule by myself. I hope I can be more open and sociable in the near future.

  As you all know that Ling Ling is my name, and in Chinese it means (the animal) “dear”. However, I also have an English name, Dorcas, which I keep it to myself. The name, Dorcas comes from the Bible and in Hebrew it also means “dear”. Growing up in a single-parent family, I learned to be independent, mature, responsible, caring and hardworking at a relatively young age. I am proud to have these characteristics. However, I am also not outgoing, shy and unsociable which I tried hard to improve. I like to get thing done on-time, it makes me happy. I am a serious person and I hate to be fooled around. The person who is very important to me is my mom; I could never imagine living a life without her. I am empowered to manage the money I earned and to do the housework after I get home. One shameful thing I would always remember is when I was in first grade I was so interested in my grandfather’s razor that I used it on my eyebrow and shaved half of it. I feel so ashamed to go to school with a different eyebrow. One of the motto I like is “Do unto Others as You Would Have Them Do unto You” This keep me award of the ways I treat others.

 Well, after experiencing the first two months of college. I am only disappointed with some of my professors and the rest are just fine. The biggest challenge I encounter is staying focus through classes like music, US History, and even math which I often wander during class. I enjoy the break time, but it seems to get shorter. I love the school for having access to computer everywhere at anytime. I am always worried about the first test grade I am getting in each class. For instance, I have an anthropology test this Wednesday. Since this is the only test of that class and worth 50% of the final grade, it makes me more worried about the test. I am afraid of failing; I want to pass every class with a satisfying grade. My plan for the future is to graduate with a 3.5 and have a job which I feel comfortable working and with a decent pay.

This is the character I choose to represent me. Yes, she is Cinderella. Only the difference between Cinderella and I is that I have a loving mother. However, I also have to do all the housework like she does.

a) I am introvert. I don’t like to associate with people. I barely make phone calls to my friends and never chat online. Usually I would refuse to go to party where there are a lot of strangers. I am more mature than people in my age. It’s easier for me to make friends with people who are older than I am. I am very independent and impatient. I like to do thing by my own so I don’t have to about other’s opinion. I love to find short cut so I can get thing done quickly.

b) The top concern about my freshman year at Baruch College is grade. I am aiming for a 3.2 for the first semester. But I have no cue if I can make it because college grading policy is different from high school grading policy. In high school even you are not a great test taker but you can still earn a high grade by participant in class and do homework, in college most percentage of your grade is based on your test grades. The second concern is time management. I am not a very organize person. So sometimes I would leave things out. I have to learn to be more cautious to keep track of the time. The third concern is making friends. I hope to find a lifelong best friend during my college years. I want to share everything with her.

 c) I think College experience is different from my high school experience. College is about you doing the right thing and making the right decision for there’s no one to push you and spoon-feed you.

d) The first year of college will make me feel more comfortable and open to share my ideas to people from different culture. Part of the reason I chose Baruch rather than Queens College (which is 5 minutes away from my house) is I want to experience life in the Manhattan and interact with a more diverse group.