Hey there to whoever is reading my weird, but well thought out words. I know a lot of you guys already, but for those of you whom I haven’t met yet, I’m Jenna. I’m 18 years old, I was born and raised in the Bronx. I know there are so many negative stereotypes about people who come from this borough, but it’s pretty safe to say that I do not match any of these stereotypes. I promise 
But, other than being from the Bronx, I think that I’m a pretty unique individual. I want to write for Rolling Stone magazine when I’m older, and one of the main things on my bucket list is to learn to play every instrument before I die. Before coming to Baruch, I attended an all girls private high school, with a graduating class of about 140 girls. People always ask how going to an all girls school was, and honestly, it was a great experience. It was different from a traditional high school model, but the friends that I made throughout my 4 years and the quality of education that I received are unmatched. These are the friends and experiences that I will hold with me throughout my entire life. I feel that my high school education prepared me for college, and even for my future endeavors.
However, although I felt well prepared for college, I did have some initial fears. First off, I was always worried that it would be difficult to make friends in a commuter school. Because Baruch is not a traditional dorming college, I feared that the students would come to class, do work, then go home. How would I ever be able to make friends in that type of environment. I now see that I was naive in thinking that, because I have already made such great friends within my first few weeks of being here.Another concern that I had was the class sizes, because prior to attending college, I had it set in my mind that all classes took place in a large lecture hall of hundreds of students. I didn’t know how I would handle big classes, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t fair well. But, after realizing that most of my classes were of a manageable size, that fear disappeared. Even in my large psychology class, I feel comfortable for the sheer fact that the professor is engaging and entertaining. A last concern that I had was about time management. This was a term that I’d heard throughout my high school career, and I knew that it would be emphasized in college as well. I feared that I would not know how to manage my time between school work, a job, extracurricular activities, PLUS a social life. The thought of this balancing act was overwhelming. But after experiencing time management first hand, I now know that I can handle the tasks that I am given, as long as I persevere and work hard.
Baruch is definitely different than my high school experience. For one, I go to school with girls AND guys now for the first time since 8th grade. Although the dynamic is different, I enjoy it because I am now more easily able to make friends of different sexes. However, the college experience is not much different than my high school experience in terms of the workload, and as I have previously stated, I feel very prepared for all of the new learning experiences that will come in the future.
College has already started to change me for the better. I feel more knowledgeable and responsible than I previously was. I know that my first year in college will foster positive characteristics in me that will be necessary for life in the real world. I am excited to see what else college has to offer, and I will be ready for all of its challenges.
