Who do you think you are? Describe yourself in 3 words. What do you want to do in the future? Oh how I hate these types of questions! I honestly don’t understand why we get asked them so often…perhaps it’s only to get us to start thinking about them? I hope so, because isn’t this the point in our lives where we’re just starting to figure out the answers? I mean come on…we’re only 18. How are we supposed to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives or who we really are? Nonetheless, although I haven’t really figured out who exactly I am yet… I can say this much: My names Hannah McFadden and I was born and raised in Queens, NYC. I’m half Irish and half Egyptian…strange mix, I know. When I tell people I’m very athletic they usually don’t believe me – that is until they see me play. I’ve played on a number of competitive sports teams: basketball, soccer, track-and-field, swimming, softball, tennis, dance, gymnastic…you name it, I’ve played it. But, basketball is my favorite; I was captain of my high school’s team and I also played on a travel team, and until the beginning of my junior year I wanted to play in college. I’m extremely outgoing and love to go out and have a good time; yet, I still value education and thus, am a serious student. With that being said, I have a couple concerns about my freshman year at Baruch.
First off, I’m extremely concerned about maintaining a high GPA, especially because I intend to transfer out of Baruch by the end of the year. I never wanted to come here in the first place, but ended up doing so because of financial reasons. Private schools are too expensive and give terrible aid! Wish I had known that last year- would have defiantly applied to SUNYs. Secondly, I am worried that I might not manage my time well. I need to stay focus and remind myself that going to a party when I have an essay to write isn’t such a good idea…shouldn’t be too hard though- I’m doing well so far. And last but not least, I’m concerned about adjusting to Baruch. College is very different from high school, especially my tiny high school. I went to the International Baccalaureate School for Global Education (BSGE) in Astoria, Queens, where my graduating class consisted of only 63 students (compared to the usual 1,000+ in most NYC H.S). Given that, coming to Baruch where I bump into new people all the time is a big change for me…not exactly a bad one though. Furthermore, college is all about being independent. Teachers are not long stuck up on whether or not you do your homework- most could care less. It’s all on you.
As for how I think my first year at Baruch will change me…I just don’t think it will that much. In high school, I was a member of many different clubs and organizations, which in retrospect I think really shaped me as an individual. However- since I want to transfer, I decided not to get up in all that time consuming stuff, and instead just focus on my school work. I do however think that I’ll learn to be more responsible and my work ethic will probably improve.
