Author Archives: mayank.suneja

The charity that i would like to donate to is called “New York Cares.” This charity was founded by a group of friends who wanted to take action against serious social issues that faced our city in the late 1980s. Finding few options to help, they created their own organization to address the problems from the ground up. New York Cares is the city’s largest volunteer organization, running volunteer programs for 1,200 nonprofits, city agencies and public schools. The reason i chose this charity is because it does not just focus on one specific issue, it tries to recruit people to make a difference on a number of social problems that we are facing here in New York.

For example, the latest event that New York Cares had was a Coat Drive. This was a very successful event as they collected a lot of coats in many locations all over Manhattan. Since winter is approaching, these coats will be given to those who cannot afford them. The recipients of these coats were very happy and proud of this organization since it showed them that there are people out there who still care and can make a difference to go that extra mile to support the unfortunate.

New York Cares has a lot more events that help so many New Yorkers. This is why i am so fond of this organization and would like to choose it as the charity that i would donate it.

Who am i? Well lets start with, my name is Mayank Suneja. I am a freshman at Baruch College. I was born in New Delhi, India and spent most of my life growing up there. When i moved to NY at first, almost 6 years ago, i thought to myself “Damn, this is different.” And sure enough it was different. It took me a while to get used to this new culture and this new life. However, i am the least paranoid person you are ever likely to meet. So i did not panic, and as time passed by, i blended in with the lifestyle and the friendly culture of this city. I identify myself as a very ambitious young man who wants to achieve something big in life and make his family proud. Alright so enough of this boring, introductory stuff.

A lot of people are scared of heights, some of are scared of fire, some are scared of water. To be honest, none of these “physical” things scare me too much. what does scare is my future and also my grades. I hate it when i get a low grade. I always have a guilty feeling and say to myself “i could have studied more.” But then again, that is how i learn. My motto is “Never regret anything, just learn from your mistakes and move on” I had this guilty feeling when i did not live up to my potential in high school. Cutting classes, hanging out with friends in the cafeteria, really brought my overall Gpa down. But, being the positive person that i am, i hoped for the best. One day when i was collecting the mail, i saw a letter from Baruch College. I opened it to see that not only have i been accepted, i have also been offered a full scholarship. I was not only surprised but also overjoyed. My parents were very proud of me.

Now that i am a student in Baruch, it hasn’t been too easy. Its a challenge. So much reading, so many papers due, blog posts, monolouges, etc. However, its been a challenge that i like and have gotten used to. I like the freedom and the independence i get being out in one of the best cities in the world. i like meeting new people everyday of such diversity and making new friends. The only two things i do NOT like, as i am sure my classmates would agree, are sitting through my Sociology and English class. Oh God, they are so boring i can’t even describe it.

Finally, ill move on to the things that are very important to me. My family, friends, blah blah of course are important to me. Other than that, i am a HUGE soccer fan. I often call soccer my “second girlfriend.” Yeah i know that sounds lame. But, i really am that crazy about soccer. My weekends start with watching English Premier League Soccer and if i have time, going to play with my friends in the evening. My favorite team is, of course, the BEST team in the world, MANCHESTER UNITED. Also, my ex girlfriend, my best friend is very important to me. She means the world to me. There is nothing in this world that i will not do for her. She has become such a huge part of my life and i feel that i can never stop loving her. I want to dedicate a couple of lines from one of my favorite songs to her, “When i see your face, there’s not a thing that i would change, Coz girl you’re amazing, just the way you are.”

a) who do you think you are!

so basically, my name is Mayank Suneja. i was born in New Delhi, India and spent most of my childhood years in India. i only moved to NY about 5 years ago. i have to say, Damn, its a big change! but a change that i definitely like and have gotten used to. So about me, i am a very nice and friendly person. i am overly optimistic about everything, and to be honest, my positive attitude always helps me get through hard situations. My family and friends mean a lot to me.  i am always there for anyone if they need any help. Ever since i scored a really lucky goal, while playing soccer in 6th grade, i have become like a huge soccer fan. i play and watch soccer SOO MUCH! its like such an important part of my life. my favorite team is MANCHESTER UNITED, an english team, because they are just the BEST!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-prVPw2c-DV4/TfCJzAejd5I/AAAAAAAAAE8/ETlcrtQG6sw/s1600/632px-manchester_united_football_clubin_logosvg.png

b) Top 3 concerns about freshman year

1) Well, one of my concerns really is my SOCIOLOGY class! i will show you an example of what people do when my teacher talks. http://www.blog.joelx.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/bored-class-average-teacher.jpg

ok im kiddin, its not THAT bad! but i always seem to get lost in my own thoughts in that class and can never concentrate. what really bothers me is what grade i end up getting!  i am really hoping for a 3.5+ GPA and hope this class does not affect that!

2) Another concern for freshman year for me, and i am sure everyone else feels the same, is getting adjusted to life and the environment in college. Since Baruch is for the most part, a commute school, i guess i wont be getting the complete “on campus” college experience, but this doesnt seem so bad either. Out in the middle of the city, that works as well! i definitely want to get involved in school activities (PARTIES ), like clubs (PARTIES ) and shows (PARTIES ) and stuff (PARTIES )! lets see how that works out.

3) Another HUGE concern for me is the amount of reading that we are assigned in classes. i am really not used to reading this much. in high school, all u had to really do was go on sparknotes.com and ur good to go! but here, u ACTUALLY have to read or u will be lost in class! i guess i gotta get used to that as well. i do NOT like reading

c) How is baruch experience different from high school experience?

– When i was in high school, all i used to say was “aah, i wanna go to college already” and now since i am in college, i say sometimes “aah, i miss high school, i wanna go back.” But this transition is a very important part of our lives.  But ive realized, college is so much different from high school. Everyone is so independent in college. no teacher is gonna remind you to do your homework everyday or remind u that we have a test coming up!  u can leave whenever you want, come back whenever u want, no restrictions, everything is ur own decision. and to be honest, i really like this change. SO FAR!

d) How do u think your first year will change u?

– My first year of college is already changing me. I am getting less sleep everyday, skipping meals and spending a lot of time READING (something i BARELY ever did in high school). however, optimistic that i am, i feel that these changes will help me become more mature and overall develop a better personality.