Author Archives: alvin.yu

To: Professor Z

Subject: English 2100 Grade

Hello Professor Z,

Recently, I’ve received a letter grade of B- for the semester. I have participated actively and received A+ on all of your exams. Based on these factors, I think I earned an A. Can you please reconsider my grades for the semester?  Thank you very much.

Alvin Yu

Eng 2100, MW 12:25

Already, the first month of college flew by really fast.  So far, things aren’t going the way I wanted them to be. Before starting college, I was determined to try my hardest; paying attention in class, finishing homework on time, and studying. However, everything seems to be going in the opposite direction. My homework is piling up and even worse, I doze off in most of my classes.  Somehow, I better start fixing these flaws before something bad happens.

Before my stressful days began, I lived a relaxed, comfortable life. Sometimes, I wish I can relive my carefree moments. I remember the time I went picnicking with my family and friends. There were many activities there. We had three-legged race, piggyback ride, volleyball tournament, and even a hula-hoop contest. The most humiliating moment happened when my uncle offered me money to do some pull-ups on a large tree branch. He said he would pay me $5 for each pull-up. I couldn’t resist the easy money. The branch snapped after a couple of pull-ups and I landed on my back. About twenty people saw this and my dad thought I was trying to kill myself. Luckily, it was time to go, so I quickly packed my things up and left.

Although I experienced one of the most embarrassing moments in my life, I consider this day worth reliving. I wouldn’t mind having a day without any thoughts about upcoming midterms and unfinished homework. Nevertheless, this is reality now and I cannot give up if I want the best possible future for myself.

Hi, I’m just a regular guy who is concerned with the amount of work that is starting to pile up. I was born and raised in Brooklyn along with my brother and my two ridiculous cousins. I’m a diligent and responsible person. I enjoy traveling to new places and making friends. I also enjoy playing sports such as badminton and basketball but in a noncompetitive way.

My three main concerns about my freshman year are maintaining an impressive GPA, joining clubs, and making friends. Maintaining a 3.6+ GPA is going to be a strenuous task, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. I admit that I’ve never experienced staying up all night working on a paper before, but reality has hit me hard in the face. I know I’m going to have to get used to reading multiple chapters and writing essays if I want to get that outstanding GPA.  Joining a club is another daunting task, because I’m not much of a socialable person. I tend to stutter when I speak in public however, I’m working on this problem at this very moment. I’m hoping to join a couple of clubs by the end of this month. Because I’ve already made a couple of great friends during the first week of school, it is not much of a problem anymore.

The difference from my high school and Baruch College is the professors and the work. It’s been only two weeks, and I’m already reading two to three chapters every night. The professors can be more relaxed yet strict at the same time. They may give you a huge amount of work, but it’s basically up to you if you want to do it or not. They don’t care whether you’re late or absent. If you don’t show up, they’ll just fail you. High school was very different. My teachers had to track down those who cut class and force them back in, but here, everyone is an independent individual.

I think my first year at Baruch will help improve my self-esteem and communication skills. Communicating is going to play a huge role in my college life. Whether it is meeting new people or doing a presentation, I’ll be communicating a lot. I would probably be more confident in myself. One thing I’ll never forget about Baruch is the amount of work I’ve received. The first few weeks had taught me a lesson: Never procrastinate again.