Author Archives: gabrielle.nati

Almost 4 months later and the highly anticipated first college semester is complete. I can’t even believe how fast it all went. I remember the first few days like it was yesterday and it’s strange to see it all just fade away. My experience at Baruch shockingly has not been a terrible one. I’ve managed to make new friends, adjust to my long & tiring commute, and keep my grades up. I think at this point in time, Baruch has met my expectations as a college. It serves its purpose (an education) and for right now, I don’t think I’m looking for anything more than that.
I think your first college semester is something that you always remember because it’s what defines the rest of your college years. From your first semester, you build a foundation and work ethic that will remain throughout the rest of your college life. Grade wise, I did exceptionally well ( just have to wait for finals ), so I really have no complaints. In all honesty, I don’t think I would change anything about my first semester here at Baruch. Maybe if I had the opportunity, I would’ve given myself a day off, but other than that it has been a relatively smooth transition.
My first semester here at Baruch has impacted me in many ways. Before attending Baruch, I wasn’t able to walk up the block without getting lost. Now I can find my way almost anywhere in the city like it’s my job ! My first semester has allowed me to mature as well. I’m not so dependent on my family anymore. I also stay very on top of my work to make sure it gets done before its deadline. So in a way, I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had in my first semester. I have become a more well-rounded individual. It’s something I’m definitely going to miss, but hopefully next semester will be just as good =)

Fear. Its often something that is inevitable. Even if we feel fearless and dominant against the world, the truth is we all have underlying fear. Whether it be a fear of an animal or inanimate object, we all have them. Growing up, my list of fears went on for days. Some of them including my fear of spiders, midgets, scary movies, looped roller coasters, sleeping in the dark, the Easter bunny, and so many more. Even though I may still be afraid of most of the things on this list, a few new fears have been added on.

Upon attending Baruch College, I was so excited and thrilled to start a new chapter in my life… until college actually began. I then realized that there’s so much in the real world that I don’t think I’m ready for yet; I realized, I’m afraid of growing up. When I was younger, so many people would ask me “ What do you want to be when you grow up?” My response: a princess, but unfortunately for me that’s impossible. But now after many years of maturing, I know that during my time here at Baruch, I need to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life and it’s terrifying. All my previous decisions seem irrelevant compared to deciding my career and future. Do I really want to sit in a cubicle all day crunching numbers? Will I be good at my job? Will I like what I’m doing? What if I never get hired by a major corporation? These questions haunt me almost everyday. I know my future is important and how I perform in college is crucial to whether or not I will be successful. But what if I don’t succeed in college?

For me, high school was a breeze. I didn’t study to my fullest potential, but still managed to do above average. Some of my high school accomplishments include Honor Roll, National Honor Society, and 3 Prestigious Awards at Graduation. After my successful completion of high school, I’m afraid I won’t be as good of a student at Baruch. With college comes a lot of work, and studying. The question is, can I handle it? I know things won’t be handed to me, and if I don’t study, I will fail. The hardest part about college is knowing that these 4 years determine whether or not I can handle the real world. There’s a constant pressure to succeed in college. One mistake and my future could take a turn for the worst. Will I crack under the pressure?

Independence. At some point, we all have to learn to be on our own. We all have to learn to do things independently and not rely on others to help us with our burdens. When I think about it sometimes, freedom sounds awesome. I get to make my own rules, and live life the way I want to, without any hesitation. I could make my own decisions, without the influence of others. I get to stay up as late as I want to, without getting questioned by my dad. I can even eat junk food for dinner. But on the other hand, I realize it will be just me against the world. I’ll be completely independent. I’ll be living alone. My work load will have to be completed without the assistance of others. Just Me, all the time. I’ll have, what feels like, the weight of the world on my shoulders and for that, I’m terrified.

Describing who I am is probably one of the most challenging things to do because in all honesty, I’m not quite sure I know who I am. There are many things in my life that I want to accomplish and hobbies that I enjoy, but I’m not sure that that actually defines who I am as a person. If my characteristics define who I am, then it’s safe to say that I’m outgoing, loud, caring, sensitive, and diligent. I guess you could say that who I am is a chapter in my life that remains opened because it’s still being written. I assume in a few years, maybe I will be a wife, mother, accountant, etc; but for right now, I’m just taking my life day by day in hopes of figuring out who I truly am.
The college experience at first is very overwhelming and terrifying because all the things that you are used to, transform into something that is brand new. You are introduced to new people, a different atmosphere, and a more laid-back setting. One of my main concerns starting out as a Freshman here at Baruch College would have to be the academics. My skepticism definitely comes from the pressure of my dreams. In my future at Baruch College, I hope to study abroad in London,England. In order to do that, I must achieve and maintain a high GPA to attend the International University that I am interested in. I also need to keep a high GPA to be accepted into the Zicklin School of Business. Another thing that is of concern is adjusting to this new chapter in my life. College, unlike high school, allows the student to have complete independence which can be frightening. You are automatically expected to keep up with the reading and classwork on your own, which is completely different from the high school experience. It is challenging and time-consuming to keep up with the work being given, but its all about adjusting to a new environment.
I believe that my college experience here at Baruch College will fully prepare me to take a step into the real world. Being a college student is completely different than the high school experience. Baruch is more of a laid- back independent feel, which will definitely help me in the future. The real world is all about independence and diligence, which I believe college is supposed to mold into a person’s character.