Author Archives: Mikhail Makhov

During our trip to the Rubin Museum as an LC, we were able to walk around and absorb the art. One particular piece that caught my attention was the Ganesha artifact. The fact that he has an elephant head intrigued me and made me want to find out more about the hindu God. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom, annd wealth.

Ganesha’s head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. What intrigued me the most was how Ganesha got his elephant head.

Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy’s head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name ‘Ganapati’. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture. There are multiple versions of how Ganesha got his elephant head which adds to the curiosity.

It took me a long time to agree with the saying that things happen for a reason. There is no sense in dwelling about the past because when one door closes another one opens.  Sometimes I think about what I leave behind every time I close a door. What if I closed the door on the best thing that could have happened to me? What if that test I didn’t ace prevented me from going to the college of my dreams? What if I took the chance and asked the girl who I have been dreaming about how she feels about me? Where would I be right now if I never came to the U.S? Questions like this plague me and sometimes I can’t get them out of my head. Listening to music is a great method of quelling the questions but they will resurface the next day. Everybody has something that they either regret doing or not doing. Regret is an entity that you can’t run away from and have to encounter eventually, or it will slowly eat you alive. It is a monster that, if you allow to, will turn every happy moment you have into remorse. Regretting makes you lose appreciation for what you have achieved and what you have. If I think about what could have been, I disregard everything I have right now and make it less valuable. Seeing incidents in which people are in unfavorable situations makes me realize how thankful I should be for what I do have. Sure, if I went to my dream college I would be happier, but would I have the support of my family and friends? The decisions that I make change my life and there is no point in them regretting because I can’t take it back. I slowly began to believe in fate, how events are destined to happen by forces out of my control. Life is not something that I can have control over to make sure that all situations have the best outcomes. I have learned to have a positive outlook on life and believe that in the long run, everything that I do will get me one step closer to the future that I envision.

It is hard for me to respond to who I think I am because I am two people. I was born in June and I am a prime example of a Gemini. I tend to see myself as a “Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde” person because I have two completely opposite personalities. Some days I can be the nicest guy you will ever encounter, while other days I can be irratible and hostile towards others. I can be loud and vivavcious, but also quiet and stagnant. It all depends on which side of the bed I wake up on.

My first concern about Freshman year in Baruch is deciding my major. I am a person who loves Math and Science but due to financial issues I chose to go to Baruch. I know there is a school for the arts and sciences but compared to what other colleges have to offer it doesnt come close. In a competitive world only the elite are hired and I feel like if I choose a major along those lines I will not get far. I feel like choosing a major in business will be the best thing for me because then I will be able to reap all the benefits that Baruch has to offer and make sure that I have a successful future. But there are so many majors in business that I get lost in the mix.

My second concern about Freshman year in Baruch is maintaining a 4.0 GPA. In highschool I wasnt aware of the fact that all grades were cumulative and my first two years were rather lackluster. I was able to get it together and attain an average that I consider decent, but nowhere in the area that I want it to be. I dont want to go through the same experience in college, but instead maintain a 4.0 GPA. This is easier said than done but I believe that I can achieve this goal by giving it my all.

My third concern about Freshman year in Baruch is professors. So far I have experienced professors that can run their class like a dictatorship and expect everything to be done to their standards, or professors who can meet the student halfway and find some common ground. Both experiences are needed in the professional world because there are all types of bosses and it is up to the employee to do what they say. I just hope that all my teachers dont run their class like a dictatorship!

So far freedom has made my experience at Baruch College different from my highschool experience. In highschool I went did things in a circadian rhythm, meaning that everyday was the same boring schedule and the same approach of getting things done. In college it is nothing like that. I have the ability to choose what I can do, or what I should do, during the breaks in between classes, something that I never did in highschool. The schedule is not the same everyday, which gets rid of the mundane feeling that highschool imprints on its students.

I think that the first year of college will change me in multiple ways. Before college I was a rather lazy student who didnt put much effort into anything. Just ask any of my past teachers, I am sure they will be able to recount multiple stories. Everything comes naturally to me and I am able to understand and relate concepts instantly. I know that college will be nothing like that because the material will get more complicated and the concepts wont be so childish. I believe that college will make me more responsible and ready for what the professional world demands. It is just a matter of time before the little kid that I am deep inside matures into a leader.