Author Archives: nerissa.etienne

My Baruch experience is so far is better than I expected it to be. I remember just starting the semester like it was yesterday, and it is practically over.  I was somewhat disappointed that I was only taking two classes, but I am grateful for it because I was not sure if I could handle the work load of a full time student.  I am looking forward to next semester when I’m a fully matriculated student, but on the same hand I am worried about the professors I encounter and my time management.  I am also excited to be more involved next semester in Baruch, seeing how I’m only there twice a week.  Also from this experience I met a lot of great people and made some new friends.  I feel I have not changed completely these few months attending Baruch but I’m sure I will when I am a full time student.

On September 11^th 2001 I gained a completely new outlook on life.  My father worked about a block away from the World Trade Center, luckily he left work early enough before the attack occurred. But when I think back about it he was just minutes away from probably losing his life.  His office building was destroyed by the debris and ruble of the twin towers.  He lost his job and at the time my mother was unable to work because of the birth of my younger brother.  So money was tight, I attended a Catholic school so it was especially hard to pay for tuition, my parents were on the verge of transferring me out to a public school till they got back on their feet.  But the principal of my school was very kind and allowed me to stay free for the remainder of the school year.  Eventually things got better and my father got another job.  This was definitely a learning experience; I learned to be grateful for everything I have now because it could be gone at any moment.

In my opinion, community service is taking out time to donate your service to benefit your community or the public.  It is a great way to give back to your neighborhood without getting paid for it, by doing small things like cleaning up a park, or helping out at a local nursing home. It can also help you better yourself, I’ve heard of people say they get satisfaction out of helping others, I know it is true because community service has also bettered myself. I personally am familiar with doing community service because in my high school in order to graduate it was mandatory to complete 90 hours of service. So for the past 4 years I have done over 90 hours of service.  I used to be an alter server at church, which was good because I would attend church more often than I would if I had not alter served.  On top of that I was a teachers assistant at my old middle school for kindergarten and first grade.  Also I participated my time at small events in my high school such as ushering at plays and helping out at parties and open school nights. And I am looking forward to doing community service with my FRO class soon!

Who am I? I am Nerissa Etienne and I’m 18 years old, and I live in Brooklyn, New York. I am very ambitious and determined, I have big dreams and high expectations.  I love to play sports especially track and field. I also have a passion for arts, such as drawing, photography and fashion. I would consider myself an outgoing and friendly person. I like to have fun and enjoy life, but I also have to remember that I am not in high school anymore, I have to work harder in order to succeed.

My top three concerns are paying for books because the expenses add up each semester.  Another is my concern of losing focus throughout the semester which is something I am very worried about.  I would like to keep my grades up and limit my procrastination habits.  My last concern, is that this school is not the right fit for me.  I want to be comfortable in this establishment.  I fear that if I’m not, I won’t achieve the grades I want and know that i can get.

My college experience will be different from my high school experience because I will have a more extensive work load than I had in high school. High school you could slide by and study for an exam the night before and still get a good grade, but in college you have to take out a lot of time to study.  It will be different because there are more activities I want to participate in rather than when I was in high school. I already joined the Black Student Union and the Caribbean Student Association which I was excited to join because at my high school there was no diversity compared to Baruch. I came from an all girls school, so the diversity of having a co-ed environment is very different.  The freedom I have in college is exhilarating and lets me count on myself to do all of my tasks. Where as in high school you always had teachers and parents constantly on your back to remind you to do work.  In college everything relies on yourself.

My first year of college will change me because it will make me more responsible and independent.  I know I will be a more mature person because of all the responsibilities i have to handle, but I’m ready and excited for the change.

Last Thursday, my freshman seminar class had a quick tour of the schools library and I was impressed.  Even though I had used the library prior to the tour for an English paper, I was still amazed at all the resources available to us. Aiman our peer mentor was very informative in the short amount of time we had to visit.  The library is huge and at the same time quiet, it is a great environment to study in especially around the time of midterms and finals.  I’ll definitely take advantage at all the helpful resources for future projects and assignments.