Author Archives: olga.gadeh

Posts: 4 (archived below)
Comments: 0

fro11dmb 2011-12-08 14:42:00

Posted on December 8, 2011 by olga.gadeh

1- Tell us how your experience at Baruch College has lived up to your expectations? Not lived up to your expectations? Exceeded your expectations?
2- How well do you think your first semester at Baruch College went?
3- What would you do differently during your first sememster if you could do it all over again?
4- How have you changed since you started at Baruch College?

1) I wasn’t originally going to a different school, one with a campus and with students that have a completely different state of mind. Most importantly, it was REALLY expensive. So coming here,to a school that’s much cheaper, I didn’t have such great expectations. I was very surprised with how many things they offer here (writing center, sacc etc) and I am very satisfied.
2) I can’t really say because I haven’t gotten my grades yet, but I think it went fine. I could have put a little more effort into my work though. I met so many new people and I think that’s what made my experience so far a really good one.
3) I would definitely not procrastinate as much and go home straight after school instead of wasting time here. I would also take advantage more of everything the school had to offer me.
4) I think I’m a little less shy and way more open minded. Meeting all these people that are different than I am changed my view on the world. I also realized that you can’t bs your way through and get a good grade. Work must be done!

Posted in Reflection of First Semester | Comments Off on fro11dmb 2011-12-08 14:42:00

Community Service

Posted on November 7, 2011 by olga.gadeh
  1. How did your community service work help the community?
    My service helped the community by providing basic foods for those who
    have trouble getting it for themselves.
  2. What were your initial reactions upon hearing that you
    would be engaging in a community service project? It wasn’t something so
    crazy because I was used to doing this from high school. We needed a
    certain amount of hours to graduate, and so we did similar things.
  3. How did it make you feel to give your time and energy
    to others? It felt really great and that it was all worth it once you saw
    their reactions and realized you’re really helping not just wasting your
    time.
  4. What did you learn about yourself, the people around
    you, and the service site? I’ve known this organization for my whole life and
    what I love about it is that they will go completely out of their way to
    help someone. I know so many people there who volunteer for hours every
    week and I learned that I can do that as well if I tried.
  5. What stands out as the best and/or most trying
    experiences that occurred while engaging in your community service
    project? What did you learn from these experiences? The most important
    thing I learned is to appreciate my life and realize how fortunate I am
    and I saw this when I got to look at how others live. However, it’s not
    important just to appreciate but to also reach out because of those
    feelings.
  6. How did engaging in this project relate to your
    education and the larger issues in society? I just saw how people do
    really live on different ends of the spectrum. I always hear it but now I was
    able to experience it in a way.
  7. How did your community service experience relate to the
    “Leadership and Service” session? It really takes a leader to take away
    time from their everyday life and help others. Not everyone is willing to
    do it.
  8. How has your community service experience changed your
    thinking, attitudes, and actions towards others, yourself, the community,
    and community service work as a whole? Every time I feel like complaining
    about how bad my life is I keep going back in my mind to the people who
    are struggling with providing food for their children and I see that that’s
    a real struggle- not mine.
  9. How has your community service experience impacted you
    personally? What is the most important thing you learned about yourself
    throughout this experience? There was one family we delivered to that was
    comprised of a single mother a three kids. I remember seeing the youngest
    girl’s face light up and I also realized that one tiny action you think doesn’t
    really do much can affect much more than you think.
  10. Were you satisfied with your experience overall? Why or
    why not? Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?
  11. Do you see yourself staying involved in the community
    during your college and adult years? Why or why not? Definitely especially
    in my community since there are opportunities every single day and they
    deserve it, me giving back.
  12. Sum up your service-learning experience in a one-or
    two-sentence headline: I know that I can make a difference.
Posted in Community Service Reflection | Comments Off on Community Service

Monologue

Posted on October 25, 2011 by olga.gadeh

 

You know how everyone talks about the teenage crisis being the uncertainty of who you are and where you’re going? Well my teenage years are almost over so I thought I was off the hook. I guess it just caught up with me a little late. All I’ve been able to occupy my free time with is thinking about what is important in life and wondering whether or not what I’m doing is just a waste of time. At first I tried talking myself out of it before I turn crazy, but nothing worked. “Keep yourself busy Olgi, these thoughts will go away”…and nothing. I mean, is it that bad if I do what I’m doing without knowing why? Because nobody can give me a real answer, just God…oh wait…God…I’m not even going to get into that. Why am I sharing this with you? Why am I here, in this world? In Baruch? Can I actually make a difference? I’m just one person. So again, what am I doing here? I decided to just make up an answer and stick to it so that I could just leave myself alone. It’s doing the things you love with the people you love (plus, as Phil puts it, not being a jerk). Cliché? Yeah, but it worked for now. After some time thinking about it, I realized it made sense…and then I fell in love with it.

Posted in Monologue | Comments Off on Monologue

Who do you think you are?

Posted on September 26, 2011 by olga.gadeh

Why have I been asked this question so many times this past month? I don’t know who I am yet, isn’t that the stage we’re at in life now? All confused and stuff? Anyways, with regards to college, I guess I’m also here to learn about the world, become an intellectual and what not, but I do have a goal. I’ve had it for years now and I think that’s the thing that’s been pushing me this entire time. I’m not getting a degree to make money (although my anthropology professor assumes we are all foreigners here for one purpose- to get a degree and start making money!). Is it really unusual for someone to get a degree so they can start doing what they love? In my case, it’s saving lives, literally. But that won’t be happening for a while. So what I should be focusing on right now and worrying about are my flaws, the ones that would hinder me from ultimately acheiving my goal. When I get into the routine of something, I usually forget how important it is and view it as something mundane that tends to eventually bore me- homework. You know how many things I can find to do that I know are unimportant but that nevertheless assist me in delaying homework time? I decided this year that’s going to change (I actually say that at the beginning of every year but I started taking action this time). I said my goodbyes to Facebook, and I’m still trying to work on cutting down the number of shows I watch (and once you start watching a series it’s pretty tough stopping in the middle). They also say that the friends you make in college are your friends for life, so I’m hoping that works for me. I also grew up in a community with not much diversity so seeing all this diversity is sort of a cultural shock- but I love it. I feel much more independent in college, I actually feel like it’s all still a dream and that I’m about to wake up and start a new year as a 13th grader at Magen David High School. I just hope I’m adjusting well, I guess I’ll really know when I get some sort of grade on some sort of assignment. I definitely know that my first year will change me because by the end of this year I will learn to work efficiently, with no need of a can of redbull. Am I rambling?

Posted in Who Do You Think You Are? | Comments Off on Who do you think you are?