Category Archives: Freshman Year

bearcat high five.

Coming into Baruch, I expected my classes to be much more challenging than they turned out to be. I was surprised to find that classes were much easier than my high school classes and the work load was completely manageable. I expected to struggle much more starting out and thought I would be behind in everything and have a hard time catching up, but the transition was quick and I was able to handle the courseload.
I didn’t expect to make any friends here but I feel like now I am starting to
I am mostly happy with how my first semester has gone so far. My classes have all gone really well aside from precalculus, but even that hasn’t been as disastrous as I expected. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done getting to this point. But I don’t want to jinx things because we still have finals to deal with so I have plenty of time left to screw everything up…
If I could start things over again I would probably drop math on day one, speak up more in my classes, and in general try to be more outgoing. I feel like there’s been a lot I wanted to say that I just kept to myself because I couldn’t find the confidence to raise my hand and say it. I also wish I could have been less nervous around everyone the whole way through. Basically since orientation I just expected no one to like me and felt too anxious to open up around people. As the semester went on, I realized a lot of other people also had a hard time approaching people or felt alone in the school, and it wasn’t just me. I think if I could go back I would try to be more involved and join clubs so that I could get to know people better.
Since it’s still been less than three months… I don’t really think I’ve changed much at all. I guess I am starting to feel a little more confident in my abilities. I know I still stress too much that I’m not smart enough but I think slowly I’m getting better about it. I’ve been working on not believing anymore that I’m stupid and don’t belong in college and I believe eventually I will get there. I’m still too quiet, but I speak up a little bit more than I did on the first day. I feel very lucky that I have had classmates nice enough to see past the shell and make the effort to get to know me. It’s still an ongoing process, but I’m starting to feel more comfortable at school and less afraid all the time. Also I know a lot more about derivatives than I did when I came into Baruch which will be useful in my life… never.
Overall, I am happy with my freshman year at Baruch so far. I’m ready to recharge  over winter break and am looking forward to the spring semester.

My first semester at Baruch was really fun. I didn’t have such high expectations. I was looking forward to meeting new people, but i knew there would be a lot of work that had to be done. I feel like I really got into that Baruch school spirit. I really started feeling like I was part of a bigger picture. I started realizing that its not just me, I don’t have to do everything by myself. There are a lot of people that are here to help you. I go to the Hillel at Baruch very often and I made some very close friends there. I am very happy to be a part of Baruch.
There are very few things I would do differently. One thing is I would try to get an apartment, I commute to school and it takes up about 2 hours everyday. I feel like if I was able to stay in the city I would be able to get so much more done. Another thing I would do differently is probably hanging out with my Baruch friends more. Even though I got very close to some people at Baruch, I feel like I could still get so much closer to them.
When i came to Baruch, my expectations were to just go to school, do well and start working. Now, I’m looking at it a little differently. There really isn’t much to rush into, I still have a lot of time to go. I feel like Baruch has made me realize the importance of good grades. There are a lot of smart people here and it makes the competition level that much higher, and it makes me want to produce better results. I feel like i made the right decision coming to Baruch. I hope that I can continue to grow and become a better person. Hopefully with help from Baruch, I can be very successful and find the job that I have always been looking for.

1. My first semester experience at Baruch College was pretty enjoyable. I had met quite some interesting people in my classes.  Honestly I wanted to dorm on campus instead of being stuck in the city with public transportation and other family problems.
2.  As the semester went on I didn’t mind taking public transportation and staying in Baruch. I thought I did average at my first semester at Baruch and that there are still things I need to work on. For example my study habits, and learn to manage my time better.
3. I don’t really have anything I would do over again other than put more time on study for math. And the other thing would be to change my math professor.
4. I don’t think I have changed much since I have went to Baruch but I might have learned to be just a tiny bit less shy. I think I also learned to be a bit more organized since I have more papers and exams compared to high school.

1) Baruch did live up to my expectation, I expected it to be a lot of work and that was exactly what is was . But I enjoyed it. 
2) I think that my first semester at Baruch went pretty well. I hope that next semester I can do even better. Since I can pick my courses I think I will like it even better. 
3) If I can redo this semester the only thing I would change is my math class. I would have jumped on the opportunity to switch professors which would definitely end up helping raise my GPA. 
4) Ever since I started at Baruch I think I didn’t really change. I work the same way I did in high school. The only way I did change was that ever since I stared at Baruch I learned a lot more about e city and became a lot more independent. 

a. Tell us how your experience at Baruch College has lived up to your expectations? Not lived to your expectations?

To be honest, this first semester has surpassed my expectations. Initially, i resisted going to this school because i wanted to live on campus at some private school far away from home. However, the experiences i have had in the city, the people i have met, &  the timeless moments i have enjoyed these past couple months have been truly amazing.

b. How well do you think your first semester at Baruch College went?

I think academically i could have done better, but my grades are decent. Most of my professors are on point, some are not the greatest but we all have to work with the cards we are dealt per se. I’m determined to do better in the upcoming semesters.

c. What would you do differently during your first semester if you could do it all again?

I would be more active in a club, and i would have took certain classes more seriously than i should have.

d. How have you changed since you started at Baruch College?

I think i’ve become more outgoing, more determined to make a difference in the world; my dreams and goals in life have grown to be bigger than what i ever imagined prior to college. I’ve  grown to become more happier, ambitious, and open-minded during this first semester.

I’m never going to forget these guys:

I think Baruch has lived up to most of my expectations. I have gotten to see the city in a different way.  I am used to seeing parts like the Bronx and Brooklyn of the city.  But since I made friends here at Baruch I have wen to SoHo a place I have never been before and eaten some good Mac and cheese.  I want to try new things even though I might suck at them (pool).

I think my first semester has went well it was kind of tough mainly because of math but overall it has been fun.  I have met new people and made new friends.  It was a good introduction to college and what I can expect for the next few years and what I need to do to succeed in college.

One thing I would do differently is take math more seriously and take a more of a proactive approach to that class.  Also I wouldn’t have complained so much about how bad my teacher is and instead made sure I did everything I possible could to pass that class.

I don’t think I have changed much because still don’t have the kind of mentality a person needs to be successful in college I believe.  I just think my lazy habits from high school has followed me into college and has not allowed me to put my best foot forward and take college as serious as I know I should.  I think that I am slowly coming out of my shell and starting to open up a bit more with my peers.

a. Tell us how your experience at Baruch College has lived up to your expectations? Not lived to your expectations?

My experience at Baruch was better than I expected it to be. The classes are better than what I expected, with the exception of one or two of them. The amount of work we get is about what I thought it’d be for the first semester. The atmosphere is pretty good. Even though it’s a commuter school, people are very friendly. Some places, like the library, are better-looking than I expected, which is a big plus. I can’t really say Baruch didn’t live up to my expectations- I’m not disappointed about the first half of freshman year.

b. How well do you think your first semester at Baruch College went?

Pretty well overall. Grade-wise, I wish I would’ve done better. I’m satisfied

c. What would you do differently during your first semester if you could do it all again?

I would’ve been more relaxed about certain things instead of stressing out about every single little detail. Instead of going to class sleep-deprived, I would probably sleep earlier than I do now for more energy. And I would probably try to meet more people and get even more involved with the school.

d. How have you changed since you started at Baruch College?

I procrastinate more now, since there are no classes on Fridays. However, I do work harder on the homework and things like that. Besides that, I’d like to think I’ve gotten more ‘mature’ since college. I do more things that are outside my comfort zone (at least compared to before). I can’t wait for the next semester!

a. I didn’t really expect much coming in the beginning, so my standards were pretty low; however I can’t say Baruch fully lived up to my expectations. I expected to have more work than in high school, and yes, there was. On the other hand, I expected more interesting clubs as well. I don’t really like much of the clubs that I have been to, but I’ll keep an eye out for others next semester.

b. I think my first semester went decently well. I wasn’t super overwhelmed with work like I thought I would be, but I still have a considerable workload and have been sleeping a little less. Although my grades seem pretty average, I’m content, because the first semester is definitely a hard transition.

c. If I were to change my first semester, I would definitely have committed more in my studies. I think if I studied a little harder for my classes, I would have done better. Also, I would have been more social so that I could meet more new people.

d. I learned to be more efficient with time. In the beginning, I always rushed to complete assignments, but now that the semester is almost over, I’ve improved on my time management skills. I still procrastinate from time to time, but it has gotten better and I have more time for my own leisure.