Author: steven.engelmann

     The first time I walked through the doors of Baruch College was for a baseball workout last winter.  I remember walking into the Vertical Campus Building and feeling like I was in Grand Central Station.  I really wanted to come to Baruch because I want to be an Accountant, and we all know the reputation that the Zicklin School of Business has.  I also wanted to play baseball in college, and the coach was giving me that opportunity.  I hadn’t yet gotten my acceptance letter back yet, and I thought to myself is this was what I really wanted.  If I got rejected, would it really affect me that much? 

     In the gym, I got to  meet some of the guys on the team and we got along, shared a couple of laughs,a nd just had a good time.  When I got my acceptance letter in the mail, i was really happy because I could go to the school that I wanted and play baseball on top of it.  The first day of practice, I was really nervous.  There were about seven freshmen there, including me, but I was the only one that was already on the team.  I don’t know why, but I felt a little embarassed.  they were all looking at me like I was some kind of freak.

     Here’s where my story twists a little bit.  I’ve been battling an elbow injury for almost a year now, and I’ve been fighting through it the whole time and healing it during the offseason.  However, the pain is starting to become unbearable.  I don’t know where it came from, but I got the thought in my head of quitting.  This thought has never crossed my mind before and shocked me a little bit.  I thought of just focusing on the things that are more important than playing ball.  Despite my thoughts, I’m still not sure if what I am going to do yet.  I have to go to the doctor next week, and I guess I’ll have to take it from there.  Hopefully everything works out for the best in the end.

       Now that this site finally let me log on, I can tell you a little bit about myself.  I can be kind of shy when I meet new people, but once I get even the slightest bit comfortable with someone I am as outgoing as the come.  It can get a little bit out of hand sometimes but its part of who I am.  I am a hard worker, not only in the classroom but on the field too.  I have a passion for the game of baseball, and I never plan on giving that up.  I believe I am a good guy, I have a good sense of humor, and I rarely don’t get along with someone.

       I have many concerns for my freshman year at Baruch College and I’d have to admit that it’s hard to narrow it down to just three.  But since I have to, I’d have to say that my worst concern has to be that my work load will be too much for me to handle.  The work load hasn’t been that bad yet and I’m hoping that it won’t get worse, but you never know.  My second concern is that baseball will interfere with my schoolwork.  I love to play and I don’t want to give it up so I’m just going to have to work extra hard to make sure that I don’t.  My third concern is not getting into the Zicklin School of Business.  I want to study Accounting, and Baruch College is a spectacular school for Business and I really want to be a part of the Zicklin School of Business.

       There are many things that I think will make my Baruch College experience different from my high school experiece.  The most obvious thing is that the atmosphere is completely different.  However, I believe that the most important thing that will make it different is that the work is on you.  There isn’t a teacher making sure that you get your work done on time, or done at all.  There aren’t people monitoring your every move and handing out detentions for every little thing you do wrong.  The transformation from high school to college is the transformation from a child to an adult.  It is up to you to build a path for yourself in your future.

       I believe that my first year of college will change me in the way that it will make me realize that I have to do what is best for me.  I am an independent man now and it is up to me to do my work and gain responsibility.  I’m not going to lie about the fact that I have slcaked off before in my life, college is going to make me aware that those days are over and now I have to buckle down and make myself successful in life.