Don't FRO Around

At first when we went to the library, a few of us had to swipe in, but after seeing how long that would take, the person behind the desk asked if we were on a tour. Then he ushered us all through the other side, I thought that was a bit funny. I don’t really remember much except for some parts. I remember almost tripping over something. When we were at the computer/printing section, I remembered having to pay that $100 service fee or something and thought wow i better make good use of that. Print EVERYTHING there. Someone asked if the unused money would “rollover” and I thought that was pretty funny, but no it doesn’t. That’s not funny.

Standing in the middle of the library, I realized how big it really was. There was a lot of natural lighting, which I thought was great. When we went upstairs, I couldn’t help but notice all the comfortable looking chairs and couches. When I found out that the library was open 24/7 during Finals, I looked around for places to sleep as a joke. I saw many places that would suit my purposes.  Then Daniel asked if there were nap rooms. Great minds think alike.
All in all, I think that getting to visit the library was fun, and I’m sure that I’ll be there in the future. ZZzzzzz.

My trip to the library last Friday was not only enjoyable but also extremely informative. In college there of course will be many research papers and other various types of work to be done, and the information we learned on this trip will truly be priceless. This all started not in the library but in the class room where we were shown all the various types of databases and other scholarly sources which contain many things that will soon be cited in some of our college papers. In High School these types of sources were never presented to me and I would always waste my time with Google or other unreliable sources that often weakened the point I was trying to make in my papers. Now that we were familiar with the data banks accesible through the website it was time to get a live tour of the library led primarily by our seminar peer mentor Christen. Christen being a student at Baruch knew exactly what we need to know about the library and took us to all the focal points. What struck me first was just how beautiful the library looked, a nice looking work environment is conducive to better learning.  After that I was pleased to find all the resources made avaliable to us this ranges from the easy print system to books, computers, borrowing of laptops, quiet environment, most importantly to me however is the study rooms. These rooms during times of midterms and finals will become my second home, it is the ultimate place to study. This trip was extremely help and I’m glad I was able to go get familiar with it.

I made my first steps in the Newman Library while on tour during that day where all the freshman came in and met each other. I forgot what it was called. All I could remember was how I was thinking, “Oh my goodness. This is one HUGE yet fancy library. What if I get lost?” Of course that was my main concern at the time, seeing how I’m more book-smart than “street-smart”. It didn’t occur to me at the very moment that the library would prove to be a helpful resource throughout my four years at Baruch. Being intimidated by the big space I quickly left and told myself I’d only go here if I was with my sister, also a student at Baruch, or with a friend.

Before going on the library tour with my FRO class, I did annoy my sister to bring me and show me around when I needed to copy textbooks for my classes. I was totally clueless when she tried giving me directions to where to go and who to speak to. The day we went to the library, she taught me which desk to go to if I ever needed to take a textbook out and how you had to buy a copy card to use the copying machines. I also tried using the computers in the front but gave up easily when I couldn’t figure out how to log in.

Finally being properly educated about all the resources provided at the Newman library, I think it’ll prove to be helpful during my stay at Baruch. It’s a quiet place to go if I ever need to get work done, whether I want to work in a study pod or at a big desk along with other students. I have a good feeling it’s where I’ll end up staying and spending most of my free time during finals week 🙂

Well to start things off, I have to write a 250-500 word post of my first library experience. To be honest, I don’t know where I’m going to whip out 250-500 words from since theres not really much to say about my first library experience, but hey, I already have like 49 words, and that number is still increasing as I ramble on. But ok, enough of that.  My first experience at Baruch was pretty interesting. (Notice how I use adjectives on words like interesting to extend this post). I first went to the library with George when I had a 50 minute gap last friday, and I must say it’s incredibly huge. (Another redundant adjective, incase you didn’t notice). The library itself is spacious and it has eight floors or so. My first thought was to explore the library with George, so the first thing we did was walk around the first floor. I noticed a lot of soft chairs with students sleeping in them and my first words to George were, “yeah man, that’s what you do when you have a 3 hour gap.” After that, I went to the 2nd, 3rd, and the 4th floor. After that, I gave up on my exploration of the Library since I realized all the floors were identical, not like that’s a bad thing or anything. After that, I went to Freshman seminar and ironically enough, we went back to the library to learn about its usefulness. Well I believe I met my quota, so I will end my post here.

Who am I? That would be a lot easier to explain if I knew a direct answer without making this a novel.  I’m  the oldest of two girls to a dad that always wanted boys. I’m Peruvian, not from the capital but from a town 9 hours driving into the mountains of Peru so I’d pick a day away from everything in the countryside over being in a crowded town. So why’d I pick Baruch right, another characteristic of mine is to set high goals for myself. I like interacting with people and being exposed to and learning of new things, so I figured what better career path than in the Business field, and since Baruch was known as one of the best schools for this, it became my goal to become a student here. Since my dad wanted those boys, you bet he made sure I played sports. After a whole array of sports, I ended up playing volleyball & currently do for Baruch’s Women’s Team, why do I bring this up? Because it is part of who I am, it brought out characteristics and strengths in me I didn’t know of. It taught me to build endurance, focus, and determination which contributed to me becoming a strong individual.

I get stressed pretty easily so this whole shift of environment is a big transition, I went from a school where most people knew each other to a place where I know just about no one so I guess acquiring a sense of identity in the unknown is one of my concerns. I worry about managing my time correctly, since everyday I’m at school from 9-6:30 at night or out at games with the team till even later, by the time I get home all I can think about is sleep, how i’ll probably want to hit my alarm clock with a hammer in the morning, and how to somehow complete assignments by their due dates. School is my priority so I want to maintain my previously high grades in college and really focus on improving through all the challenges I take on.

I feel like Baruch will be a completely different environment, we’re now adults, no longer in high school with the constant guidance and supervision of others. We must now take care of ourselves and not really rely on others. We meet a whole intricate set of individuals with goals and ambitions. Now, its time to really answer “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, no more time for anything but seriously focusing on what we plan to become.

I feel like my first year of college will change me, I still have to find out how but I believe for the positive. I feel that being exposed to all these new upcoming experiences and getting away from what I’m used to or comfortable with is beneficial. This is a fresh start and I plan on taking advantage of it, just making the best of it.

My first time fully experiencing Baruch’s library was last Friday. I was intrigued by its many resources and the various perks it comes along with. We are priveleged to have things such as free laptop rentals, $100 in printing money and even 24 hour access during finals week. In my future years to come I will deff be using this library to my advantage because it is just too good an opportunity to pass up. Doing research papers and studying will become a little easier. The simple fact that it is so close is a big help for me especially I’m sure as well as for others because so many of us commute back and forth to school and to be able to have such easy access puts a lot less stress on us not having to worry so much about traveling even farther distances to get the resources we need, it is right in our home away from home. So far I have not needed to use the library and I hope I do not have to for as long as possible haha but I know eventually the time will come and I am just glad to be able to have the library to fall back upon in my times of academic need.

Friday’s visit to the Baruch library was very enriching and gave me insight on things that the college and library have to offer that I had not seen before. The first time I had ever visited the library was during the accepted students day, in which we were given a simple tour of the library. I did not get too much out of that day because the group was very large and we were trying to be as quiet as possible. Going to the library with my FRO class however on Friday was very different. Because we were in a smaller group, I really got a lot out of the info session. I never knew for instance about the massive bookcases on the upper floors of the library. Just browsing there for a few minutes I found so many titles that could benefit me in my college career at Baruch. Another thing I did not know about were the private study rooms that one can borrow with a group of friends to prepare for a presentation or exam. I believe this will be a huge asset to me in the future because it will help me be extremely prepared for my class projects. Having a rent desk for calculators has also been greatly beneficial to me because the free service keeps me from having to buy a calculator, and I am getting it from a trusted source. The most useful thing though that I got out of Friday’s info session was how to use the printer. I had no idea that one could print from any computer and then it would be put into my account, so I could print anywhere I want! I really liked this feature actually, and having it explained to me early on was very helpful. I am looking forward to utilizing all the resources that the library offers and I will try to use it to my advantage. I am very happy with all the resources that the Baruch library offers.

Upon visiting the library at Baruch College, there was many things to take in such as floors of books for research, computers to complete papers, and seats that enable students to just relax and study at their free will. The library gives us, the students, the opportunity to succeed in a quiet atmosphere.

My tour of the library was defintely an influtential one as information was given my way. From renting laptops and caluclators, to the private study rooms, the library at Baruch is very well equipped with a modern feel to it.

Having the library right across the street open late into the evening is definitely a plus, seeing how studying will most likely take up all my time. As my college experience continues to grow, the library will become a place that I will be visiting quite often. When mid-terms and finals come around, many of us will be found with an energy drink, mountains of books, and sitting in one of the upper floors accessing the library’s full potential.