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Hello everyone, my name is Mark Belio. I guess the best way I can describe myself is that I’m just a common American kid. the reason I say that is because I’ve lived here in New York all throughout my life, barely leaving the state except to go to six flags or an occasional concert, and never leaving the country. I am Spanish, but I can’t speak Spanish and barely look like it, so I can’t really say that my heritage influences me as I haven’t had any connection with it throughout my childhood. I’m not really a fast food person, such as Mcdonalds but I eat a lot of frozen food like pizza and such. I like heavy metal and make it a habit of going to at last one concert about every two months.

I would have to say three of my concerns at Baruch would be making new friends since the high school that I previously went to only had 60 kids in the grade that I have seen for the past 6 years, so I got used to seeing only these faces. I’m not used to seeing so many new and different people every day I come to school, and on top of it I’m a shy person so it doesn’t really make it all that easier to meet new people. Another concern I have are the size of the classes, ranging from 30 to about 500. I’m used to small classes of 25 that have specific attention to the students, so professors rushing through lectures is going to be a bit more different and a little bit difficult to get used to. My last concern would probably have to be that most of my days have large breaks in between, so I have to figure out how I will manage my time and keep myself occupied.

My first year at college is going to change me in that I’m going to learn to be more social and make new friends. Along with this, I’m going to have to become a part of the school, like joining a club, which will be a change for me. For now this is all I can really think of, so I hope you had a good time learning about me. =]

“Who Do You Think You Are?”

 I was born and raised in former East Germany in a small town called Saalfeld. You could say, I am a German in New York. The Big Apple, as many refer to it, one of the greatest cities in the world. And here I am, thousands and thousands miles away from home. I was only 23, when I left everything behind and first came here on my own, I didn’t know what to expect. I was scared, insecure, homesick, lonely, confused and first and for most I had huge doubts in myself. I would always question myself, if this was a step in the right direction. But you will never know what the right step is, unless you actually make the decision to take that step. And what is actually the “right step”, the “right decision”?!

Now when i m looking back at the time when I first came to this country, attending Baruch College is an even bigger challenge for me, probably one of the biggest in my life. It has been 11 years since I graduated from high school. After high school I did an apprenticeship to become a certified paralegal. Which meant, I attended a specialized school and would work in a lawyers office for three years. Because I haven’t been to any school in the last 8 years it sometimes seems hard for me to get back into the pattern or you could say more get back into a routine of actually going to school. The language barrier is also one of my concerns here at Baruch College since English is not my first language, I have to pay even more attention to not miss out on any given information. Misunderstandings or interpreting things differently could also be an issue I hope to manage well. Another one is finding the balance between attending school during the day and going to work at night. Which is just one of the big challenges. But its just part of getting myself through school. Striving towards an education and a degree keeps me going.

My perspective on certain things, especially school has extremely changed over the years. Back in high school I would have never thought about attending college or high school, especially not in a foreign country. That would have never even crossed my mind. I think now, that I have worked a couple of years and lived and enjoyed my life by doing all kinds of sports and travels, I am at a much more experienced point in my life where I feel ready to take on this challenge.

Today I can say about myself that I am an independent, outgoing, hard working, responsible, trustworthy, reliable, honest, very organized, industrious, respectful and funny (at least I think so) individual.

 I am really looking forward to improve myself, to learn and to study. My horizon will be extended to a different level and I will always strive for more. I am capable of achieving higher goals in my life.

Hi, my name is Chelsea DeGuzman. When someone asks me “Who do you think you are” my immediate response would be, “A girl named Chelsea.” But that’s too general, so I’ll elaborate. So, I’m from the not so lovely state of Florida. I lived there my whole life, and one of the reasons why I chose to come to Baruch was to get away from that awful climate. I am pretty shy and I keep to myself most times. I play softball and will be playing softball here at Baruch, so remember, always support your athletes! 🙂 I have two brothers and one sister. I love them and the hardest part about moving so far away was the fact that I would miss out on so much with my family, so I guess in that sense I can say I’m very family orientated. And my favorite color is PINK!

 

So my three main concerns about freshmen year were/are: 1.) Finding my classes 2.) Passing my classes 3.) Coming out of my shell and getting to know people.

College doesn’t really seem that different to my high school experience. In high school we had pretty demanding teachers with hour and a half classes, so that’s really not a change. The only difference would probably be the set up of the school and where the school is located. My high school was out in the middle of no where, where the coolest part about school was going to the ag farm or hanging out by the trucks. The “campus” here is quite different and of course the city surrouding it is amazing.

I think this year will change me in just a few ways. It will definitely force me to push out of my “shell” and become more social. It will help me realize the work load that will follow in the next few years. And it will tweak me into a better person, teaching me to accept all and never fear what we do not know.

 

So yea, that’s me.

Hey, my name’s Selina Yasin and I’m 17 years old. When people ask me who I am I honestly have no idea what to say except for that first line. The truth is I don’t know the answer to that question yet, but I’m hoping that college will help me figure that out. I guess I can start off by telling you guys (if anyone’s reading this) some things that I love and some things that I hate. I like being optimistic and always looking at the brighter side of things. My favorite color is orange. I love the rain, I hate when it’s too hot. I’d rather it be cloudy and cool. I love when old couples hold hands (I’m basically just writing down what I see around me). I love parks. I hate vegetables and I hate blogs.

Top 3 concerns about Baruch: 1. That I wouldn’t be able to cope with the school work because then my grades would slip and I’d flunk out of college, not get a job, and become a crazy train preacher or something. 2. That I would get trapped in a revolving door, again. (I got trapped in the revolving door to get into Baruch on my orientation) 3. That I would generally just hate it (I don’t so far so that’s a good sign).

I think that my Baruch experience will be different from my high school experience because it will be a more serious experience and I’ll start becoming more responsible, instead of my usual go with the flow attitude I’ll start making decisions that will help me shape my future.

I think my first year at college will help me realize who I want to be, and what I want to do with my life because I really have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I just know that it’s not science/math related. I think it will also help me grow and become a better person.

Well that’s all I suppose, hope to see you guys on Monday 🙂

Hi! I’m Angelica, and the reason that I decided to go to Baruch was so that i could get into the music industry from a business perspective. I love music more than anything, and I would love to do anything involving music. I just became a part of Baruch’s radio station, which i’m really excited about because it feels like it’s my first step into the music industry. I love animals too, and i used to want to be a veterinarian until i realized that i’d have to put animals to sleep. 🙁

My top 3 concerns about Baruch were: math (because i’ve heard it’s really intense, and it’s not really my strongest subject)

not making friends (because it’s such a huge school, and lots of people commute and don’t really care about making friends)

and that i’d get frustrated with having to take the subway everyday…

 

I think the fact that i have so much more independence is what makes college different from high school. More freedom with my life, to go out and do what i want, but also more independence with school.

I’m not really sure how my first year of college will change me, but i feel like i’ll probably learn to be less of a procrastinator- at least, i hope so!

As a person I consider my identity to be my name, Gautier Godard, as well as where i come from, France. These two things are the two aspects of my life that have the biggest impact on me from day to day. My environment has made me into a person that is comfortable yet reserved at the same time, therefore depending on the situation and my surroundings I may respond to an event in different ways. From an early age i  have always been very attracted to sports and anything that requires physical training or is a physical challenge. Coming for The Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Astoria NY, i have been a part of an educationally intense program that has trained me well in regards to time management and self learning. For these reasons, i am not very concerned about the my freshman year as well as any of the upcoming years that i have here at Baruch College. This confidence comes from knowing that hard work pays off. The grades i obtain reflect the attitude i have towards my classes as well as the work that i put in (likewise i think this could be said about most things in life). Baruch College being in the city and also being a very big and diverse school, i think it is fair to say that my experience in this school will be more social than the one i had in high school.  Academically the main difference i see is that i am in college to study something that i am interested in, rather than topics that i am forced to learn. Making this a crucial distinction between my high school and this college establishment, i hope my expectations of being able to choose what i want to learn will come true in the following semesters. I change and adapt to the surroundings i am placed in, therefore i do not see why Baruch College would be any different. During my first year the people i meet and socialize with will change, but my personality and goals will most likely stay the same. Although college is said to be a great step after high school, i feel that in the society that we live in college is simply another step — not necessarily one that changes a person more dramatically than any other four year experience. Of course, the knowledge i have now is nothing compared the knowledge i will have coming out of college, however i don’t think being more intelligent has to change the person you are.

Hey there to whoever is reading my weird, but well thought out words. I know a lot of you guys already, but for those of you whom I haven’t met yet, I’m Jenna. I’m 18 years old, I was born and raised in the Bronx. I know there are so many negative stereotypes about people who come from this borough, but it’s pretty safe to say that I do not match any of these stereotypes. I promise 🙂 But, other  than being from the Bronx, I think that I’m a pretty unique individual. I want to write for Rolling Stone magazine when I’m older, and one of the main things on my bucket list is to learn to play every instrument before I die. Before coming to Baruch, I attended an all girls private high school, with a graduating class of about 140 girls. People always ask how going to an all girls school was, and honestly, it was a great experience. It was different from a traditional high school model, but the friends that I made throughout my 4 years and the quality of education that I received are unmatched. These are the friends and experiences that I will hold with me throughout my entire life. I feel that my high school education prepared me for college, and even for my future endeavors.

However, although I felt well prepared for college, I did have some initial fears. First off, I was always worried that it would be difficult to make friends in a commuter school. Because Baruch is not a traditional dorming college, I feared that the students would come to class, do work, then go home. How would I ever be able to make friends in that type of environment. I now see that I was naive in thinking that, because I have already made such great friends within my first few weeks of being here.Another concern that I had was the class sizes, because prior to attending college, I had it set in my mind that all classes took place in a large lecture hall of hundreds of students. I didn’t know how I would handle big classes, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t fair well. But, after realizing that most of my classes were of a manageable size, that fear disappeared. Even in my large psychology class, I feel comfortable for the sheer fact that the professor is engaging and entertaining. A last concern that I had was about time management. This was a term that I’d heard throughout my high school career, and I knew that it would be emphasized in college as well. I feared that I would not know how to manage my time between school work, a job, extracurricular activities, PLUS a social life. The thought of this balancing act was overwhelming. But after experiencing time management first hand, I now know that I can handle the tasks that I am given, as long as I persevere and work hard.

Baruch is definitely different than my high school experience. For one, I go to school with girls AND guys now for the first time since 8th grade. Although the dynamic is different, I enjoy it because I am now more easily able to make friends of different sexes. However, the college experience is not much different than my high school experience in terms of the workload, and as I have previously stated, I feel very prepared for all of the new learning experiences that will come in the future.

College has already started to change me for the better. I feel more knowledgeable and responsible than I previously was. I know that my first year in college will foster positive characteristics in me that will be necessary for life in the real world.  I am excited to see what else college has to offer, and I will be ready for all of its challenges.

 

I’m Briana and I’m 18 years old from Brooklyn, NY. Nothing too exotic. It seems like everyone’s either from Brooklyn, Long Island, or Staten Island. I’m the black girl with red hair. I’m a very easy going person and I almost never get mad. I love traveling especially for shows in other states. My passion is music and I want to own my own band management/publicity business here in the city after I graduate. I’m going to major in Music Management and minor in graphic design in Weissman. I hate math so there’s no way I’d even bother trying to go the business route. For fun I like to go to shows and sometimes I interview bands or take photos at shows for my music blog Unsigned & Unleashed (www.unsignedunleashed.com). I also recently joined the radio station with my friend Angelica who’s also in this class. I love all thing related to Anthony Green and Paramore is my favorite band. I’ve seen them 10 times. I can be terribly awkward but I have good intentions. I love English…always have. Math however….is something I hate with a passion. My middle name is Pearl. Just thought you should know…

 

My top 3 concerns on Freshman year here at Baruch are:

1. Actually enjoying this school because I hated high school so much.

2. Making friends that have similar interests.

3. Actually KNOWING the school rather than just going to my classes and letting that be that.

also finding other places to eat because there comes a point when even the best of us have to part ways with Chipotle…

So far Baruch College is different from my high school in a few ways. I went to a early college high school so they pretty much packed all the main classes in my first two years and by senior year I got out just before noon and had time to go to an internship or stay busy. Now I actually spend way more time in  school. MY high school was really small so everyone really knew everything about each other. I could probably name all the kids in my senior class If I had to. That’s one difference that I’m kind of happy about but I’m not all that outgoing so I guess it’s not really good or bad either way.

 

I think that my first year of college will make me more social. (Hopefully). It’s already making me more independent so by the end of this year I should really have a grasp on who I am as a person. That’s all I can really hope for. It sounds really bad but I feel like I’m who I’m supposed to be, I know what I want to do, and the life I want to lead so I’d rather be more self-aware than actually change something about myself.

Hi there I’m Nikita, to whoever’s reading this nice to meet you. =) If i had to choose mainly adjectives to describe myself my choices would be determined, straightforward, funny, caring, and simple. Of course I know a majority of my peers also have the same attributes, but everyone is different and everyone expresses these characteristics differently. I like to think of my self as an overall simple teenager just trying to be successful as soon as possible. As I am entering an entire new playing field this year of course I am filled with many concerns such as will I fit in?, will I be able to adapt, progress and learn in such a big environment?, and finally can I keep up with the college life and all the demands that seem to take up my entire day. I am a little worried about these things because I am not yet used to having to plan out my assignments and prioritize certain days for hw and studying without my teacher’s constant nagging. This is an entire new ball game and the stakes here are much higher than in high school. This is only made even clearer with the amount of work given. So far I must admit the Baruch experience is a little overwhelming in itself, but then again it is college. In high school everything was handed out to us, and whatever wasn’t done could easily have been made up, that’s certainly not how it is here and that scares me. On a brighter note though I have already made a great group of friends that are hardworking and on their to success themselves. I find myself just enjoying sitting with them in the library and taking in the fact that I am in college already. I believe that this first year of college will produce a more mature, focused and well equipped for the world young lady. After this first year which I expect to be the hardest I know I will come out so prepared for my second year. I cannot wait to continue on this journey that is changing me every second.

Hello. My name is Jennifer Nitzani and I was born in Queens and raised in Great Neck. I attended Great Neck North High School, and I have to say that high school was the best four years of my life. My two favorite things to do are play soccer and dance. I am really hoping to enjoy college as much as I did high school. I know that no matter what, everything happens for a reason, and I know that I will receive the top education that I need to succeed here at Baruch. So far so good. I am really starting to enjoy myself at Baruch. This summer, I went on a tour all around Israel, where I met all new people. One night we were all sitting around and discovered that about six of us were all going to attend Baruch together which made it all that more exciting. As much as I do enjoy college, I do have concerns. My main concern is keeping up with the work. It is just so different than High School. In High School, we got a sheet which mostly explained each assignment that was due and we were reminded of the due dates often, and here we only meet with that professor twice a week so it gets confusing at times, and I guess I just really have to be on top of everything. It is a lot of work and a lot of reading. I love to read but only what I am interested in which is a problem considering the books we read for our classes are not all that interesting. I am also concerned with meeting new people. So far I am doing great! I met a lot of awesome new people and I just hope to keep on making more and more friends. I love to talk and open up to people and introduce myself, but sometimes, I don’t feel as if others are as open as I am. I am hoping to join clubs and become very involved. In High School, I was extremely involved with so many different events, and I was very close with a lot of the teachers, which scares me because here, it is much harder to become close to the professors. I think everything about college is different than High School which is why I think it difficult for me in College. Some of my classmates are here in College with me which makes is better. I know at least one person already in every class from High School so its great. One of the hard parts is that out of all my closest friends, I am the only one that came to Baruch and the others went away, but I still love it here. I really hope that the next four years of my life in college will be as good as the past four in high school. I think that this year will get harder and I am extremely scared for midterms and finals. I am really just hoping to do well on all of them and I think my first year will change and will just keep getting better. I always think positive, and I know that I will have the best year this year being a freshmen at Baruch!