My experience as a freshman in Baruch was definitely different compared to high school. The classes that I have been admitted in were challenging. People have always told me, college is different from high school. I never saw their logic. I’ve always thought, as long as you complete your assignments and pass your tests, you’ll do fine, just like high school. High school is school, college is school, is it not? Although this is true, each “function” differently. The minute I step foot into Baruch, I’ve established a goal of receiving a 3.5 GPA. After the first couple of months, I questioned my ability to fulfill such goal. Unfortunately when I finally understood their logic, I was experiencing my first “all nighter”. Information that were given to me by my professors were too much to absorb. It would be reasonable to review the notes at home or whenever there is free time; this was easier said than done. In some classes, the professors would be able to motivate their students to study by organizing lesson plans that are not only informative but intriguing. These are the classes that motivate me to not only review the notes but also go an extra step and research. Unfortunately, there are classes that do not function the same way. Independence is key. The idea of studying off of textbooks or class readings sound easy, but just looking at them makes me loose interest. Thankfully, my mindset had changed just in time before the finals. I planned out my assignments reasonably to avoid staying up until 5 a.m. I am currently trying to be independent, “A for effort” no? If I could change anything about my freshman year, I would change my study habits. Studying last minute may work well in high school, but not in college. Rather than just passing the exams, being knowledgeable is essential as well. The knowledge that is obtained may be useful for other classes as well.