LC 04

My name is Pengzhan Xia. My friends always call me Pen and I like it. Basketball is my favorite sports. I like it because of an anime which is called Slamdunk. Now Ifind a new hobby, play guitar. I just star to play guitar in one month and I learn it by myself with a book. Playing guitar is a happy thing to do. Eventhough guitar is hard to learn, I will not give up. In a few days, my friends and I will creat a band. I hope the drummer can get ready as soon as possible.

After meeting up in our normal  seminar class I made my way through the large crowd on the second floor celebrating halloween and the breast cancer month to attend the major/minor fair. There was a huge line leading into the multi-purpose room. When I went in someone handed me a piece of paper with the majors and minors. Each of the tables had a sign saying accounting, finance, theatre….. I signed in for most of the majors and minors that I was interested in. I thought it was a great opportunity to see the different majors and minors. While I was leaving I handed in a survey of the fair and I left.

Challenge in Jenny’s Life.

           Challenge, challenge.. There are so many of them that I can’t think of one. See? I am going through challenge right now. Hm, oh well I guess my challenge can be extending my focus time.

I tell you now; I was a kid with the shortest attention span. So one time I came up with an idea, that if I study each subject for 2 minute and keep rotating, I would be the smartest kid in the world! But as expected, outcome was a disaster. There were multiple tests coming up, and I just couldn’t do it! I stayed up all night, rotating my notebooks. Test results? Obviously my parents weren’t happy with it.

There was one thing that changed this ADD kid, and it was spanking. I was called into the bathroom, and why do Asian parents always take their kids to bathroom? Oh well, that worked really well for me, and since that day, I just started to read and read and read. I sat all day in my room reading. My mom brought me chocolate from time to time, so I was happy.

One day, I realized that I finished my writing assignment without playing ay computer games! It was such a victorious moment.

Hi My name is Taeyong. I wanna talk about how was my life after I came to America. I came from Korea when I was 11th grade. Everybody said to me I came here too late. Sometime I also agree with that. When I go to high school of America, Everything was new to me and english gave me a huge stress. That made me do homework that other guys can finish in a hour for all day long. Way to study was also different with Korean high school. I wrote my first essay in my life after I came here. I had never written essay in Korea. Of course, It was so terrible. I think my english is still not good. I don’t remember how could I passed ESL. That was so lucky.

Anyway, My high school life was not bad because I got not bad GPA and I made so many friends at high school. After I graduated, I came to Baruch because I’m not accepted from colleges I wanna go and Baruch is cheap. However, I think Baruch is not bad too.

Monologue

      I’m Jia. The biggest thing that affect in my life is moving to American. I never thought that I would go to move, because I never heard it from my mom. Since one day, my mom told me that we going to move, I was shock at the first moment, I hope that it’s a joke, but I know it’s not, because I could tell from my mom’s face. I was so depressed when I know I was going to move, I don’t really want to leave. And I don’t want to get apart with my friends. I so scared. However, I don’t have any choice, because I was too young to disobey my mom. I always think about it, what if I was old enough, is that means I have choice to choose stay with my friends and family but get apart with my parents, or leaved with my mom and get apart with my friends. However, there’s not if, and I still have to leave with my mom.

I made so many friends when I moved to America, but not close to them, because I know that when we graduated, then we would have many new friends. It just like what I expected, when I graduated from middle school, I only have one friend that I was close to. She is the first friend I made when I moved to America. She is so funny; she told me that she is gentle. However, I really want to throw out when I every time heard that, because I discovered that she was curse more than I do. When I went to high school, I made a new friend. She did so many dumb things. And I always said: “you were born with a joke” to her. And she always said I was mean to her, but I don’t think so, because I just told her the
truth. I think the word “miserable” is fit for my continuing life, because I met out even more weird friends. One of them, she is a miracle I think, because she never and ever cheat on her test, and played with her eraser during the math test. I bet you guys don’t want to know who she is, but I want to tell you guys, she is Wendy. One of them is addicted to Facebook, I think she can’t live without Facebook. And she is Tiffany. One of them, like an ordinary person, but not when she is hungry, because she would shout: “sushi! sushi!” and she is Xinglan. One of them likes crying but for no reason, even watched the funny
cartoon. I think I don’t understand that; and I don’t want to understand that at all. And she always mad at me when I miscalling her named with another friend’s name. She is Vivian. There’s one more, and she is like social all the time. It doesn’t matter where she at even in funeral I think. She likes killing and killing people all the time, but is not in real life, it is on web game. I think she is happy because I did not mistakenly call her name. I think you guys know who she is, yes, she is Lillian. I don’t know why I have much these shameless friends, but no matter why, they are my friends. Meanwhile, I am enjoying with these shameless friends, and their special characterizes, because they are so funny, and I love them to be my friends.

One of the challenges in my life that changed me was the first time I tried to play golf. At first, I thought golf was for old people who spent their time playing in the grassy fields. The first time I tried playing golf, I had confidence that I could hit the ball and that it would be up in the air to at least my height. I thought this because other people were hitting the ball much higher than their height. However, I was disappointed at the fact that when I hit the ball it only rolled a few feet and I told myself that I would never play golf from that day forward. However, my dad convinced me to give golf one final try. He taught me the basics of golf and instructed me during my practice to gradually build up my skill. Now I enjoy playing golf and I found out that it is not the sports that I first envisioned as. Now I look back even until today and regret saying that I would never play golf again because now I enjoy playing golf. This challenge has taught me to always give a chance to everything new so that I won’t have to regret.

My name is Xing Lan. I am 18 years old. One of my goals this year is to learn to manage my time. I always wait till the last minute to finish my assignments, and works always pile up. I always feel like there is so much to do, but there is so little time. I really hope that I can get all my class readings and assignments up to date so that I can have leisure time to play. Whenever I hangout with my friends now, I have to leave early because I need to go home and do my homework. Sometimes even if I stay up till 3am , i still can’t finish my homeworks, just like last night. And now i end up doing this monologue in math class. On October 21, a new movie called “Johnny English Reborn” came out.  My favorite actor Mr. Bean is in there. I really want to go watch it, but I have no time. I hope sometime this week I can go.

I wrote my own monologue last Monday morning on the train before I got the assignment.  It may off-topic a little bit, but that is all I want to say.

Sometimes I do think I am alone.  And I hate being lonely.  This may sounds a little stagy, I always tend to be a little more emotional than I usually am in all the Monday mornings when the sky is still dark like nights and I am alone by myself.

About two years ago I figured out my own way to relieve stress.  walk.  Just walk, with my make-ups on and with my high heels.  With my headphones and with my camera.  With nobody, but myself.  I can walk by myself for eight hours with nearly no rest.  And then I can repack up my confidence and my broken heart, start a brand new day once again.

So there was one day, I walked in the city again, I mistakenly went into a dead end, when I turned back, there was a sign said, one way.  Black background, white fonts.  I walked out to the cross again and I saw different people: two Caucasian girls on their way back to home, a couple of Korean brought their kid in the carriage.  Some African American guys were carrying their basketball to the playground, and across the street, there is a Spanish Cafe and a Chinese restaurant.  all of a sudden, I started to wonder who I am, what am I doing here.  And so, and so.

Four years ago, my parents brought me here without any notification.  I thought my life would be ruined since I would no longer be able to hang out with my friends in my hometown.  But now, I am still fine and I have friends.

I think I am a walking contradiction.

Because whenever I see the sceneries changing outside of the window, I promise myself that one day I will leave and travel, to Paris, to Provence, to Berlin, to Tokyo.  All I need is my passport and my camera, I will walk over the world by myself.  I know this is unrealistic.

But sometimes I am a coward, because that’s all the reason for me to stay.  I am that kind of person that always keep every old memories in mind.  That was the reason why I rather stay in China than to come to a foreign country.

So, I chose to stay, in this cold city where I can still find people who I loved and people who loved me.  Maybe I am not lonely as I thought I am.

There is a song from Karen Ann, I love it:

I always try to not remember rather than forget, this is why I always whisper, when pagabonds are passing by, I’d like to hear but not to listen, like to say but not to tell.  This is why I always wonder, there’s nothing new under the sun, I’d like to hear but not to listen, like to say but not to tell.  I tend to keep myself away from their goodbyes.

Tide will rise and fall along the bay, and I’m not going anywhere, I am not going anywhere.

People come and go and walk away, but I’m not going anywhere, I am not going anywhere.

Hi. My name is Taeyong Lee. I came from Korea about 3 years ago. I want to improve myself for this semester.

The first of the three concerns about my freshman year at Baruch College is improving my english skill. I think my english for conversation with other people is not good. I’d like to have conversation with other classmates to improve my english skill. Second is keeping GPA up. I think I don’t need to explain about this. Last thing is about communication. Most of my friend are Koreans. I think that’s not helpful to improve my english skill. I want to  make more foreigner friends at the Baruch college.

I could see difference with high school at the College. All class are more difficult than high school. It is hard to follow for me. and College has less class days and more class hours than high school.

I think first year at baruch college will teach me how to spend my time for whole college year. After I go to college I could feel how managing my time is important for my plan and future

A. Tell us who you think YOU are
Hi, my name is Joo Hyun Lee, but since there are some confusion about pronunciation, i decided to name myself as Jenny. Who am I? I am a coke (soda, no drug) loving bright Asian girl who likes to talk a lot.
Well I used to be very shy and anti-social, but one day, I had a revelation that I have to start telling others what I want, or I won't get anywhere in my life.
I actually have a passion for entrepreneurship and I will definitely start up a company later in my life. I would like to major in Finance in Baruch to establish foundation for my career!
I love to go watch a movie during my free time, and my favorite animal is penguin!

B. Share your top 3 concerns about your freshman year at Baruch College and explain why (these issues concern you)
My three concerns are Anthropology class, internship and scholarship. Well I am pretty sure most of LC04 students will understand this one. I really dont have any understanding toward the material, and since 
I am so far behind, I don't know how to study for the test. Hopefully, it won't be too late. Since I am an international student, I can't have a job here. So only way to make money and build my career is to get
an internship here. I am constantly researching for how to get these opportunities, and I am little worried about how I will develop my career in the U.S. Lastly, I am worried about my scholarship. Since I am a 
Dean's Scholar, I need to keep up GPA 3.5, or I will loose all my benefits. So I am very worried about my grades.
 
C. So far, what do you think will make your Baruch College experience different from your high school experience?
First of all, people in the campus are very different. Most of the people that I met are wide-accepting and willing to listen to others instead of forming their own group or discriminating others. You can walk
up to any person in the lobby, and they are willing to have a conversation with you. Also I feel like professors are more passionate about what they teach then high school teachers. Materials are interesting,
and it feels great to learn new things all the time. Lastly, the fact that you have to take care of yourself is very different from high school. In my high school, teachers used to remind students all the time
on what we have to do. But in college, I have to keep up with all the readings and tests without anyone helping me. This makes me feel independent but also, little frightened.
 
D. How do you think your first year at College will change you?
I think it will change me into a even more outgoing person. I have been meeting so many people, and I am learning great information on how to keep up with a conversation and how to be professional in front of
people who are in a higher position then me. I think first year of college will make me more mature and give me some experience on how the real world is going to be like. Also, I am trying to get involved in many 
clubs to get to know many different types of people. This will equip me as a better person in both business and social world, and I will be able to be exposed to many different cultures which will help me a lot
to do business in the U.S.