FRO12 DTB

Your impressions of your first three months at Baruch.

In high school, everything was laid out for me.  If I had an assignment to finish, test, or homework, the teacher not only told me about it, but also constantly reminded me when it was do and how to do it.  In Baruch, I was not even told, but expected to check on blackboard for updates.  I have grown to become much more independent and have little to no reliance on professors and other faculty members.  If I did go to an office for assistance, I was simply referred to that department’s website. It seems everything is online.

Sometimes I felt as if I were taking an online course.  Even if I had a question, professors encouraged me to e-mail them, making it even harder to have face-to-face communication.  One really has to keep on top of their work and prioritize.  I’ve noticed how much less time I have to keep in contact with old friends and make plans.  At times during the semester, I tried making time in my schedule to have fun and socialize and be able to study and get my work done.  However, when I did this, I had no time to sleep.  I did not give myself enough time to get well-rested sleep each night.  I know by giving up all the time I spend wasting behind my computer, I will earn better grades and will be thanking myself later on in life when I have a good job and can lead a comfortable life.

While Baruch may seem frustrating and as if I have been thrown out into the wild with some knowledge of survival skills, I have come to adapt to the culture here.  It has definitely made me more independent and taking on responsibilities, which I greatly appreciate.

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so we went to a workshop yesterday. not sure if we really do have to blog about it but doing it just in case. the workshop was about tolerance, breaking down stereotypes, and defending people. mostly about becoming a ally to LGBT. he showed us some scenerio of how LGBT people feel in the work place and how it is important to help stand up for them and to let them be comfortable withwho they are. remeber to always say OUCH!

-trevor spencer

Going from high school to college has most likely been a large transition for everyone. First arriving at Baruch, everyone is in the same position as far as meeting new people and adjusting to the college life. I enjoy the new college life, having your own choices for your major and classes. I like having the freedom of dorming and doing whatever you want. However, I do always on my experiences over the summer. This summer was awesome. Being after senior year, everyone is excited about the their college choices and the new freedoms they will have. One event over the summer that I will not forget is senior week. I have learned that this is something unique to Pennsylvania. Senior week is when a group of friends after their senior year rent a shore house for a week and do whatever they want. Another goal is to keep from being evicted from your house. My friends and I had a great time and would gladly do it again. So overall I have enjoyed my past couple of months and are looking forward to the upcoming ones.

I come from a big family, 13 aunts and uncles on my mother’s side and 15 on my father’s side to be exact.  Each one has at least 2 children.  Where you have to refer to each of them as “cion tio” or “cion tia” or sufer a slap to the back of the head.  Growing up I was surrrounded by my family and the great thing about that is you could hear stories about when you were younger that you couldn’t even remember.  People always remind you that they were there and I always thought it was important to keep them there and keep them close.  That’s 28 aunts and uncles, and 28 mentors  Some have passed away and some I haven’t seen in years but for 17 years I have tried to grow and learn and let them live through me.

DESIRE TO BE

Snakes, spiders, sharks, big dogs, wild animals, scorpions, bees, heights, falling, crashing, flying, drowning, being abandoned and being forgotten, of failure and of being a disappointment. All of the things I’ve listed have one thing in common, that is to say is that they are my fears. I know I am a big scaredy cat, and it is a little over the top to have so many fears but I do. sometime when I wake up I just wonder what the point of even leaving my house. however when I think that thought I remind myself about how short life is. I may have many fears but I’m not going to left them stop me from living my life. I will not let myself be my own worst enemy. it is just as P!NK says ” Where there is desire there is gonna be a flame, where there is a flame someone’s bound to get burned, but just because it burns, doesn’t mean you’re gonna die. you gotta get up and try, try, try.” so I have to try no matter what. my desire is Broadway, to join a dance company and to tour the world. the flame I have to deal with is adversity those saying that I can’t do that and that I’m not good enough. I may not be good enough in their eyes but in the best in my own. I may get burned along the way but my wounds will heal. performing is my fountain of youth and I’m not going to let anyone take it away from me. even though I’m my own worst enemy I will succeed.

Trevor Spencer Freshman Seminar November 5, 2012

                                                                                   Suspense. Apprehension. Anxiety.

                     Leaving Maryland filled my head with a lot of doubt, but a lot of excitement at the same time. I was finally living my dream of moving to New York City, but I was alone. I was worried about friends, money, school, volleyball and transportation. With that in mind, I packed my Jeep with practically everything I owned and set out for this five-hour trip with my family. Arriving at the dorms was quite hectic to say the least – unpacking, buying, meeting, greeting, etc. I always wondered what college would be like… sex, drugs, alcohol, maybe school, I don’t know. But then there was volleyball. How was I going to balance it all? I was freaking out.

Doubt. Failure. Confusion.

                  Coming into school, I thought I was invincible. I barley did any work in school, gave my all at volleyball, and managed to go out at least 4 times a week. I thought it was awesome – getting into bars, barley doing work, AND helping the team with a start of an awesome record? What could be better?  Yet, when I received some of my grades back, I proved myself wrong. Unfortunately at the same time, I was going through a moment of doubt in volleyball also. I began second-guessing what I was doing and why I was doing it. And to top it all off, I really missed my family.

Optimistic. Confident. Elated.

                       Finally… somehow I was adjusting to things. My grades are ok, not great… But better than before and my team just won the CUNY championships, so we are off to the NCAA’s in Salisbury this week. I’m still in the phase of trying to not go out as much, but I’m in college…whatever. I’m looking forward to just starting fresh in the Spring, getting a bartending job, and finally having some free time to myself. At this point in my life…my biggest accomplishment would be passing Philosophy.

When looking inward at myself, I notice many strengths as well as weaknesses. I am self-considered tech-savvy, intelligent, and funny. However, I am reckless, too compliant, clumsy, and too shy to ask for help. But I also realize that I have nobody to blame except myself to my own troubles. The saying is that people can change and I believe that it is possible but very difficult. What make people unique are their backgrounds and the environment they are currently living in. I owe a lot to my parents and friends because without them, I would not be the same.

As you live your life, you have to play many roles such as a student, sibling, mentor, son and many more. Sometimes the pressure for living up to the expectations of these roles is immense and overwhelming. But, it is essential and important to do these roles because we as humans want to accomplish things and to leave our mark on the world.

I am afraid of heights and the sensation of falling. At times, I feel insecure such as during 9/11 and when my parents do not come home on time. I feel ashamed and guilty when asked to complete a task and I finish it prematurely or totally forget, However, I will feel empowered when I am praised for completing such task and doing it exceptionally. It means that I am contributing to my family and I am managing my time properly.

My personal motto is nothing ventured, nothing gained. It means that if I desire something, I would need to put in the effort and time to do it. If you do nothing, then nothing is being accomplished and what you want is still at a time still. It is like climbing a hill in that you have to start climbing the hill to get there. If you do nothing, then you are still stuck at the bottom of the hill. My advice to you comes in two parts. The first part is to start climbing. The second part is to take a step back just like artists do to admire their masterpiece. Your masterpiece is ultimately your life.

Ever since I was little I have been playing soccer. My parents insisted on it from a young age. My parents both previously played the game, and I grew to love it. Over the years, it has benefited me in many ways and I thank them for it. As a young player I was given the chance to travel across the country to play with so many different people and go so many places. My family never took many vacations or trips, so this was mostly my only way to see what the rest of the world was like, and experience new things. As I grew older, and my skill level advanced, I earned the opportunity to play with many high caliber players and be on premiere level squads. Many look at soccer as just a sport; an activity to stay in shape nonetheless. However soccer is much more than a sport to me. I’ve been playing soccer since I was five years old, and it has been my favorite thing to do ever since. By making me constantly compete, forcing me to be active, and keeping me on a schedule, the sport has molded who I am today. Soccer taught me that many people can work as one. It has taught me how to manage my time, and most importantly it has opened up many doors for me academically. With my hard work, natural ability, and support from many, I soon stood out from others. Soccer has shaped me into an overall hard working and determined individual.

Soccer has helped me find balance in my life. Soccer has taught me life skills that I couldn’t have found elsewhere. Motivation, success, and happiness all come from within; soccer has shown me all aspects of this. By teaching me how to lose, along with teaching me how to win, I feel soccer has built my character. In my soccer career, I’ve scored goals that I’ll never forget, met friends that I’ll never lose, but more importantly I’ve learned skills and morals that I will never let go.