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My favorite workshop out of all of them has to be the first one we attended as a class. That performance summarized the initial college experience in an very informative and creative way. I found it very cool and interesting how they went over so many topics that one would have to go through during the college life. In fact, just in this first semester I can already relate some of my experiences to that particular performance. Such as the procrastination or being socially unaware of certain things. Throughout the semester, I’ve been able to look back at that performance and really see what the performers meant when they showed everyone what college life is really like.

Not only was it very informative, but I also found it very funny. Even though I know that it shouldn’t be something to laugh at, I found the part about drugs and adderall more entertaining than the other parts, simply because of the way they portrayed its effects. I’m glad I was able to watch that show because of how entertaining and fun it was. If I could I would watch it again just to be able to say that I can relate to all of the things they mentioned now that I am more a part of the college life.

Although I have not been able to attend any of the workshops, I think it’s safe to assume that Voices was pretty good, judging from everyone else’s blogs about it. Too bad I couldn’t be there.

Freshman seminar class in general has been a wonderful experience. I feel like I’ve learned so much about college and Baruch specifically just from class. There are so many clubs and organizations at Baruch that allow you to meet new people and open up more opportunities for yourself. Baruch also has many services like the writing center and tutoring that can help you excel in your classes.

What I really liked about freshman seminar was that it was only one day a week and it was a lot less boring than many of my other classes. Didn’t have to worry about any tests or anything. It was the least stressful of my classes. I mean I’m still kind of glad it’s over and I don’t have to worry about any more blogs or monologues or anything. But I’ll be happier when all my other classes end.

I think the class was helpful in adjusting to college life. I learned a lot about Baruch as well as my classmates. Freshman seminar is a good experience for college freshmen to have.

The first semester at Baruch College actually went pretty well. This is the time first ever that I’ve had this much freedom compared to high school. Because there’s so much flexibility in my classes, it built up my responsibility as a student. I had learn how manage my time wisely between when to study and when to have fun. Even though schoolwork wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be, I still had to make sure that I was meeting my goals in regards to my GPA.

At first, the thought of college was overwhelming, but the fact that I had freshmen seminar actually made my first semester pass by smoothly. Freshmen seminar benefited me in many ways – I have made a couple of friends, introduced clubs that would benefit me, guided me on the process of registering for the next semester, and even recommended classes that were needed. Freshmen seminar sessions were always informative and entertaining.

What I enjoyed about this semester specifically was how my classes fit my schedule. With assistance at orientation, I was able to obtain a Monday through Thursday schedule and being in school until only 2pm latest. This was ideal for me because I work five days a week, starting from 3pm.

Through breaks in my schedule I had gotten the opportunity to familiarize myself with the area around Baruch. I have learned that there are some really good lunch places that I enjoy nearby, including Chipotle and Shake Shack. Because I went to high school in Brooklyn, I was very unaccustomed to my surroundings in college. This first semester has greatly introduced me to the “college life” at Baruch.

I have attended three different workshops throughout this semester: the news literacy workshop, the Dare to Engage workshop, and the Baruch Voices. My favorite workshop during this semester is Baruch Voices. Even though I already watched it once at the beginning of the semester, I liked the second better because it was based on the stories of our class. I found this performance more related to me because I got to know more about what this year’s freshmen have been going through their first semester as a college student and how they have been doing so far.

There were many interesting monologues written by this year’s freshmen. The Asian performer had the funniest monologues of all. His pieces about quitting smoking and girlfriend caught the audiences’ attention. Almost everyone laughed at the way he acted out the student’s struggle of quitting smoking and the other student’s craziness about his girlfriend.

Another interesting fact about the year’s Baruch Voices is that I noticed most monologues talked about their pressures from various places such as peer pressures, school, or even family. After listening to other freshmen’s stress, I realized that my stress was nothing compared to what they had. I found myself very fortunate that I have been doing well in school and keeping in touch with friends and family while some other freshmen have been dealing with some bigger issues. I came to appreciate what I have accomplished at the moment. Also, their stories motivated me to work harder on my classes after seeing how they dealt with their own pressures. Overall, it was a great experience for me to watch Baruch Voices of 2012.

Out of all the enrichment workshops we had to attend as a part of Freshman Seminar, the one I enjoyed the most was the most recent performance of Baruch Voices. I also enjoyed the first one, but there was something about the fact that the second performance was made up of monologues by only people in my class made it that much more interesting to watch. I didn’t know any of the people whose monologues were selected, but it was still enthralling to hear what they had to say about their first semester in college.

The actors in the Baruch Voices are also always very good, and quite interesting to watch. The performance would be unbearable if the actors weren’t good, and they seem to pick the actor for each monologue pretty appropriately. Each one of them knows exactly how to read the monologue to captive the audience, and that is really what makes the show for me.

The only bad thing about the Voices performances is that they usually tend to run a bit long. There’s really only so long a person can sit through monologue after monologue, and I feel that the number that gets included in the final show should be cut back. Apart from that, I believe Baruch Voices to be a beneficial workshop for all incoming freshmen.

Before I even started classes at Baruch, I was very excited for my first semester of my new college life to begin. Moving in from Long Island to the big city, I couldn’t wait for the wealth of excitement and opportunity that Manhattan has to offer. Living in the dorms on the Upper East Side has been an amazing experience, for having a place to come home to in the city makes staying active and busy simple and easy. Since moving here, I have done countless things to experience the culture of New York City. I have done such things as visit the various museums, attend concerts, attend a Mets game, and much more. One of the highlights of the past month was when myself and few of my friends went down to Democracy Plaza at Rockefeller Center on Election Day, and witnessed the results of the election in the epicenter of all the news coverage, making for a really fun night.

I believe that I was able to adapt surprisingly well to the college life, as well as the workload. My classes this semester were not too much for me to handle, but I did slack off to an extent, and I do regret doing that. I know that I will be in a much better position for next semester, as I will have gained some college experience under my belt, and will be able to take on the more difficult courses that I will be taking. I am also still an undecided major, and therefore I hope that I can discover what I want to major in by the end of the spring semester.

I was very involved in high school, especially in the music and theater departments. Unfortunately, that is an area that Baruch does very much so lack in, but I hope to make the most of it and find some other way to get involved next semester. I would also like to start a search for an internship for the spring semester, for I think that getting one would give me the experience that I really need for the years ahead.

My first three months at Baruch have been good. I don’t really have any complaints about college. It’s actually pretty easy. I’m not crazy about the commute, but I’ve gotten used to it. All my classes are easy and I’m pretty sure I’m going to do well in all of them. I’m not really worried about my GPA or anything. The only thing is that most of my classes are really boring and I have to convince myself to go to class everyday. I always end up going anyway, but it takes some effort.

I can’t wait for this semester to be over though because then I never have to take another history class and I hate the class I’m in. I really hope my classes next semester are a lot more interesting.

The semester went by really fast, though. It seems like school just started not too long ago and now finals are coming up. I’m not particularly worried about any of them. I’ve gotten used to studying for tests. I didn’t really do much studying in high school, but now doing well on tests actually matters so I’ve been studying more than I ever have before.

But I like college so far. I don’t miss high school at all. I like the freedom and it’s exciting being in the city everyday.

A requirement for Freshman Seminar is to attend various workshops about different topics. In my opinion, the best workshop would have to be Voices. While I did not like writing my monologue, it is a great way to learn new things about people. You can learn a lot about someone based on what they put into their monologues because you know the boundaries they are willing to cross and share information with others.

While people performing their own monologues was interesting, it didn’t capture peoples attention too well. Voices was very engaging to the audience. The performers were able to capture the proper ways to make it more interesting, with their body language and tone of voice. Many of the monologues were about the new experiences people were experiencing, whether they were good or bad. They were mostly about how people felt coming into college, and it comforts me knowing that I’m not the only one having trouble transitioning. It let me know that other people are having problems too, so I don’t feel as bad.

I think Voices is the best workshop for that reason exactly. It’s a way of showing students that there are others going through exactly what they are going through. When people know they aren’t alone, it instills hope and comfort. This is exactly what I thought Voices did, so I am glad that I attended this workshop.

College has been a very different experience than what I expected it to be. Originally, I thought that college was going to be the same thing as high school, easy classes and everything would be a breeze. However, I soon realized that college was not as easy as I thought it would be. Yes this semester was simple and straightforward, however instead of focusing on work I slacked off and left all of my work for later. Not that I know that I have to actually study and do my work on time, I am positive that I will do much  better in the second semester, because I will be well prepared for what’s to come.

I regret not joining any clubs in the first semester. I had the opportunity to meet new people and be involved in another social group however I didn’t act fast enough and now I have another thing added to the list of things to do for next semester. I really do like the way clubs represent and “advertise” themselves on the second floor, however, and I feel like talking to people there gets me more interested in the club.

Another thing about college is meeting people. I thought that I would continue to stay the shy, introverted person that I was in high school. Yet now I see that I actually interact with people more than I think I would. I still probably seem very shy to people, but I guess that is just the way my personality is. I’m just glad that in college I’ve become more open to talk to people.

Finally, college has made me realize that I can’t only focus on one thing. I need to be able to handle schoolwork, social events, such as attending clubs, and managing extracurricular activities such as jobs or internships. Because I failed at learning these in the beginning of this semester, I came to a late start when I should be expanding my horizons. Thankfully, I am more aware of what I should be doing in college now, thanks to classes such as Freshman Seminar!

Baruch voices brought the different hardships freshmen faced to my attention.  As a native city boy, I never realized what kind of a massive change attending school in New York could be.  I’ve grown up among these skyscrapers, taken trains for my entire life, and I can’t recall the last time I’ve spent a significant time away from a city.  Other freshman coming from other parts of the country as well as from overseas are having a harder time adapting than I could imagine.  It opened my eyes to the different cultures that gather in college, not just based on nationality but the state you’re from.

Another student wrote a monologue on her struggle with self-injury and how she would cut herself with a box cutter, just to feel the pain.  It makes me wonder what happens to a person that they reach this extent.  Is it psychological?  Or is a sociological result?  I do not plan to enter a career field in either medicine or the social sciences but its definitely something I would want to study.  I was amazed by her bravery to expose such deep problems to the entire freshman class, I know I would never be able to do the same.

One student mentioned a friend who attended my high school and had passed away last year.  I did not know him but I knew he was extremely sociable and a live-life-to-the-fullest type of person.  It was something you knew as soon as you laid eyes on him; a natural charismatic aura.  His death left a big impact on Brooklyn Tech’s class of 2012, even to those who never met him such as myself.

I appreciate what Baruch Voices has to offer: a view on the experiences of other freshmen.  It’s humbling and reminds you that not everyone can be as lucky as you and that you should always be grateful for what you have.