College as a Freshman
College has been a lot different from what I expected. But it has surprised me in a good way. Before I got into Baruch College, I thought college meant more freedom and flexibility to allow me to focus more on extra-curricular activities like clubs, jobs, and sports. After these few months of college experiences, I have realized that it was different from my expectation.
Now I know that I need to put a lot more time and effort on my classes in order to maintain a good GPA. Even though I have more time outside from school, this extra time is meant for more studying to prepare and do well on my tests. Fortunately, with tons of workload and hours of studying, I have been doing well so far in all my classes.
Another thing I have learned in college is flexibility. Back in high school, I always just memorized all the homework and important dates in my head because they were simple to remember. But college is different. There are different due dates and many important events to participate in. Therefore, I have developed my time management skills. Now I am used to record every detail for classes and events in a planner. It helps me organize and remind myself what to prepare for the next day. I also learn how to divide my homework and readings to finish them on time without struggling everything in one day.
The most interesting experience that I have had in Baruch College is its club hours on every Thursday. During this session, I have the opportunities to explore new things and make new connections with people that could potentially help me with my future career. For example, Hong Kong Club provides different games that allow me to take a break from all those stressful readings and tests. ALPFA gives me an advantage for future application for internships and jobs. Hopefully, I could get involved more and explore more clubs next semester.
