My first semester at Baruch isn’t what I really expected it to be, but it was alright. I met a lot of new people, and got closer to the people I already knew in high school that followed me to college. To be honest, being a first-semester freshman sucks because you’re not really orientated to the way things work at a new school, and it can be pretty confusing. But along the way you pick things up and understand how everything works. Like the express elevators and how escalators only come up to the 5^th floor, or how it’s really really crowded on the 2^nd floor after the 345 classes are let out (didn’t know these on the first day). Then there are things like picking out a schedule for the next semester or actually knowing how to register for classes that you need to learn how to do that are really frustrating

You would think that if you don’t have homework that often you will be less likely to procrastinate, right? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Procrastination hit hardest this first semester, even though I promised myself I wouldn’t do it for college. I’ve been doing my homework the night before, and at times the day of during breaks. The list wasn’t/isn’t limited to homework, though. I’ve studied for tests/midterms on the nights before, too.

So basically, I picked this picture because although I’ve lost countless hours of sleep and spent hours on the train commuting to and from school, my first semester whizzed by. It was kind of a jumble, and I don’t really know how to describe it. It feels like it started yesterday (okay, overstatement) and it’s going to end in like six days. It makes me think that if high school passed by quickly, college will pass by much quicker. Hopefully the next 3 and a half years are good.

http://cdn.overclock.net/0/00/900x900px-LL-00d4bfb6_its-happening-ron-paul-gif.gif

^This gif is my Baruch experience in a nutshell.  College is actually happening.  Leaving high school, it didn’t seem like college would be very different, but its radically different, at least for me.  I was so accustomed to my high school crew, seeing at least 5 of my close friends in the short time period we had to navigate from class to class.  I miss that, but its only giving me the drive to meet new people and make new friends.  Im making sure not to forget about my high school friends because they are still my boys.  Other than that the workload is pretty annoying.  I was used to Stuyvesant High Schools obviously tasking workload.  In college, for me at least, the workload seems small but its the same, which usually leads to last minute scrambling to finish work (like this).  It often has me feeling tired most of the time.  At this point im writing to fulfill the 500 words requirement but its okay, i still have alot to talk about.   When I left high school it didn’t really hit me that I was actually going to college.  I knew i was going to college, I kinda knew what i wanted to do with my life, but at the same time i had no idea what i was in for.  I’m really digging the size of Baruch, as in how many students it has.  It’s not so massive that you never see people you want to see, but at the same time you can meet a few new people every single day.  It’s also comforting that a bunch of stuy kids are going to Baruch, every now and then i get to see some of those kids i slightly knew in stuy and its good to know that i always have people to go to.

Yes. This is an accurate portrayal of my first semester at Baruch. You may laugh.

For those who don’t know where this is from, this is a scene from the movie Iron Man. Tony Stark, portrayed by the absolutely wonderful Robert Downey Jr., is on his way to becoming (my personal favorite) superhero.

At first glance, I suppose this seems like a rather depressing representation of my first semester at Baruch, but there is actually more to this gif. It looks like my entire first semester is nothing but a giant facepalm which, might I add, looks rather painful. It is accurate in a sense (maybe not the physical pain part), but there is a more reasonable explanation for it. Besides, no pain no gain, right?

In this scene, Tony Stark (Iron Man) is building and testing his Iron Man suit. This is only a Mark II so it is still relatively new. This meaning that it probably isn’t going to work out immediately. So needless to say, there are many kinks in the designs (hence the face pancake happening here). Here, he is testing out the equipment that will allow him to fly as he wishes. Perhaps he was a bit overzealous, but I don’t think there is a lot of flying going on. Of course we all know how it will turn out eventually. Tony Stark is a genius, but he is also human so of course he will make mistakes. In this sense, it is an accurate portrayal of the first semester of college. College is a very different environment for me. I will stumble, fall, or run into walls (literally), but that is because it is part of the process of getting used to college. Just like how Tony needed to test this to make sure he won’t die while using the suit, making blunders during my first semester can give me the experience to make sure that I don’t continue blundering throughout the rest of my college life.

I think after a traumatic event of becoming one with the wall can deter most people, but it certainly didn’t stop Tony Stark. I, obviously, am not Iron Man (unfortunately), but it is certainly not a bad thing to try and strive to be like him. Granted, he may have his many personality flaws, but he is continuously striving to be a better person and a more fitting hero. If that is not inspiring, I don’t know what is. But most importantly, who doesn’t want to be a genius, billionaire superhero? I suppose getting the best out of my college experience and acquiring a good job is the closest I can get to it.

This picture sums up my first year at Baruch. Metaphorically I am Tom Cruise; the jet is Baruch; and the American flag behind him is my future. Tom Cruise pilots his jet to accomplish his goal, to preserve America’s freedom. Similar to Tom Cruise, Baruch is the jet I fly to reach my goal. My goal is to make a future for myself through education and hard work and Baruch is the means to accomplish this goal. Tom Cruise is giving a big thumbs up in the picture because he is satisfied with his experiences. Just like Tom Cruise I am satisfied with my experiences at Baruch and I give a big thumbs up. The similarity between myself and Tom Cruise is amazing.

Baruch has allowed me to mature as an adult. Going to Baruch has opened my mind to various fields I would have never looked into. Through Baruch I was introduced into the subject of Philosophy and it made a great impact on me. Philosophy allowed me to approach subjects through logic and reason instead of feelings and opinion.  The impact of this simple change has been tremendous. Going to Baruch has also created structure in my life. Having responsibilities like homework and managing your time effectively to complete your responsibilities is a learned skill. Learning at Baruch has grown that skill.

Baruch has introduced me to activities I would have never considered. Through a school organized event I went hiking overnight in upstate New York. Before the experience I did not know how enjoyable hiking was. Because of that experience organized by Baruch I realized the importance of physical activity as an important factor in success. I also realized how enjoyable hiking was.

Learning at Baruch has allowed me to mature as an individual and work towards a future for myself. Through the various facilities, peers, and teachers at Baruch I have gained greater knowledge on how to work towards my goals. If I were asked how I’d rate my experience at Baruch; I would tell them I give big thumbs up.