FRO13 EWC

When I first came to Baruch I felt indifferent. I did not know whether I was going to like it or dislike it. To be honest my main reason for choosing Baruch as a college was to be in New York city and for the opportunities.  I soon realized that much of my opportunity was right in front of me, at Baruch.  I realized that most of my professors were genuine and great networking opportunities. By getting extremely involved and socializing at Baruch, I developed a true liking for the school and the people.  I also enjoy walking down the hallways and seeing new faces everyday since my high school lacked diversity. Most importantly I love all my classes, minus Calculus. So far I would compare my experience at Baruch to dark chocolate because Baruch grew on me.  I initially had mixed feelings towards it, but now I really love Baruch and I am glad I decided to go here!

I used to sleep around nine hours a day. After I started college, I began to sleep less and less. This was because I often stayed up going on the computer doing what many college students do: surf the web. After a good few weeks of being sleep-deprived, I realized that maybe the internet wasn’t that important. I also figured out that the things I did on the computer will continue to be there while my take-home essay’s deadline wasn’t going to be extended. This caused me take more time out of my play time and put more time into my homework and sleep time. What this meme basically represents is that school tells me to go to sleep so I can wake up early and not doze off during classes, which I actually have done several times.

So far I have had a good freshman year at Baruch. However, as the semester is coming to an end I definitely find my self lacking motivation. Although I know how short the time is from now until Christmas break, I can’t help but think about last papers, finals, and all the studying that I have to do. I know that I just need to finish the year on a strong note and hopefully I will become rejuvenated and reenergized  during the break for next semester!

While in high school, I did study but I never seriously put much effort. The transition to college made me understand my so called studying “gap”. In order to succeed now I must put effort into what I am doing, and do it according to my time. I study more than ever before but I am still slacking. As the test approaches I study more especially the day before. Those days I check the time and I also say to myself how much time I lost, than the next day I tell myself I will study as soon as possible for the next one. This, however, never happens although it is not that bad. Baruch is a great experience and one that will be an impact for my life.

I try to apply this to my everyday life. This was my mindset going into college. I don’t think there’s a point in doing something unless you’re going to try your best, or be in “beast mode”. I try to apply it to my academics and swimming. They usually go hand in hand for me. I also chose this because there’s a meme for everyone and this is the one for me

This meme describes me perfectly as a student at Baruch. I am that girl that sits in the front of the classroom, asks a million questions, and tries to figure out the answer. For the most part it’s worked out in my favor. I am more engaged on the subject and it helps in keeping me alert and focused. Most of my professors know my face and some even my name! Which is why I could never have someone sign me in, but I’m fine with that! Then I get to math class, and Hermoine Granger is no more. I have difficulty grasping the material, and often find myself asking “Why did you do that?” The time it takes for me to process and understand, the professor has already moved on to a different topic. It’s easy to get lost. Most of my studying time is dedicated to this subject, and that is just to get an okay grade. My experience as a student in college, will hopefully be a little smoother after I pass the hump of my math requirements.

This semester I have been feeling very lost and confused especially since I am not sure what I want to major in yet. Since Baruch is mainly a business school, it is very easy to feel like Im not in the right place since I don’t think I want to major in Business. Luckily, we don’t declare our major until much later so I try not to worry so much about it. Other than that, the semester went much better than I expected. I made so many friends who help guide and support me. I chose a picture of a maze because in college, we are all finding ourselves and trying to find the right path to take hoping to avoid obstacles and mistakes.

I couldn’t choose between the two pictures so I just decided to put up both. This whole year has been an internal struggle to actually get up and start studying. I honestly do not know why its so hard for me to just study. I’ll find staring at a wall for an hour to be more fulfilling and rewarding than reading a text book. My college experience has mostly been me trying to figure out what is the least amount of work I can possibly do, while maintaining a good GPA. Right now I would probably say that I am a SOLID B+/A- student, so I guess my study habits aren’t all that bad. The second picture explains perfectly what I’m doing when I “study.”  But I mean, who else ACTUALLY studies when they say they are? (Something tells me that everyone and their mothers study efficiently and I’m just a slacker…. oh well. )  I came into college thinking I would turn my life around and study after every class and not be such a procrastinator, but I keep procrastinating on making that change. It’ll happen eventually. I think I should stop talking about myself like that, OF COURSE I get my work done, it’s just that it’s hard to get motivated and actually start studying. When I do start studying I make sure I get everything done.

That is pretty much my whole college experience.

Upon my arrival to Baruch, I didn’t really know what to expect. The only previous knowledge I had about the college was from what the media has taught me; tons of work, tons of alcohol and tons of sex. I beg to differ, in my case anyway. At the beginning of the semester the work load wasn’t as difficult as I had envisioned it to be based on what I learned from TV. I’ve never considered myself a “school person” but my grades were decent without me having to try. Now…not so much. I study more than I have in my ENTIRE life, only to receive the grades I got when I didn’t even open my textbook. Trying to balance what you want to do and what you need to do is usually difficult. While I do feel like my priorities are in order, it’s just hard to find that balance. I don’t want my college experience to be only about my grades. I want to build bonds and make memories that will last me a lifetime, but that’s clearly easier said than done. The course loads themselves are not too unbearable, its how heavily weighted each exam is that worries me the most. In terms of school, I DO NOT work well under pressure. I have since learned to adjust my study habits and while my grades are slightly improving, they are still not where I want them to be, but this is only my first semester. I’m hopeful that I will get the hang of things, hopefully sooner rather than later. I have lost sleep and gained puffy dark circles under my eyes but its all part of the journey.

This first semester hasn’t been too difficult, though I shouldn’t really say that since I dropped a class. I’ve been winging most of my classes. The meme I literally just created happened a few times in English where we have a different reading for every class and have a quiz on it. I definitely have to develop better study and timing habits if I want to keep doing well. When I first came to Baruch, I wanted to be a really studious student but that didn’t turn out the way I thought it would at all. I slacked off a lot in high school but still managed to pass with pretty good grades.  Since this is only my first semester in college, I shouldn’t take it too lightly. That success baby won’t happen every time!