FRO13 LC06

What I got out of the enrichment program was that it is important to help others. One of the main focuses of Freshman Seminar was to complete the NYCares project. Although the project was mandatory, I really enjoyed it. Volunteering can be intimidating for many people, but it’s a great experience. I chose to volunteer at a soup kitchen with a group of friends. It was really intimidating when we first arrived but as the day progressed, we created many everlasting memories. The other volunteers were welcoming and the visitors were very nice. We listened to music as we volunteered and everyone enjoyed their time there because of the warm atmosphere.  Each of us served the food item we were in charge of and it was successful. When one of us fell behind in the lunch rush, others helped without even having to ask.

The supervisor of the soup kitchen emphasized that our job is to make the soup kitchen hospitable for the visitors because it we are there to help them. Many of the visitors experience ups and downs like a rollercoaster and a soup kitchen is the only thing that they can rely on. The soup kitchen is available to them every week and the food and serve is always consistent. It was great to see that they enjoyed the meal and some even returned for seconds. After this project, I realized how we can make a change in society. This relates to the workshop we attended because volunteering is more than just a school assignment. Helping others is very enjoyable and it feels great to be able to make a change in someone’s life. It inspired me to volunteer in my spare time with friends. It makes me want to do more for society. A smile when someone is feeling down, or a helping hand when someone is in a difficult situation will make a huge difference in their lives. Maybe we can inspire others to volunteer too. It reminds me of the impressive collectiveness I saw after Hurricane Sandy; so many people donated food and other essentials that they were turned away because they received more than their storage can hold.

I feel that we can make a huge impact by helping in any way we can. It can be even be as simple as holding the door for someone or offering someone a seat on a crowded bus. The possibilities to helping others are limitless and there is something that each person can do, no matter their age.

My first semester at Baruch is almost over and so much has happened in these few months. It was daunting to say the least. Adjusting to the new lifestyle at Baruch was stressful. Many of us freshman struggled to keep up with our hectic new schedules. If it wasn’t worrying over the next test, it was stressing to meet the deadline for a paper. Don’t even get me started on the colossal amount of homework. The picture above can express my feelings about my first impression of this semester at Baruch. College is a stressful experience that we must learn to handle and make the most of it. Yes, it’s true that college is tiring and will make us anxious by worrying about a grade or a test but there’s more to it than just that.

Baruch tries to help us relieve stress with many club activities to build friendships and other activities to get us involved. Do I regret this semester at Baruch? No, my friends and I worried over tests and studied together. It was great because we learned the material while we joked around which let us get to know each other more.