As the days have gone flying by through this first semester, I have gotten to know 16 great people. As we have each come across our challenges with professors, fellow students, and even each other, there has been a sense alliance, of friendship and understanding. THe blocks that Baruch formed are amazing at bringing students together to better there future. I feel that if I had not been in a Learning Community that I may have folded by now, that I may have succumb to the challenges and pressures of college. My experience has been a good one so far, one of adventure and excitement at every turn. The people, the school, and the city have all lived up to the hype and expectations I had coming into Baruch, actually they exceeded them. The next four maybe five years should and will be amazing. College has been a challenge that I wasn’t expecting. All I can say is: I wasn’t ready for it. (But I am now!)

To be honest this was the worst event I have attended at Baruch. Although the lady that gave the tour was very nice and enthused, I found the paintings and the overall atmosphere of the place to be quite dull. I watched as most of my classmates silently observed and nodded to every word the older woman said, not really listening, rather just waiting out the minutes to check off another requirement of Baruch’s freshman. Overall, the workshop was informative for those who are interested in art, though most students who attend Baruch, like myself, will want to pass on this one.

Within a short period of time, I have learned that in college no one will take you by the hand and guide you to success. As students we need to dedicate the appropriate time and effort in order to accomplish our goals. The transition from high school to college hasn’t been too difficult. The only major difference has been that in college we receive absolutely no homework. It gives us more free time, but it also holds us accountable for learning the material on our own time. We need to space our time properly and effectively in order to be well prepared for the exams. Parents and teachers are no longer behind us, telling us what to do. Our future, depends solely on our actions. I feel that the picture I chose, depicts exactly how I feel about college. Regardless of the goal (doesn’t have to be money), we need to work hard and push ourselves to be the best that we can be until we accomplish what we want in life.

The workshop we attended left quite a bit to be desired. Although I do appreciate photographs from different time periods in history, I felt the guide did a mediocre job at portraying the real meaning of the images. She had a tendency to reiterate whatever was written on the information card. I would’ve preferred if we were able to individually observe the images and form our own interpretation of their meanings. As a result, no particular photographs stuck out to me. I only remember certain themes as oppose to specific images.

The workshop was slightly interesting if it was not for the fact that out guide just started to drone on about the same painting for while. I found the art itself interesting with the different types of photography and the different ways they where taken for example the one in which the  photographer made the women laying down look like a land space. while other photographs looked just like they where capturing important events or times in history rather then trying to be art.

This picture describes my first semester at Baruch because college is a place where you find who you are as an individual instead of blending in with the crowd. I’m obviously not used to going to an institution consisting of so many students so becoming my own person will take time and it will be a roller coaster of highs and lows. Right now, my journey to becoming an individual has only begun so I am trying to fit in with everyone else and becoming comfortable before I branch out and become my own person. Being a freshman, I am in the same boat as my peers and we’re just all trying to find ourselves and become the person we’re meant to be. I wouldn’t say that I’m comfortable with the whole college experience just yet because I’m not used to the long commute or the very high standards of some of the professors but this is a long progress that I can’t wait to experience on my own. I have a lot of support from my family and friends so I know I’m not alone in this journey. Knowing that I have people by my side through this is very comforting and allows this experience to be easier and more fun. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.

I was definitely intrigued by all the pictures in the museum though I got tired of hearing the lady speak about every tiny detail of the pictures. Her voice made the experience boring and she didn’t appear to be enthusiastic when talking about the picture so that made the workshop a bit dull. I feel like I have seen a lot of those pictures before, or similar ones to those. All in all, I enjoyed looking at the pictures and I did learn a bit about what was happening in the pictures and why the photographer would want to capture that moment.

I felt that the enrichment workshop was set up very nicely in the sense that the focus was just on the photographs and the art, rather that a fancy set up. I liked how this helped us to direct our attention to the significance behind the pictures, which I personally felt had deep meaning. However, I do believe that it was boring when we were just being told every detail of the work, rather than just being free to walk around and make our own judgements. I did value the knowledge we were given though, and all in all, I thought it wasn’t too bad.

http://ndatatianas.deviantart.com/art/Open-your-mind-with-your-eye-182273148

My first semester at Baruch has truly opened both my mind and my eyes to different lifestyles, different ethnicities and especially how easy it is to become friends with those who may not look or act in ways similar to myself. This image accurately depicts the ability of one to broaden their horizons and perceive things in a different light. I would say that the most significant gain I made during my first semester is being able to look at change as something that will allow me to better myself, and learn to use this to alter my life in a beneficial way. I have made some amazing friends this semester, both inside and outside of our learning community, and they have all taught me that although we may have some differences, many of us have the same values instilled in us, and we have the desire to go places in life, allowing us to get along with such ease. Alongside this aspect, the environment surrounding Baruch is one of the best parts of the college experience in my eyes. I have always admired the city life, and I knew for several years, that going to school in the city was something I had to do. Aside from the social aspects, the change in learning has also opened my eyes, and has taught me the importance of time management. My first semester at Baruch has well exceeded my expectations, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

I chose this picture of the accomplished scholar and philosopher A$AP Ferg because his mantra is one that applies to all aspects of life. And that mantra is to “Put in work”. In order to make progress, you must put in work towards achieving your goals. I thought that this joke would kill, but I’ve lost faith. This was my attempt at being funny and I’m sorry that it wasn’t. In all seriousness, my first semester at Baruch has been pretty good. I’ve met some pretty awesome people through the LC. The cliques are kind of disappearing and everyone interacts with everyone else, which is cool. For the most part I enjoy all of my classes, especially Psych, which surprises even me. I’m doing okay in my class, but, as I mentioned before, I’m still struggling with motivation and time management. I’m used to just doing okay in school and the motivation to want to do better hasn’t really kicked in yet. However, with only a few weeks left in the semester, I intend to push myself to do the best that I can. In other words, I plan to “put in work”. Full circle. Shabba.