When I first entered college, I thought I was “ready” for any challenge college had to offer but instead I’ve become another victim of procrastination.

Every time I started a reading or writing assignment, I end up reading a text message instead of the textbook and responding to a text message rather than writing for the assignment. For most of the first semester of college, I have been a procrastinator. I’m glad I am able to acknowledge that I have a problem with procrastination because now I will make it my goal to procrastinate less in my coming semesters at Baruch. Procrastination was not a huge problem for me in high school because I had a job, school clubs and written homework assignments due the next day. It’s because I had so much on my plate that I knew I would stress less if I got my work done earlier but now that I don’t work, is not that active in clubs (still trying to find/fit into clubs I’m interested in) and most of the homework are reading assignments, I have time to put off doing the assignments. Hopefully, the next time I sit down to read the textbook or write an essay, I’ll actually stick to it and not be distracted by the wonderful addictive world around me. :]

“Are you ready for your second semester of college?”                                                                                 Me: “Ready!”

Source of Image: http://www.ifunny.com/pictures/are-you-ready-marathon/

Honestly, the enrichment workshop was not an event I was particularly interested in attending. When we walked into the gallery, I thought “oh great, we get to walk around and look at some photo and come up with some meaningful interpretations on our own.” Instead, we had the director of the exhibit show us around to practically all the photos and explain to us how each photographer had a different style and theme in their photographs. The photo that stood out the most was the photograph with the woman looking away and trying to cover their faces. They didn’t want to be photographed and be marked in history as participants of the event. Contrast to those who take “selfies” and tagged themselves in pictures in our country, it gives a whole different perspective that in some parts of the whole, people don’t want to be documented by photographs. Overall, I thought the exhibit had some interesting photos that displayed different global perspectives. I feel that I am more grateful for what I have now because looking at the photos of what is happening in other counties, made me realize there are so many people around the world who don’t have homes, entertainment, education and other necessities. Sure, I could have realized I should be grateful for what I have through stories in the news, word of mouth or through the newspapers, but looking at photographs gave a whole different experience. Some pictures are wroth a thousand words.

Focus 2 is a great tool for helping you see what careers are good for you based on your skills and personality. It also helps point out that there is more than only one job that could fit you. I learned that I fit best in the “social” or “the helpers” work field, so I would work best in a job involving social interaction.

Dear Professor Johnson,

I am having trouble understanding how to graph the functions on the latest homework assignment. I understand that you have your office hour tomorrow from 1-2pm. Is there a chance you have a spare minute or two in that time to help me understand how to do them?

I would greatly appreciate any help.

Sincerely,

Michelle Olson

Professor Trapani,

This is Angela Fung from your freshman seminar class LC09. Due to the flu I missed the midterm that was on Monday October 21, 2013. I was wondering if I can make-up the midterm during your office hours. Please excuse my absence on October 21st. I will bring in a doctors note to our next class to confirm my absence.

Angela Fung

This article talks about a pregnant woman who says she used to be addicted to painkillers but became sober before she became pregnant. Drug tests showed that she still had drugs in her blood. She is from Wisconsin, where there is a law requiring women who are addicted to drugs to take an anti-addiction drug to protect the baby.  She refused to take them because she stood by her statement that she was sober. She ended up getting arrested and  forced into treatment. It’s controversial because the government is claiming to be looking out for the rights of the unborn baby but is somewhat taking away the rights of the mother by forcing her to take drugs or treatment even when she is supposedly sober.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/your-money/stumbling-blocks-in-reducing-balance-on-a-student-loan.html?ref=education&_r=0

This article by Ann Carrns talks about the difficulties of student loans. There is a report that recently estimates that 3,800 complaints were received between October 2012 to September 2013 to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about student loans. The trend stated in the report notes miscommunication between the borrower and the loan servicer. In most cases, the borrowers make an extra loan payment for the month to help pay off their principal and save money on interest, but their loan servicer, credit it as an early payment for next month. This article answers some questions one might ask when considering making extra payments to lessen their student loan balance. Although the problem addressed by Carrns is not one of the main problems I have with college, I do believe it was a helpful article. 

my name is carl. im from the city, grew up in battery park and then moved to washington heights after 9/11. lived there for 11 years till i graduated high school at george washington on 191st street. Moved out and had an apartment on broome street with my friend, but got evicted for noise complaints. I now live in the financial district. i go to baruch part time, while the other time working as a photographer for splash news, basically biking around the city all day long. in my spare time, i enjoy going out, listing to music, traveling, and watching movies.

here are 12 songs i like:

spiritualize- lotus

digital buddah- disco biscuits

slip- deadmau5

welcome to jamrock- damien marley

shadows – pryda

space junk- wolfgang gartner

home again- disco biscuits

ghosts and stuff – deadmau5

world is yours- nas

lose yourself- eminem

lets dance- david bowie

brown sugar- the rolling stones

The article that I read was about the police depart are now monitoring religious ceremonies at mosques.  I feel that the authority figures are abusing their power.  They are leaning more towards a stereotypical investigations.  They are violating Muslim civil liberties and targeting that group as terrorist.  If they are going to search for terrorist planning,  why can’t they just focused on other groups equally.  Every race and group should be monitored,  being focused more on one group,  violates the right of these Muslim people.