Stressful. This would be the word I could use to describe my time at Baruch so far. College life is so different from high school and adjusting has been challenging. I have to wake up early to get to my classes on time, which means I have to sleep earlier so that I’m not drowsy the next day. Even if I manage to get in my hours of sleep, the classes are longer and harder to stay focused in, so I usually end up falling asleep. I can’t remember the last time I stayed awake for my entire sociology class. It’s just too boring. The professor basically goes over everything we read in the textbook in order to complete the online quizzes. Though these quizzes are pretty easy, I can’t say the same for the history quizzes. Though the professor usually gives us two hours to complete them, the tricky wording of the questions makes them more tedious to answer. We also have to stay on top of the reading of the primary source documents because of the random writing assignments from the professor for a significant portion of our grade. On top of this are the multi-page essays we have to write and the speeches we have to prepare, which I don’t feel that I’m getting better at. All these assignments are extremely time consuming and can, at times, begin to build up. I get little free time to relax and do what I want to. Hopefully I get used to the work load as I continue my life as a college student.

The hardest thing about the transition from high school to college for me is time management. There just isn’t as much free time as a college student. The homework assignments from high school I could just copy in a few minutes from friends unlike the detailed assignments from college professors. Doing well on exams in college is also more important. In high school, even if I did poorly on a test I could just keep up my grades through other methods. Knowing that the bulk of my grade depends on how I score on exams really increases the pressure of performing well. This causes me to spend more time studying for them and have less time for other things.

Sleep is another factor that I have to put into time management. It used to take me around ten minutes to get to school, but now that I have to travel for over an hour to get to classes on time, I have to wake up a lot earlier. Without sufficient sleep I won’t be able to stay awake in my classes. Between the homework, sleeping and studying that I have to do for my classes I haven’t had much time to do the things I want. I feel like I haven’t been hanging out with friends as much as before. I have already declined their invites to hang out multiple times because I was too busy. They were given the option to choose their classes and get out a lot earlier than I do. Even my three day weekend doesn’t offer much free time. Fridays I usually spend time doing homework, Saturdays are spent babysitting my little cousin, and on Sundays my parents expect me to be home for dinner with the family, since it is the only day everyone is off work. I look forward to being able to set up my own schedule so I can take later classes. Starting classes later so that I can catch some sleep would be amazing.

Quiet Time

My family, which I care for very much, tends to be loud most of the time. People say the same about the majority of Fujianese people and I guess that includes my family. The friends that I usually hang out with share this trait. Though I still enjoy the time I spend with them there are times when I need to be alone to get away from their noise levels.

Handball

I like to play handball even though I’m not that great at it. I tend to go out and play on days that aren’t too hot and I don’t have anything planned.

Cold Weather

Though most people prefer warmer weather I like it when it’s cold outside. My body just can’t deal with heat too well.

Reading

I prefer reading manga. I feel that reading weekly updates holds my interest more than seeing a novel with a few hundred pages stacked in front of me. I enjoy reading manga during days when I can’t find anything else to do. I like the stories that the authors are able to create in manga. My favorite manga is The Breaker.

The Walking Dead

My favorite T.V. show is The Walking Dead. I found the storyline very interesting and was up to date with the series in a few days.

Technology

Technology is a part my everyday life. It provides me a source of entertainment, research for educational purposes, and communication with friends and family.

Bubble Tea

Bubble tea is awesome. It’s a sweet drink that comes in many flavors. My favorite is Golden Oolong Milk Tea from Kung Fu Tea.

New York

Born and raised in New York I began to realize how much I loved this city. There are many places to go and visit. New York has such a diverse population and I can meet all different types of people.