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This was definitely a semester I can learn a lot from, and hopefully improve on myself (in all aspects of life) for the semesters to follow. I had a difficult time adjusting to the collegiate standards of Baruch. For starters, my commute from Great Neck is in no way convenient. On top of that, I had trouble getting used to the fact that classes aren’t an entire year long, like high-school, anymore. I also needed help navigating around the city at first. Luckily, making friends wasn’t an issue for me because everyone that’s on my block was very kind and friendly from day one. I truly do hope that I can stay in touch with this unique group of wonderful people. I also joined Hillel, which is the “Jewish club” of this school. I made a lot of new friends at Hillel as well. As for the stressful aspect of my college life, I started biting my nails again and I’m really pissed off about it. It is so hard balancing my school work, job, social life, and playing for my soccer team all at the same time. However, my professors this semester have been much more understanding and lenient than I expected, but I know that it won’t be that way with every professor. Luckily, my good friends got an apartment in the city so I have slept over their apartment a couple of times when I had an early class the next day. At first I told myself that I would transfer to Binghamton because I didn’t think I would like it at Baruch, but now I’m sort of looking forward to my years to come at Baruch college.

I honestly don’t know how, but Baruch has already helped me grow out of the shell I like to call, “my high school self.” In this brief period of time, I have managed to make more friends/connections than I expected, try new foods and activities that I wouldn’t see myself trying, and learned how to dress in a way that doesn’t make me look like a total schlump. I also learned something very important in my short-lived experience at Baruch so far… NEVER take an 8:15 a.m. class again, especially since I commute from bumblefuck Long Island every morning. I’ve been tardy several times, and even missed a couple of classes, throughout this semester because I regularly miss the early express train and have to wait 40 minutes for the next one to arrive. On behalf of all college kids who suck at waking up in the morning, I would just like to say that early morning classes are a giant pain in the ass. In all seriousness though, I learned to appreciate Baruch’s method of welcoming incoming freshmen into the community; and I’m referring to the Block system just in case it wasn’t clear. Thanks to the Block system, I have befriended some great, funny, intelligent people who I hope I stay in touch with as my exciting journey at Baruch continues.

Asking me to find 8 pictures that represent who I am is a difficult task, but only because 8 pictures would just scratch the surface of portraying my personality. These 8 pictures above are what I feel best illustrate the overall gist of my personality.

The first picture is of a family that I feel represents my family in certain ways. My interpretation of the image is that the parents holding hands over their children’s heads symbolizes that they care about keeping the family bond strong and their kids safe. My family has guided me towards a path that could only make me a better person and allow me to make valuable decisions in my life. They are my backbone and without them I would collapse. My dad is definitely the most influential person in my life. He has played numerous roles besides being a father. He was my mentor, my coach, my teacher, and my friend whenever I needed him most.

The second picture is of my dog, my best friend, and the brother I never had, Zohan. He was the only one that could  cheer me up so fast when I was down. I’ve had him by my side since I was just 3 years old, and he was 3 months old. He passed away from cancer when I was 16 and he was 13 years old. It was the most painful day of my life.

The third picture is of my soccer team, the Great Neck Wolverines. We have been playing together for 10 years, since we were all just 8 years old. We started from the bottom of the rankings and made our way to the Premiere division. I consider this my greatest achievement in life because becoming a semi-pro soccer player was never something I imagined happening to myself. It was a dream come true. Unfortunately, our team split up recently because everyone went away to college.

I really love the fourth picture because it sums up my nationality, and religious and cultural beliefs. I was born in America but raised in Israel and America. After I was born in NY I moved to Israel, where I lived for 4 years. Then I moved back to NY to get a better education.

The next 2 pictures depict my 2 most admirable traits, which are loyalty and curiosity. I feel that my loyalty towards my family and friends is how I will build strong relationships and connections in the future. My curiosity is what will allow me to enhance my education because I always pay attention to detail and watch my surroundings. Mario Testino once said, “My favourite words are possibilities, opportunities and curiosity. I think if you are curious, you create opportunities, and then if you open the doors, you create possibilities.”

The seventh picture simply illustrates that I love all kinds of food and that I am willing to try new things!

The last picture represents the journey I am about to embark upon, and a new milestone in my life… Attending Baruch College!