FRO 14 LC15

College has made me a person that values time a lot more.  I felt I didn’t have enough time in high school, with practice hours, work, and time for my family and friends.  Now I compare that to college and realize how much time i had in high school compared to college.  High school was so much less stressful than college.  I never needed to actually learn how to spend all of my time wisely, but now I do.  I have a lot of things to do during and after school, and it keeps me super busy.  I feel I never have time for my friends and family anymore.  My stress level has been at an all time high, but I keep persevering and pushing on.  I realize that high school was nothing compared to college.  In high school I was easily one of the smartest kids in all of my classes, but in Baruch I’m only considered average.  In high school I used to be able to just get good grades without even trying, college hasn’t been that easy for me.  But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing since it gives me a reason to try harder.  I’m very fortunate to be where I am today.  My family and friends are the reason why I am the way I am today.  They shaped me into who I am.  I am very grateful to be able to go to a great school like Baruch, a great group of friends, a decent job, and a wonderful family.

-Tommy Zhang

#dailystruggle

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The first month at Baruch College was rough for me. Before college began, I tried not to have too many expectations because everyone has a different college experience and you never really know how you’re going turn out by the end of your first semester. One thing I did know was that it would be a rude awakening. In high school, I was the queen of procrastination and had major senoritis, probably since sophomore year. My first few weeks at Baruch; I had to get used to the daily commute to and from school, waking up on my own without my personal alarm clock (my father), and balancing school and my social life. I had been very stressed and overwhelmed but I was able to learn to manage my time more efficiently so that definitely reduced my stress level. College has come with a lot more responsibility and I realized that we’re all on our own from now on, adults.  As weeks passed, I have been truly amazed at how many activities, clubs, and special services that Baruch has to offer. Also, even though majority of our school are of Asian backgrounds, I’ve realized it still is pretty diverse compared to my high school. I love that I have made friends from many different places, it’s as if they make up the United Nations. To wrap it up, in semesters to come I plan to become more and more involved in different clubs that will help me break out of my comfort zone, maintain a great GPA, have lots of fun and make something of myself as Baruch helps me grown in to a more well rounded individual.

“Lazy College Senior Memes | Quickmeme.” Quickmeme. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
http://www.quickmeme.com/Lazy-College-Senior/

These last 3 months have been an eye opening experience. The transition from senior year year to freshmen year has been immense. In College there are more responsibilities and a significant amount of added pressure especially when mid terms and finals rear their ugly heads. I believe though, that the keys to success in college is finding the proper balance and managing time effectively. It is important to invest the proper time and put forth the proper effort in to studies but not at the expense of one’s friends and family. I also learnt of the many benefits and merits of club hour. Baruch offers a seemingly endless variety of clubs for all sports, teams, and curiosities. Clubs provide an added social element and can give one the basics to whatever trade they are thinking of practicing professionally. This first semester was great and I look forward to the next one.

Elliot Lava

3 Comments

In the last three months at baruch, I have learned that I have had to transition from high school to college. One important aspect is the goals I set for myself. Before, it was about eventually getting into a college, and now it is about maintaining a high gpa and eventually getting a job. Internships are an important part of this, and using things such as the starr center will help me get there. building a resume is also important, similar to filling up your college application. clubs are good for networking, and can also help you find an interest in a specific career. Being at baruch has helped me grow and become more focused on my future.

My transition from high school to college led me to have a good three month experience in Baruch.  I learned about the difference between high school and college life.  College has more work and responsibilities than high school.  In this environment there are a lot of challenges to exams especially midterms and finals.  Although studying hard for a high GPA is a priority, in addition I believe each person should have a social life.  In order to accomplish this goal, a person should join a few clubs and make friends.  Also this will look good on the resume.  Through friends or internship programs, people can find access to jobs/interviews.  The school has a lot of resources and people will need to use them wisely.  College is preparation for adulthood.  The courses and job seminars are the building blocks for a successful career.  Baruch has made me more mature and more aware of my progress for my career.  My experience can help me realize my potential.  For the next times in this school I will be able to find my own path through Baruch.

I have always been a hard worker. Ive been a hard worker since the beginning of high school. Going into college I knew it would be a lot of work, more work than I had in high school. As a freshman in college, I am working extremely hard to do well and succeed. I am confident that I will succeed throughout college because I am going to apply myself as a hard worker.

High school was the best experience based on the relationships I had made. My best friend Marcelo and I used to have fun all the time doing all sorts of things. We used to play video games, shoot hoops and even race each other. We also took classes such as chemistry, robotics and math where we hung out and worked together. Unfortunately, after high school, I never got to see Marcel, but I know that we will always be best friends and that I will never forget the times we spend in our high school days.

I have been moving every year or so since the 6th grade, and seeing my parents only a few days of the year. One year I found myself in Manhattan, and then suddenly in a rural northern Idaho farm, in a town with less than 4000 people in 50 miles because my parents had to travel for long periods of time, and couldn’t take me. I had to learn things that a normal kid my age wouldn’t think of, such as buying and making my own food, to paying my utility bills. Why I had to do all this was very hard to understand for the 12-15 year old me, after I turned 16 I finally got used to it, but always had a pessimistic view on the town or city I was currently living in. Sometimes in angst to my parents I would leave the country for a few months with my friends, during the times my parents were in the US and could see me. However, I realized that the reason they didn’t say anything before was because they wanted me to experience being completely independent, the freedom and the difficult reality of life that comes along with it, and these changes have helped me become more understanding of myself, and other people and their respective cultures. I couldn’t see it back then, but living in different states and countries had helped learn things that I would have never learned if I had just stayed in NYC.

In my high school career, i barely studied and rarely did homework. The only year i actually did well in was my freshman and sophomore year. After that, high school was a joke. All i cared about was soccer and girls. This definitely is a poor mentality to have because now i am not used to the huge amount of work and dedication at Baruch. I am actually really being challenged now at college as opposed to high school when it was so easy. When i made varsity my freshman year, i knew i was the best on the team and was. Now as a freshman on the college soccer team, i am not the best. I now have to really be dedicated and train as hard as possible to stand out. The same applies with my classes. I have to study and make sure my grades do not fall below a B. I can work extremely hard and achieve almost anything, i just need to find the motivation to do it.