I recently visited the National Museum of Mathematics just a couple of blocks down from campus. This was an experience that will aid my first semester here at Baruch with my newfound perspective. I initially believed this would be a less than enjoyable experience for me as it was a requirement that I attend something such as this museum or similar, however as I explored the various exhibits scattered throughout the halls of the museum this narrow-minded view point began to disappear. I found myself deeply interested in the displays and descriptions of various installments in the museum. The interactivity of the exhibit kept me piqued my interest and kept me engaged with the more historical and conceptual mathematical context to the installations. The overlap between the theoretical/conceptual and applicational areas of mathematics was what really captivated me during this experience. Ideas learnt inside the classroom did not exist in a vacuum, they mostly unknowingly find their way into our everyday lives and application.

This was an eye opening experience for me as I had expected to get so little out of this mandatory experience. Academics are not necessarily completely work, enjoyment can be found in the same academics given the proper perspective. This will be of great use for me and my time at Baruch. I can carry a much more open minded view point with to all my classes whether I take them by choice or as another mandatory requirement to graduate. I can find small pockets of interests in otherwise larger fields of study to keep me engaged and inspired in otherwise areas of study I had previously found disinterest and dissatisfaction with. I am glad I had the opportunity to have this experience and look forward to continuing to do so during my time in Baruch.