a.wheeler – Freshman Seminar Fall 17 FWB

Audre Wheeler – NYC Museum

For my Academic opportunity, instead of attending a workshop with the SACC Tutoring Center like I had planned, I went on an impromptu visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with one of my friends. I have been to the museum a multitude of times over my life but I never get tired of coming back. Since we have been so many times, my friend and I made it our mission to explore the exhibits of the museum we had never seen before. It was crazy to see art from people I have only heard about in my textbooks such as Rodin and Rembrandt van Rijn and artifacts from the time of Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. My all time favorite exhibit has always been the Egyptian Art sections. Seeing the aged stone and wilting pages always makes me wonder about who first created these things. It baffles me how things from so long ago have stood the test of time just to be presented before me. It makes me wonder of how things interconnect throughout the universe and whether or not being remembered is better than being a memory. I had an amazing time wandering through the palatial halls for hours on end. After a while my friend had to force me to leave so we could get something to eat. I love the city that I’m from and the wonders within it. It was amazing to see all of the different artifacts and artwork from around the world and across time. Going to places like this truly makes me value the city where I live. Being in the cultural center of the world is a rare and amazing experience. Through this freshman seminar activity I have learned to value New York City and all it has to offer a little bit more.

Audre Wheeler – Club

For my Student Life opportunity, I chose to join a student club or organization. At the beginning of the semester, I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. I went to a number of different club meetings, events, and fairs to figure out what I wanted to be apart of. Finally I decided to join Baruch’s WBMB Radio Club. The application process for the club was a lot more than I was expecting. After filling out paper applications, each applicant was interviewed by the head of the club. It was a nerve wracking experience, as was the waiting for weeks to see if I had been selected. When I finally received my email welcoming me to the club, I was honestly ecstatic. Going to radio club is still the highlight of my week and it’s a place where I have made some great friends. I believe that if I had not put myself out there to join this club I would have been miserable here at Baruch. By taking a leap and putting myself out there I have met some really amazing people that I would not have had the opportunity to meet anywhere else. I think that joining a club or organization is something that every student should do. Whether or not you pursue it throughout your college career, joining a club or organization is a great way to meet people and figure out what you’re interested in. Baruch offers an amazing selection of clubs and organizations to be apart of so by letting the opportunity to get involved pass you by is only to disservice yourself. Being apart of the radio club will honestly be the highlight of my time here at Baruch and I’m glad to have been pushed towards the opportunity through this freshman seminar activity.

Audre Wheeler – Starr Career Development Center Workshop

For my career enrichment opportunity, I chose to attend at Starr Career Development Center workshop. The workshop I participated in was called, Building Your Brand: The Personal Pitch. Throughout the workshop I learned how to prepare a personal pitch, prep for an interview, and apply it to real life situations. To produce our specific pitches we highlighted our specific strengths, abilities, and unique traits. We then were able to practice our pitches with other people in the room and tweak what we needed to. Overall, the workshop was a great learning experience. I was able to focus on what sets me apart from future competition I may encounter and practice a delivery system that would encourage a future employer to hire me. Another resource I learned about in the Building Your Brand workshop was the ‘S.W.O.T.’ or ‘Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities in Your Career Field, and Threats in Your Career Field’ grid.Using a 2×2 table, you can list out noteworthy things in each category to better understand what you have to offer and what you need to work on. It gives you the opportunity to capitalize on your strengths, overcome your weaknesses, and identify external threats and opportunities in your chosen career field. I truly believe the skills I learned in this workshop are definitely going to come in handy later in life. Knowing how to market yourself correctly and convincingly is a skill that you’ll need in every networking scenario, whether that be attending a career fair, having an interview, or keeping connections alive with previous employers or mentors. Baruch College has a wealth of services available, such as the Starr Career Development Center workshops and I plan on taking full advantage of them. I have already joined a student club or organization and for my next activity I plan on attending a Writing Center workshop.