Author: a.goh

On Thursday, November 9, 2017, I went to the Wall Street Careers Panel, which was a splendid experience to learn about graduates of Baruch College who have created a change in our world. These people spent their time to come to Baruch and inform us about their careers. These graduates vary in every different way; there are people from every ethnic group, there are both men and women, there are both immigrants and people born in the United States, and people ranging from the mid-twentieth century to a student who is currently in the colleges graduate program. We were able to learn how they became who they are, and the positions that they held.

There are many points that every student could take to heart. One that resonated most was the graduates’s stress on failure, and what how should approach it. They emphasize how we can learn from each failure, and build to the next opportunity, something else they stressed. Baruch College is abundant in opportunities, giving students all the tools necessary for success.

The people themselves did not seem to pedestalize themselves. Their stories are very similar to ours. There is the virtuosic student, participating in many academic activities throughout their career. There is the person who had to balance a low income with the college tuition. There is the person who never truly knew their major, but found something to be passionate about. As a person who can understand each situation, these people became more of adults who faced the same situations we have, and not a CEO blessed by fortunate luck.

As for their jobs, many of these people on hold powerful jobs. These include Vice Presidents, Managers, and Senior members. These people took the most they can out of Baruch College, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

These people went through the same process that we went through, struggling day by day to achieve what they have done. As the new generation, we should also make the best of what we can. After all, we are the embodiment of gifts that everyone else gave us. There is no reason to not take the most of it.

“The Baruch Writing Center is a resource that every student should utilize.” Our professors tell us this when we have our papers due, or at least mine do. I am  aware of the expectations for college; we are to reach excellence. I do not struggle with writing essays, far from it. In high school, I could write a full five paragraph essay in ten minutes. It had the introduction, the quotes, the analyses, and the conclusion.

I knew the mechanics. What I did not know was what made a “good” paper good and a “great” paper great. Even in college, I still try to figure this out. I know one thing, though: My paper, at best, is good. To make it great, I needed to push harder, using all my resources. This is where I decided that the writing center is what I could use to achieve excellence.

The writing center is located on the eighth floor of the Newman Vertical Campus for appointments and the second floor of the library building for the walk-in center. Many, many people are reserving appointments, and you would need to make an appointment at least two weeks before the date to have a seat. I did not have this, so I went to the library. From one to six, there are tutors that will help you with my essay. I used this for my English 2100 essay, a critical analysis of a story.

There were many questions floating around my head when I walked in. Is the introduction acceptable? Was my diction strong? Did my essay even make sense? I found advice that answered these. The staff read through my work and thoroughly and encouraging and pointed things that could be fixed, and how they could be fixed. They do not demean your work, only wanting to make it better.

Now, my paper is much better than what I had before. No, my introduction was weak. Yes, my diction was strong. Yes, my essay was coherent but could always be improved. Twenty-five minutes is short, but it still helps. I recommend any to use the writing center, as the professors say. It could be the difference between a B paper to an A paper.

 

Reaching out and trying out new activities is something that I seldom do, if ever. As with most humans, I do not want to leave the zone that I call secure. However, with the large variety of clubs and societies at Baruch, I decided that it would not hurt to at least visit some of these introductory meetings. FES, the finance and economics society, caught my attention. The activities in this society, even in this introductory meeting, ended up stuck in my brain, something to consider and not simply forget the day after. I was able to learn several things regarding the society, such as that this was the first finance society created in Baruch, that members will have to perform several activities that are both fun and educational, or that people can create connections toward firms that are well known. And the best of all, there is free food!

 

 

FES provided an engaging and welcoming introduction. The president introduced several key programs, such as the mentorship program, a program for freshman and sophomores to improve themselves professionally in areas like the resume or the interview, or the analyst program, a program to help students in finance become technically adept. We were also given an activity where we created structures out of ten sticks and tape, and had to place a marshmallow as high as possible. This allowed us to think critically, and sometimes unconventionally.

Baruch college provides plenty of opportunities to engage with the community, and this  is just one of them. This society can connect you to many people in the professional world. Such things may even be put on the resume. Every person has different interests, but I would definitely look into clubs and societies. If I were to take anything out of this, it would be that it was enjoyable.