Author Archives: Shaila Ansari

Health and Wellness workshop was better because it helped me to focus on my stress and problems. It was fun because they gave us some sheets to find out our stress level.  The mentors were enthusiastic and prepared and they very well used the presentation to provide knowledge about various symptoms and solutions to stress.

I didn’t really like the Sydney Mishkin gallery workshop because it was not really informative and interesting. The paintings were good but it was boring, not really suitable for college students.

Adapting to a new life

New York has a charm which makes people fall in love with it. I never knew that it would be easy for me to settle down her. I chose this topic because most of us are going through this phase. Leaving home has come out to be very beneficial for me, I have learned a lot by living without my parents. New York is an easy place to fit in because it consists of people from all the backgrounds. My journey till now has been full of new challenges and opportunities and I am trying my level best to look the challenges in the eye.

New York has so much to do that I hardly get time to think of my family in India. My life in India was very easy as my parents provided all the luxuries of life; I was enrolled in a royal boarding school. Sometimes I feel lonely here because I have a joint family in India which consists of 25 members; however, I have my brother with me who makes me feel home.

The first step in adapting to a new life is adapting to the time difference. It took me 1 week to get to the normal schedule, I became an owl in this period. Moving away from home gives a lot of responsibilities which has made me more mature and responsible. Moreover, this new life has taught me that I should make use of all the opportunities as the come because they might never come back. The biggest challenge for me in New York was cooking; I didn’t know how to even make tea but now in just 2 months I have learned a lot and can luckily survive on my food.

I think everyone should get a chance to experience life in a new way, which could be moving to a new city or a new country because it teaches you a different prospective of looking at the same things. At Baruch, I get to meet people from all over the world which gives me a chance to learn about their cultures and traditions. The best thing in New York is two day weekend because in my country we just have a Sunday off. I have come to this new place to fulfill my dreams and I hope every step takes me closer to it. My biggest concern in life is my parents and I have to become successful to live their dream.

– Shaila Ansari

Hello..my name is Shaila Ansari. I am from Rajasthan, the largest state in India,which is known for its history and kings.There is amazing culture diversity throughout the country. As a result, we have many festivals and many holidays!! I like all the festivals but my favorite is the festival of colors.
   
The most amazing moments of my life are of my boarding school. I learned a lot of different things in school like horse-riding, craft, squash, soccer,etc. I am an Indian folk dancer and I know mostly all states dances. I am also good at academics especially math. Boarding school taught me how to be independent, how to survive without your family and how to find happiness in small things. But i hated getting up in the morning for cross country practice and the restriction on mobile phones and laptops. We used to get 7 minutes every week to speak to our parents. My school is considered the best boarding school in India and the students are from different states which gave me a chance to meet people from different background.                                        
I dropped a semester because I went to India to attend my brother’s wedding. Weddings in India consist of many different events and we wear bright colors on the functions. We have a separate event for dance and music. Sometimes, I miss my country and my parents so much that I feel like leaving everything but I am so glad that I got through Baruch. I have to do a lot for my parents and to achieve my goal, I have to work hard.

I like Baruch because I get to meet people from different walks of life and I love making new friends. Baruch is totally different from colleges in my country as its not compulsory to attend classes. I am looking forward to many new experiences and challenges.