I agree 100% that successful college students are the ones who take initiative into seeking out and utilizing resources such as workshops, professors, peers, other staff, student clubs, and the library to help them with whatever they currently need help with. I have mentioned in my first journal that I hoped to find out all the tricks of using Baruch College’s resources to fully benefit me as a student. In high school I would be so used to doing all my work on my own and now, in college, I seem to be seeking more for help, which is pretty ironic considering that a college student is seen as more independent. But truth be told, the resources the college has are greatly useful in helping me with schoolwork, creating impacting relationships, and even with making smart decisions for the present or future. I have found out that, consulting and interacting with all these resources, specifically, with student clubs and advisors, have caught me by surprise in discovering and realizing things about my inner self.

My participation in the Community Service Project has indirectly encouraged me to draw upon the expertise of faculty and staff. I say indirectly because it is not so direct as to going straight out and asking faculty about the Community Service Project itself, rather my experience in participating as a whole (with the Community Service Project as the epicenter) has brought me not only comfort but a willingness to seek advisement from faculty. My participation in Fall 2011 semester’s Learning Community in general, drives me to be more involved in community, the Baruch community and our community outside in the rest of New York. I think it is safe to say that the Learning Community and all that we do in it, has led me to having a disposition towards utilizing the support systems around me at Baruch.

Actually, the resource of the Baruch Honors Department has been of great benefit to my team as our organization we picked was presented by them. Their affiliation with Change For Kids helped us by easing our efforts into finding that perfect organization to volunteer with.

I have joined a very active club and what things I once thought were a chore, became second-nature. As I start to pile more “responsibilities” on myself in the Baruch Community, they stop being responsibilities, and start being a harmonious duty that does not require so much effort in committing. The commitment is starting to come naturally and I do not think much of it, well that is, I do not think much of its strain on me, if there is any still.

By learning to use all this help that is administered to students, my team and I definitely have an edge to our other academic courses and future success as college students. You can always easily get assistance for academic work, which in turn will teach you more, and thus you become generally more intelligent. These resources all provide the opportunity to create and build relationships and foster connections with others which I think is of most importance to have for success anywhere and anytime. Continually making sealed connections can help any career for our future, or just in any type of life situation to come.

In envisioning the next three years of my life, I do not see a definite route because life’s plans constantly change. However, broadly stating, I would like to see myself sure of my next step in going forth with my career and knowing where my passion lies. Even though things don’t always go as planned, I have faith in this hope, especially with all these resources! There are so many resources provided at Baruch that if you use all of them to your advantage, it is impossible not to be the most successful student on campus.