We all know the feeling of achievement. We also all know the feeling of bitter defeat. The worst defeat I have ever experienced was not getting into the college of my dreams. It was an extensive application process that required several interviews with politicians and their associates, several thousand words worth of essays, and dozens of letters of recommendations. To not get in was the bell toll that instantly created my life’s path for me. I’m still trying to figure out if I can get used to this path, which I’ve always considered my safety net. I know several people who all shared the same negative opinions about Baruch, and honestly, I can see where they are coming from. I am working as hard as I possibly can to see Baruch in a light differently than they have seen it in, and I’m happy to say that it’s working. Yet learning to get to like or even love something I never intended to is something I’ve never faced before. But here I am. I guess that’s what college is all about- giving yourself time and space to form into the mold you create for yourself. After all, these are the most mentally formative years of our lives, right? So here’s to an optimistic future. As for my goals for the coming semester, activeness in E.C. affairs is my top priority; it shares the spot with getting straight A’s (as I’m sure all freshman have prioritized).