It seems as if it were only yesterday that I was writing my first journal entry for our Freshmen Seminar class. Oh how time flies! I can’t believe the first semester of college is already about to come to an end. This first semester has really been very challenging but at the same time I’ve learned a lot.

The Community Service Project has brought our freshmen seminar group closer. At first it seemed like a lot of work and it did not seem easy. But led by Dariya and Mr. Medina who guided us throughout the project, we were able to do a good job. Though it was not easy to come to a decision of where we would like to volunteer, we learned a lot about each other’s interests and passions. The project also led us to learn about the power of teamwork. Though at times it was difficult to reach our other group members, we could not have done such a well job without each other’s help. The project also helped us to realize that working in groups not only is more efficient, it also fosters learning through other’s viewpoints and ideas. Through the research we did for this project I learned how many people in the world really need help and are less fortunate than us. Being part of the honors program where we are endowed with many privileges and advantages that others may not come by easily, I feel we should give back to the community not just to fulfill our requirements but also from the goodness of our hearts because there truly is many people out there that need help.

I was unable to join a club this semester due to time restrictions and also because I wasn’t able to find a club of my interest. However, next semester I do plan on joining a few clubs and next year I plan on trying out for the basketball team here at Baruch which hopefully turns out well for me.

I haven’t found the need to use any of the resources here at Baruch this first semester such as the support centers. However, the library and the honors lounge have been very helpful for me to have some time to catch up on school work. Also I’ve used the gym facilities, especially the basketball courts, to really relieve stress from school work and take a break from reality.

Three years from now I hope to finish my undergraduate studies here at Baruch. I hope to have many internships done through the next three years. I would also like to have done at least a semester of study abroad either in Italy or France. At that time I would be applying for my graduate school studies whether here at Baruch or somewhere else. All this however is pretty far fetched because 3 years down the line is so far away. I hope to get a lot through my college experience here in the next 3 years and I hope to come out of my undergraduate studies as a mature, confident, and independent individual who is ready to face the challenges brought by the working world.

To serve our community is a way we give back to those less fortunate or those in need. It is a way to show that you care about others and now just dwell in your self-interests. Serving our community should not be looked upon as something we need to do to fulfill a community service requirement. It should be looked upon as something we want to do out of the goodness of our hearts. It should be done to help those that are in need and to bring a smile on their faces. Nothing is more pleasurable and gratifying as knowing you’ve made an impact on someone’s life, or a group of people. I believe serving our community is an obligation we all have to provide opportunities to those who are not given any and to those who are not able to make anything out of what they are given.

Being enrolled in the prestigious Honors Program here at Baruch, we have many resources at our disposable, and many opportunities are presented to us on our road to success. In a sense, we are taking these opportunities given to us. However, we should not only take but also give back. As a Baruch honors program student, it is our responsibility to set a role model for others and for future generations to come, that we should happily and without any interior motive behind it, give back to the community which we’ve been raised in. We should work together in creating an environment that not only prospers, but grows together.

I look forward to volunteering at non-profit organizations here at Baruch and I hope I am able to make a difference in my community. I also hope to meet new people, share new ideas, and come across valuable, perspective-changing experiences whilst serving my community.

Hello everyone, for those of you who don’t already know me, I’m Vaibhav ( pronounced Vay-Bov). Yes I realize how hard it may be to pronounce and no I don’t have a nickname.

I came here from India when I was about three years old and started school here. I attended Brooklyn Technical High School and now I’m doing my undergraduate studies here at Baruch. I plan to major in finance but my goal is to be an investment banker on Wall Street one day.

I hope college is a learning experience for me, one that helps me grow not only professionally, but also personally, and one that helps me maximize my potential. I hope to make new friends and build new relationships that will last. I also hope college makes me a more mature, responsible individual, one that’s ready to face the challenges of the working world. I do expect college to be challenging, but I hope to make the best of it, because in my opinion, if we’re not challenged, then we’re not actually learning. I look forward to my time here at Baruch, and I hope I come across life changing experiences.

In my free time, I love playing basketball. It’s my passion, my stress reliever, my way to vent out. In general, I do like playing all different kinds of sports though. My role model would have to be LeBron James. I look up to him because not only is he the best player in the world right now, his journey to the NBA is one that inspires and motivates me to be successful in life.