Freshman Seminar 2011: CFA

Baruch did live up to my expectations aesthetically although the buildings were a little smaller than I thought it would be. Somewhat surprisingly I found Baruch to be a pretty relaxed environment, almost like my high school except not as condensed and with a lot more freedom. I expected my classes to be academically challenging but I found it to be pretty easy. I wish that my classes didn’t come packed in one particular block because I would have preferred to take different classes over some of the ones I have now instead of going with the most preferable set. I didn’t expect the students to just go home or to their jobs right after classes but then again I didn’t really bother to think about that.

My first semester was pretty easy and I found most of the classes interesting enough to keep me engaged. The time seemed to have just flew by because now I’m already preparing for finals although I have these moments where I sit back and realize that the semester is already over.  I met new people and I joined a club which was a lot of fun. I wouldn’t really do anything differently except to study and prepare myself more. I did well in most of my exams but there are some where I wished I could have studied more because I wasn’t very pleased with the grade I received. But there is no one to blame for that except myself, hopefully I’ll start taking my classes more seriously in the future.

I don’t think I’ve changed much since attending Baruch. I guess I don’t procrastinate as much, I actually study before exams, and I learned to manage my time somewhat efficiently.

a) I guess Baruch matched my expectations. I mean, I thought there would be less immature people, but half the population is just freshman and sophomores so I guess we have a lot of growing up to do. I also didn’t expect the sports team to be very popular and I was confused when people wondered if there was a Baruch football team. Academically, I knew college was going to be harder and more study time and that’s what it is. To be honest, it would have been much easier if I didn’t have gpa killers for professors.

b) The first semester actually went better than I thought it would be. I joined a club, and plus we have a block so it was easier to make friends. Of course we all didn’t talk to each other until halfway there but it was a great experience for a non learning community block. With grades, it so-so. i have easy approachable professors, then I have boring professors, then I have one that takes away points for everything that’s not word for word but it all balances out. I also was able to pick a good schedule for next semester so I am happy about that.

c) One thing I would do differently was study more at the beginning of the semester. Those were the easiest test/exams but I kinda slacked off because of the transition. I wouldn’t though change the block or any of my classes and keep them the same. I would have also used the gym and the library earlier because I didn’t even try to go in the beginning.

d) I think I have definitely changed as a person since I started Baruch. I tried my best to approach jobs and internships as well as use Baruch’s resources. Ive also studied way more than in high school, because in high school I didn’t do much and I could match other students who studied more. And also, time management is a big issue, its very important so you know you wont miss anything.

So I picked Baruch since it was the cheapest option I had and I kinda regret coming to Baruch. I kept hearing from every teacher how it isn’t just a business school, but it really is. And of course it’s run by a bunch of schemers. I mean if you want to be a business school fine, but damn don’t try to market yourself as something else (I say you in reference to Baruch since corporations are now people and pizza is now a vegetable). I would guess my first semester went pretty bad, I have absolutely no clue what my final grades will be so I won’t hope for the best. I did meet a lot of cool people, and I got a bit better at ping pong and hanball which will probably serve me better in life than learning about Hildegard of Bingen will. If I could do my first semester over I would choose to go to a different school. But sadly the same scheming probably happens in every college anyway so it wouldn’t even make a difference. The obviously broken American education system can’t produce smarter people than the European and Asian educational systems. And if America truly starts to spiral down the road of censorship and oppression then none of the intelligent minds from overseas will come over here for freedom and then we’ll all be beat. But that’s besides the point, I should’ve went to an engineering school instead. I don’t believe I’ve changed at all, except for the fact that I have to get my lazy ass up in the morning to get to Manhattan. I need eighteen more words in this blog. I wonder if these actually get read. Free rhyme all the time, just a few more words best rhyme you ever heard. Psych.

Right so I’m quite obviously a procrastinator. I didn’t write anything down so I’m stuck typing up a monologue like a month after it was due. Probably spend so much time slacking off but school work ain’t exactly exciting. But besides being a procrastinator in my free time I like to write and bake (cookies and brownies and cakes) and rap. I’m from Staten Island, and as a word of advice if you don’t live there: it kinda sucks. Nothing to do and everywhere you turn you find somebody cracked out on something they stole from their mom’s medicine cabinet or you’re suddenly in a crowd of orange and valor and everything smells like gucci (there’s no other way to describe guido scent). Or you could take a trip to “The Mall” and hang out with the kids who sit in the food court for hours at a time for no apparent reason and just because it’s a spot to chill. But nobody will come here anyway, it’s such a damn hassle to get on the ferry, we have 3 bridges none of which connect to Manhattan. And we were told that there would be no toll for Staten Island residents on the Verrazano after it was paid off, and where are we now? Staten Island is the only borough that doesn’t have a train connecting it to the other boroughs…. But aside from how much Staten Island sucks, Wu-Tang Clan came from here.

When I always thought of college, I imagined a big campus with a lusciously green field. Well, obviously that’s not Baruch’s image, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be just as good. After I got past that image and thought about the actual qualities of the school, I realized that Baruch is just about everything I’ve wanted. Top rated, fun, in the city, many classes/majors/things to do or choose from. The two complaints that I have was that my course load this year was not very challenging, however, hopefully that will change and that we had to have block schedules instead of picking our own courses.  I think that my schedule would’ve been more challenging had I been able to choose my own courses.  However, since I cannot do that, the only thing I would do differently, was pick a different schedule. Since now I know how “rigorous” the courses are, I would have picked classes that were more challenging or that I wasn’t as interested in.

I found this semester to be relatively easy, I feel as if I flew through the majority of it, I think that most of it, is because as I said, the classes didn’t seem very challenging.  Nonetheless, I don’t want to jinx it before finals, I am hoping to do as well as I’ve been doing is semester.  I made new friends and I had a very interesting semester.  Maybe something else I would change, is joining clubs.  I probably would’ve liked some of the clubs that Baruch has to offer and maybe next semester I will take advantage of them.

I don’t think that I’ve changed since I started college.  Maybe in the sense that I am more independent and I get to make my own decisons.  I am still the same person that I was when started.

Almost 4 months later and the highly anticipated first college semester is complete. I can’t even believe how fast it all went. I remember the first few days like it was yesterday and it’s strange to see it all just fade away. My experience at Baruch shockingly has not been a terrible one. I’ve managed to make new friends, adjust to my long & tiring commute, and keep my grades up. I think at this point in time, Baruch has met my expectations as a college. It serves its purpose (an education) and for right now, I don’t think I’m looking for anything more than that.
I think your first college semester is something that you always remember because it’s what defines the rest of your college years. From your first semester, you build a foundation and work ethic that will remain throughout the rest of your college life. Grade wise, I did exceptionally well ( just have to wait for finals ), so I really have no complaints. In all honesty, I don’t think I would change anything about my first semester here at Baruch. Maybe if I had the opportunity, I would’ve given myself a day off, but other than that it has been a relatively smooth transition.
My first semester here at Baruch has impacted me in many ways. Before attending Baruch, I wasn’t able to walk up the block without getting lost. Now I can find my way almost anywhere in the city like it’s my job ! My first semester has allowed me to mature as well. I’m not so dependent on my family anymore. I also stay very on top of my work to make sure it gets done before its deadline. So in a way, I’m thankful for the experiences I’ve had in my first semester. I have become a more well-rounded individual. It’s something I’m definitely going to miss, but hopefully next semester will be just as good =)

Morning- the worst part of my day. I wake up and it’s still dark as night. I hear nothing around me. I feels like it’s an apocalyptic world. I have no energy to get out of my warm comfortable bed. My alarm keeps going off. I snooze it 5 times. Shit- I’m late. Time to brush my teeth, do my hair, get dressed, do my make up, get my bag ready, and wait for the bus that never ever ever comes on time

Commute- the commute is a/an this space made available for every profanity in English. I sleep/study/play on my phone for an hour nd 30 mins. I feel like shooting myself!

School- music- the craziest professor who thinks that people should actually give a shit about her class. Phi- the most pointless class in the world. Psy- my fav class were I get to sleep. Calc- grrr. ENG- all we do is talk about happiness wtf.

Commute- same thing a plies

Home – I love being home .. Watching tv.., napping… I have never appriciated it as much as before.

Sleep – love 

 Simply, this a rant that I wrote last second.

So basically this freshmen seminar blog post was not the first thing on my mind right now but it has to be done and believe me I am not thrilled about doing this when my first final is a short week away but here it goes anyway.

Baruch has been a learning experience for me. I learned many new things from subject classes that I never dreamed I would be taking in college.  The blocks that we picked over the summer have had their positives and negatives. One positive is that they have made meeting new friends way easier since you see a lot of the same faces in your classes. A negative would be how you are forced to take classes that you normally would not have chosen to study.  Has Baruch been a “home away from home,” no but I could see myself being in a worse situation so I do not take this education for granted. The most important thing I have learned would have to be what the everyday grind of commuting in and out of the city feels like. It is certainly very exhausting and takes a lot of time along with energy but hopefully it is something that I can get used to.

My first semester here at Baruch College has been a success in my eyes. My grades are where they should be and that’s the most important thing. I have met some great new friends that have really helped me get through my first semester.

I would not do anything differently. Live with no regrets.        

When I started here at Baruch I was not as independent as I am now. I now have more responsibilities and am doing things on my own. I have also grown into a more mature man thanks to Baruch.

Since this is my last assignment related to freshmen seminar I just wanted to thank everyone and wish you all good luck in the future.

Check my phone, its twelve thirty five. I look up nobody is smiling or laughing, just blank stares gazing into the abyss. I look around at the people reading their newspapers or kindles and think “I wish i had something like that to make this situation less awkward.” The woman that I’m looking at glances up, I quickly check my phone it is now twelve thirty six. I still have fifteen minutes left before I get off. I look up to check if she has returned her attention back to the book that she was lost in before I interrupted. Luckily she has, so I continue to scan the area to try and find some kind of entertainment.

 The car slows down and comes to a complete stop. A group of men enter the car right before the doors shut. Not thinking anything of it I look down to mind my own business. One man begins to make a beat using just his mouth. The others join in and soon all the men are singing. They slowly walk up the car begging for money. Almost everybody looks away to divert their attention to something else. I pull out my phone and look down at it just to avoid eye contact. I look at it for two minutes before the car again slows down to a complete stop. The men get off and everything is back to normal. Well, normal in an awkward sort of way. It is times like these that I wish I had gone away to school. I mean think about it, I could be back at my dorm right now doing something productive like sleeping. Instead I have to be wasting an hour and a half of my life every day just trying to get home. The train stops. The conductor speaks through the P.A. system to announce that somebody on the train needs medical attention and we will be delayed.  I check the time it is twelve forty.

Blog 3 Post

By David Haddad

My experience at Baruch College has lived up to my expectations and exceeded them for many reasons. One of the most important reasons is because Baruch College has a team of dedicated teachers who care about each individual student and their growth. I can email each professor individually or ask questions in class and they always offer helpful advice. The education itself is very good as I hope I can get into more business classes next semester. I took Music, History, Psychology, Freshman Seminar, English, and Philosophy but I cant decide which one was my favorite besides Freshman Seminar. Freshman Seminar actually aided in my transition from High School to College because it broke down all the great programs in Baruch College so I didn’t have to search for them myself.

I feel that my first semester at Baruch College went very well because I was able to meet many new people, explore the campus, and get a feel for what college classes entail.

If I was asked “what would you do differently during your first semester if you could do it all again” I would answer I would like to choose my classes. In the beginning of the semester all the freshman were forced to pick out a schedule from a list of block classes and I didn’t like the fact that I was forced to take certain classes at certain times. I would have enjoyed Baruch College slightly more if I was able to control my own fate so to speak.

I have changed since I started Baruch in very few ways. Basically, I became more independent when I started to take the Subway every day by myself as opposed to City Bus which I took in New York. I was also exposed to many different kinds of people from different cultures so I was able to communicate with interesting people. I also took classes like music which I have never taken before in High School so it was very new and interesting.

I like Baruch College and hopefully I can have success here for my last seven semesters!