As Freshman year had started, it had ended just as fast. This full year passed by really quickly without even realizing it. I feel that the adjustment process had worked pretty smoothly instead of being very clueless for the whole first semester. In the first semester of freshman year I quickly joined clubs and became involved at events at Queens College. Getting involved at Queens College is the only way I would have been introduced to the Freshman Year Initiative. This class just had a very motivational touch to it. I would walk into the class and feel inspired. This was by farthest one of my favorite classes this semester as I learned a little about everything in here.
Some of my friends have said that this is a silly class, however I feel strongly opposed to that idea. This class had offered motivation, contacts, direction, and insight. Not only did I go to this class and become motivated, I know that I have learned many things about the different fields of study, how they help, and the guest speakers have shared with us real life experiences in their profession. I feel this class was very useful in helping me learn things that you don’t learn from reading a textbook. We received a lot of useful tools in this class that are going to help me make decisions and do better when faced with stressful situations.

Stereotyping we all know it is bad, but we all sometimes do it. I wouldn’t say that it is our fault but we tend to over generalize things. This seemed to become very apparent while Mr. Rosenblum was presenting about the Middle East. All these years I had been very clueless about the situation in the Middle East. I have been to a couple of protests being apart of an organization, however I had knew very little. Once I was enlightened by Professor Rosenblums presentation, I also became aware of the how much I stereotype, even when I think I am not. As we develop a common image that we feel a group of people has, when ever we see that characteristic once again, we tend to associate it with that group. After the presentation I found out that even though we try not to stereotype we still might do it. We had learned about the conflict in the Middle Eat and were explained the history of it. Also the Jon Steward clip that was shown really shows that we barely know anything that goes on outside of the nation. However people from around the world know a lot about our politics and society.

One strategy of getting information about a topic of interest is through interviews. The Urban Studies professor had come in and talked a little about strategies of interview, and how we are supposed to get to a point where you develop a real connection with who is being interviewed. In the group presentations this was especially important because we did not want to present stuff you could find on the internet; however we wanted real people talking about their experience and the opinions on what we asked them. The urban studies professor was accurate about letting the interviewee know that you don’t want the usual, but something that is not expected. We had to provide some kind of signal that would indicate that this was not strictly formal and they could stay off the script. I think in the interviews that my groups held were very personal and the interviewees had actually deviated from the usual lines. I actually feel that all of the groups did a particularly good job at having very unique information to present. There were a lot of things I heard that surprised me. I remember hearing that the higher degree you get the less you would get paid in one of the groups. After thinking about it, it would make sense in the economic situation we are currently in.

While I was looking forward to something inspiring and help actually finding internships, we actually received a hard knock on the door. Dr. Cook is a very smart, experienced person who knows how things work in medical schools. She was not able to provide direct referrals but did receive a lot of useful information. We were informed on how to become a good competitor.
We were told that we have to volunteer in the emergency room, and do community service. Something I never knew before was that we don’t actually have to major in one of the science to be eligible to go to medical school. We are able to major in something we find interesting and just take all the required courses to be a candidate for medical school. This summer I was planning on taking a chemistry class, which would have completed one requirement for medical school. However, after meeting with Dr. Cook I was informed that we should never take any core class for medical school in the summer or winter session. Her reasoning was that, since the courses happen in a very condensed time period, Medical schools don’t want to have a student that had rushed the courses.
While some people might not have liked the amount of directness she provide, but it was very real. She knows the field the most and is trying to make us competitive early on. She was very blunt, but it can only help us.

What an outstanding personality this guy had. He just had so much energy packed inside of him, that I never expected it by looking at him. One of his points was that everyone is an actor, we just have to acknowledge it. He did kind of take me out of my comfort zone by making us speak our opinions strongly and assert our feelings with strength. He did a great job in trying to energize me and make me want to be myself. After this class I once again was reinforced in the idea that I should be who I am, and express my ideas as I wish.
I believe that if it was not for FYI I would never have been able to actually meet such interesting people. Even if I met them, they would not have been able to show this side to me. The suprising part is that all of these guest speakers are professors and teachers. All professors have interesting stories about their lives, and things they would like to share with students. All professors have office hours and they should be utilized to the fullest extent. It makes professors feels good explaining their profession to you, and you are able to learn of how they did everything. Another plus you receive is that you are able to get a better personal recommendation since the professor has gotten to know you a little more than in class.

Yea we desire it, we may also despise it. It may bring you bursts of happiness, but can it provide steady eternal happiness. If it is set as a goal it is achievable, but when does one actually reach it. Is it the line between success and failure? Does it provide the essentials of life? If we had only one thing would money be sufficient. What is money without the value placed behind it?
All these questions and many more pop into my mind. I feel that it is not something that should ever be set as a goal. If it is your goal you would never be able to satisfy yourself. One you finally get “enough” money to be happy, you still need motivation and money should not be the motivation. The only reason it seems to be working quite well is because we are have yet to get “enough” of it.
Is money the root of all evil? If money helps us live conspicuously, why do we want to show everything we have? Is money just something that is covering for our actual desires? Do we really want power and believe it is achieved through the medium of money? If we don’t have money, should we not have access to the bare essential? If money gets us the bare essentials, does it justify our lives running after money?

• When people randomly start to talk about something that you have no idea about, however they assume you know what they were already thinking about. The truth is that I do sometimes do this, while I think that the other person was also thinking the same as me.
• I hate when people start screaming at someone at a store, but they don’t understand they are just doing there job. When I sometimes start doing this, I just remind myself, that it is not there fault.
• When I am driving and somebody cuts me. I try to reason with myself because they have somewhere to go.
• Registration gets really annoying when you spend hours and hours planning your schedule and when one class is full; you have to change your whole schedule. Being a freshman means we register last, but I do understand because upper classmen have less time to complete there requirements
• Annoying teens on the bus that are always playing and cant take anything seriously. Anyways I still do remember those days when I was a teen.
• I don’t like to make rushed decisions, and what I say in a rushed decision to be used against me later on.
• Doing all the group work by yourself. Even though that was not the case in this class, I hate when the pressure is on you and other people get credit for your work.

In class Dean Summerfield had decided to do a nice little free write with us. She started us with “A man/woman walked…” . We were then to continue and take it into whatever direction we wanted. Well this is how mines goes.
The man walked on a cliff, at the very edge the point, at which if he took one step in the wrong direction there could be no turning back. He would end up falling into the concrete ocean, but that was not what had instilled fear in him. He was not afraid of death, he definitely was not afraid of some water. He continued to walk carelessly without any thoughts. He walked against the wind where the splashes of cool mist hit his face. The speckles of water were created by the blue clear water hitting beautiful, gleaming rocks and breaking under the intense pressure. His toes touched the hard surface of the rocks and this had revitalized his senses. He felt as if he could feel every single part of his body, every pore, every thing. The texture of the rocks had provided so much sensation that he was overwhelmed. Everything had a natural feel; there was no sight of anything man had laid his fingerprint on before. No sight of civilization. He felt as if he had no competition, it was only him vs. nature. There was no limit on anything. He had no friends, no enemies, and no memories. It was as if he was just coming to life and being reborn.

One thing that was brought up in the last class was the topic of social networking compared to journal or commonplace book writing. Tim had argued that they are very similar ways of writing and just generational differences. Dean Summerfield stated that they are two very different styles of writing and they also present different sides of you. I agree with Dean Summerfield while I also understand where Tim is coming from. The type of common place writing that Dean Summerfield encourages us to write is much different from writing on your friends “wall” or updated your “what’s on your mind?”. You update your status and post on your twitter only the things that you want to highlight about yourself.
Your commonplace writing book, which is supposed to be a culmination of your thoughts, reflections, and desires all written down, with the color pen of your choice, and in a handwriting of your own style. In your book you have no one to please, no one to impress, no one to offend, you are only writing for yourself, to talk to yourself. Whereas, on Facebook you type on the computer something that is meant for everyone, to please or entertain someone, and intentions to make your thoughts public. While not saying that one facebooking is bad, however just commenting on the different purposes that they provide for. Your commonplace book is meant for you only, it is personal. The same goes in the fact that you wouldn’t do the same stuff in public as you would if you were alone in your room. That is one way in which I feel both types of writings differ.

Well one thing that is different about college is the fact that we have less structured learning in the classroom. We spend about half the time in the classroom in front of the teacher in colleges as opposed to high school. However college courses move at twice the speed. So the student is given the responsibility of making up the study time on their own. This calls for a major time management reform. We have to be able to distribute our free time to be able to study. The difficult aspect is that there is no reminder until it is too late.
Most college students try to get jobs while attending full time school. It does get very hectic, but with time and practice you should be able to correctly balance your time. I feel that by understanding the value of your own time is the key to a lot of problems. While taking nineteen credits and working about twenty five hours per week, I was still able to manage to get everything done efficiently and productively. In my first semester I did have some trouble as it came to finals week because I was unable to study for every thing in the one week I allotted myself. To get the most out of this college experience is to try to actually learn. Even though you might walk out with a diploma in your hand, it wont be displayed everywhere you go.