During my first semester, I spent most of my time at the library, struggling to get involved with many of the activities Baruch College offered. In fact, I did not even know that many of these activities existed. Fortunately, during my five years of studying, I gradually discovered many valuable resources at Baruch College. In this blog, I would like to share some resources I wish I knew about in my first semester. As an international student, I found the following eight resources to be especially helpful, but there are many more resources out there for you to discover.
1. Graduate Career Management Center (GCMC)
GCMC is a place that will help you prepare to enter the job market before you graduate from school. Here, you can make one 30-minute appointment per week with a career advisor who will support you in your job search. Your career advisor will help you with your resume, LinkedIn profile, interview preparation, and many other career-related questions. It is worth mentioning that GCMC is there to help you at any point in your career, even if you have graduated from college.
You can make appointments with a career advisor through Handshake.
2. Baruch College Writing Center
One of the lessons I have learned so far during college is that writing skills are more important than I initially thought. Regardless of whether you are new to the writing or you have already finished your Ph.D. thesis, Baruch College Writing Center is a place where you can exercise your writing muscles every time you come for a 50-minute one-on-one session. You can book up to two sessions every week with your preferred writing counselor. Your writing counselor will share their feedback with you and teach you how to write an essay, story, memo, speech, and many other types of writings.
You can make appointments with your preferred writing counselor through the link below:
https://bc.mywconline.com/
3. Zicklin Graduate Accounting Society (ZGAS) and Graduate Beta Alpha Psi (GBAP)
If you are looking to expand your network or develop career opportunities, I recommend you join either ZGAS or GBAP. ZGAS is the largest graduate professional club at Baruch College, whereas GBAP is an international honor society that focuses on promoting professional development in accounting, finance, and information systems. Not only are these two clubs very career-focused, but they also organize many professional networking events at Baruch College. Being active in a student club is a great way to expand your network and improve your soft skills.
4. Toastmasters
There are many Toastmasters clubs in New York City, and one of them is at Baruch College. At Baruch Toastmasters, you can practice your public speaking skills in a very friendly and supportive environment. In the club’s biweekly meetings, you can give your speech and hear other members’ speeches—and share feedback with each other.
You can also use the link below to find other Toastmasters clubs nearby your place if you currently live in New York:
https://toastmasters46.org/clubs-by-location/
5. Subotnick Financial Services Center (SFSC)
If you want to learn about financial tools such as Bloomberg Terminal, FactSet, and S&P Capital IQ platform, the SFSC, located on the first floor of the library building, is a great place for you to learn and practice. Training workshops are held here regularly, meanwhile, you can practice on your own at any time between 9 AM and 6 PM during weekdays. If you are interested in getting the Bloomberg Market Concepts Certificate, you can get the access link to the full courses here. It is also a great place to work as a college assistant, as you get experience in navigating Bloomberg Terminal through helping other students and doing routine maintenance.
6. Tools for Clear Speech (TFCS)
TFCS is a great program for international students seeking to improve their English speaking skills. You can make a one-on-one appointment with a speech consultant for 30 minutes. Each student can book up to 60 minutes per week. At TFCS, you can practice conversational English, business English, or speech delivery. If you happen to be a member of the Toastmasters, this is also a great place to bring your speech, and practice your presentation and storytelling skills with your speech consultant.
7. Executives on Campus (EOC)
If you do not have a mentor yet but want one, EOC can help. It is a program at Baruch College that provides undergraduate and graduate students with mentors. You can apply for the Academic Year-Long Mentoring Program established by the EOC at the beginning of your semesters. If you are selected, you will be assigned to a mentor who is a Baruch College alum with years of industry experience. There are multiple events organized by the EOC throughout semesters, during which you can get advice and ask questions to your mentor. Additionally, you can meet with your mentor regularly if you need frequent advice.
8. Newman Library
Newman Library is probably the best place to study at Baruch College. At the library, you can borrow a computer, camera, calculator, tablet, presentation pointer, and textbooks. I do not recommend you buy textbooks, as they are quite expensive, and you do not use them very often. Instead, you can borrow textbooks from the library. Besides, the writing center counselors are available on the 2nd floor of the library to help students on a first-come, first-serve basis without the need for an appointment. Typically, the library is open from 6 AM to midnight; however, now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is temporarily closed.
Discovering these eight resources have made my college life much easier and more enjoyable. There are many other resources that I have not mentioned, but that does not mean they are not important—like your professors and classmates here at Baruch College.