Bucket List

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Amanda

Seasons Greeting and Happy New Year to all!

As we enter the new year I know many of us may have some New Years resolutions. As a blogger, mine are indefinite but I’ll keep it short for my readers.

First is, visiting the new second avenue train station! A project that was in the works long before the birth of my parents! Growing up and always hearing about the station being built and seeing the construction workers at work had me always anxious and waiting for the day it it’ll open. And it is here now!

Next is, visiting the freedom tower! The tallest building in not only New York but also, the United States of America. I’ve heard that the iconic view in the tower is to die for!

Furthermore, I would like to take a painting course. As someone who isn’t very artistic, I’ve always wished I could grow and learn more in that “field”. My appreciation for it all stems from my artistic friends in my life always able to paint/draw anything you ask them to. It is also a great stress reliever. Something us college students need more of.

I am looking forward to this new year and sharing my experiences of my adventures with you all!

Virtues from Motherhood: Positivity

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Samantha

In the course of my 26 years I’ve learned quite a bit about the energy you surround yourself with. It’s very easy to get caught up in a pessimistic web of thoughts, so why not creative a positive stepping path instead? Easier said than done, I know, but it has truly made all the difference in the last three years of my life.

When you think positively and set realistic goals, even if they’re small, you begin to feel lighter, more in control and just overall happier. I used to set monstrous goals for myself, ones that would take years to complete and seemed so far out of reach I’d get frustrated and give up. Instead though I started setting smaller goals, do 30 minutes of exercise twice a week, eat one less bad meal a week or swap out a sugary drink for water twice a day. Smaller goals just seem more obtainable and when you meet them you feel like you’re making progress.

The same goes for bigger life goals, like graduating from college or advancing in your career. To simply say you want to graduate in 2 years is so vague and so easily disturbed that you almost set yourself up for failure. Instead set goals like, you want to have x amount of credits by next fall or you want to raise your GPA by so many points.

The moral of the story here is small steps eventually add up to leaps and bounds and while you may not see change overnight you will see it over time. For example, I was academically dismissed from John Jay College and now I have a 3.9 GPA and have been on the Dean’s List two semesters in a row. It is little things like that, that let me know I’m on the right track.

So tell me readers, what are your milestones for 2017?

Introducing Mariah Rajah – A Story of Survival

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Pamela

Photograph by Mariah Rajah

Our Stories: An Intimate Connections Series by Pamela Drake

Surviving college can be quite challenging, even more so when you’re all on your own. Mariah Rajah, a senior at City Tech in the Professional & Technical Writing Program and editor of the New Tech Times student newspaper, has proven herself to be an asset to City Tech. She has has accomplished many amazing things, but it hasn’t been easy for her. Because of her family circumstances, she was on her own at a very young age. Having to financially provide and take care of herself has been difficult, but it has also given her a high level of maturity and personal growth.

1. Where did you grow up and what is your background?

I was born in Guyana and moved to Barbados until I was about 10 years old. After that, I moved to New York. I come from a Muslim household, both of my parents are of West Indian decent but my mother is mixed with African.

2. Describe yourself in one word? How does this word represent you?

I believe myself to be resilient. My life hasn’t been an easy one and many times I’ve had to be my own breadwinner and caretaker. Yet despite all the obstacles thrown at me, I have never once deterred from my hopes and dreams.

3. What is still your biggest challenge or stumbling block(s) and what are the best ways you’ve found to overcome them?

For me, my biggest challenge has been to believe in who I am and my abilities. The lack of confidence and my low self-esteem kept me at my lowest, but once I realized what I could do there was nothing or no one that could stop me.

4. How do you balance school, work, and family demands?

Balancing this has been no easy task. In my freshman year I completely isolated myself and focused just on school. Although the decision brought me good grades, I found myself caged in. So I decided to start scheduling hours for school and relaxation. I realized that once I stuck to the schedule, I got more work done and had more time for being young.

5. What’s the best advice you ever received?

I believe the best advice I ever received was from a friend who told me nothing lasts forever. Whether it’s pain or success, life comes in tides and it’s best to enjoy the highs and learn from the lows.

6. Who are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now?

I’ve found influence in so many people but I would have to say that my biggest influence would have to be Ms. Oprah Winfrey. Her work ethic and captivating speech have mesmerized me from a young age. She has been a driving force in my writing since I first read her story in the 6th grade. Her go-getter attitude and perseverance inspire me to this day.

7. What tools or personality traits do you think is indispensable for accomplishing your goals?

I think out of all the traits, being thick skinned and reluctant are two things that are needed for achieving any goal. They will be many naysayers but if you believe in who you are and what you are doing there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Being reluctant means that you won’t take no for an answer and all it takes is for one person to say yes in order for you to accomplish a goal.

8. What’s next for you?

Over the past 4 years, I have been heavily affiliated with City Tech and various offices within the college and it has been a wonderful and fruitful experience. I have learned many things and had the opportunity to meet many people but now it’s time for me to take this experience outside. I’m ready to gain industry experience and find myself a place in a work-force which I believe I am ready to be a part of and learn from.

9. What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

I’d like to be remembered for my willingness and perseverance if anything. College is no easy task and life took a sudden turn in the years since I began this journey but I never once gave up no matter how many times I said I would. I’d like to be remembered for this and maybe also for being valedictorian!

There will always be moments when you feel desperate in college. Perhaps you’re in a similar situation like Mariah and find yourself trying to cope on your own. Trying to achieve that perfect life at college is one that does not exist and while college is great, it is also exhausting. But there is no shame in asking for help. The first thing to do is to take advantage of the resources that are on campus. Most colleges have counseling services and you don’t have to face these issues alone. For example, you can get to know your professors and your academic advisor, join a club or school organization, get a mentor or make new friends who are genuine and authentic. The main thing is to connect with people who can provide moral support and encourage you through the tough times.

Finally, as Mariah advised, make time for yourself. Its unrealistic to expect that you can study, go to class, work all day, and study without taking a break. Yes,it’s important to strive for good grades but college life is a mixture of social and academic. Finding the right balance is also important so be sure to set aside some time for activities that will help you relax and take away some of the stress.

A Travel Through Time: The Metropolitan Museum

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Evans

If you know me then there’s a good chance you’re well aware about my obsession with science fiction. It’s the ultimate combination of imagination and wild scientific theories, which can lead to amazing stories and fascinating concepts. One concept that particularly blows my mind is the idea of time travel. To me, going to The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a travel through time. The museum is the time machine, and my legs are the tools which will take me as far back into history as my energy lets me. Walking through halls filled with Roman sculptures and Egyptian coffins, standing in rooms filled with weapons held by ancient military, and appreciating the strokes of paint made on canvases from 300 years ago is an experience like no other.

Virtues from Motherhood: New Years Reflections

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Samantha

As the weather turns colder and the days get shorter we may find ourselves curled up with our thoughts more frequently. We might look back on the year thus far or reminisce about where we were a year ago. It’s easy though, to get lost in these thoughts and feel a sense of loss and longing and mourn the memories instead of celebrate them.
I too have fallen into the trap of missing what was and letting a heavy heart get the best of me but recently I’ve tried to think about the positives and celebrate the fact that at that point in time happiness had illuminated my life. In a perfect world every day and every season would be filled with nothing but happiness and precious memories, but the world is not perfect.

We all lose at some point, relationships end and friends move away and we find ourselves with a void where happiness once lived and it’s easy to let loneliness move in. I challenge you however to evict loneliness and invite celebration and rejoice in and be optimistic that something or someone equally as meaningful will grace your life in due time.

Every moment can’t be happy as much as we’d like it to but instead of mourning memories of moments passed celebrate them and bask in the warmth from that time in your life. The beauty about a memory is that it’s yours, nobody can alter or take it away from you and nobody can change how it made you feel. Memories are our own personal photo album for us to resort back to on chilly fall days when we miss a loved one or a place, they’re the moon in our darkness and the sunlight peaking through on a cloudy day. It’s easy to let sadness get the best of you but it’s even easier to look back into your memories and feel your heart be warm again. People may come and go from our lives but the footprint that they left behind remains forever.

The Buzz Archive

writing City Tech, one blog at a time

Monthly Archives: January 2017