Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by all the information I receive every day. There is so much to take in — whether it is about student government, my own classes or my future career. I realized the best thing to do with information is to record it at all times. 

I was exposed to Baruch-wide policies and plans regarding renovations all while trying to understand what exactly a President does. We were entering The Undergraduate Student Government blindly and only had little concrete role descriptions based off of our constitution. So, the current USG reached out to past USG members to understand what exactly their respective role meant to them. We learned how to do our roles as the months progressed. 

Every day was a learning opportunity. This USG has created a 30-page internal guide on how-to-USG. This is a guide for future elected USG members to understand deadlines and what to make of their role with the limited amount of time. Every role has flexibility, however, there are some things — attending meetings, having a committee, working with faculty, process of paperwork, working with clubs — that remain concrete regardless of the year.

I am happy that this year’s USG has worked so hard on an internal guide that will be passed down to the next USG. The next USG can now begin their roles knowing what they are dealing with better and can in turn accomplish more.

Regarding classes and documentation, I realized that setting up a working Google Doc for each class was extremely beneficial. I was able to go completely paper-free this semester and have all my notes on just one document. It is super easy to find anything I am looking for and I am always prepared for class.

Documentation played a huge role during my internship through the concept of a daily log. 

I started a daily log because I wanted to know what exactly I did everyday so I could update my manager if need be, know what to write on my resume as my job description and have all work-related information in one place. This daily log was super helpful in ensuring that I stayed on top of all my tasks. 

Documentation can be included in all aspects of your life — these are just some of mine. The real beauty of documentation is that it can be passed on, so start documenting away. 

Radhika Kalani is the president of USG. She can be reached at radhika.kalani@usgbaruch.com. Her office is located at 3-272 in the Newman Vertical Campus.