Sophomore Reflection

The 2019-2020 academic school year was anything but normal, but the most abnormal part of it all was obviously the coronavirus pandemic that forced the classes to turn to remote learning for the second half of the spring semester. This was a very drastic change because the in-person aspect of classes is very significant, and therefore greatly missed in online classes. I was fortunate to have teachers that are passionate about their courses that provided an ample amount of resources for me to still succeed this spring. The fall semester was also filled with many big surprises. The football season is always a very fun time of year, and my family was even able to make it to a game. I made it through my Organic Chemistry courses with the help of many hard hours spent studying, and I started with the first of three semesters of Biochemistry courses. I was also able to make it onto the Dean’s List both semesters. In the Autumn semester I enrolled in Biochem 2900H, which is a course that pairs Biochemistry majors with a research lab for the Spring semester. I was paired with Dr Vicki Wysocki’s lab, and spent several months working with her and the rest of her research group. It was a great opportunity for me to see how a research lab is operated, and it gave me insight into what a daily schedule would look like if I were to pursue a career in research. Freshman year I lived in Barrett House with all of the other freshmen in Biological Sciences Scholars. I became very good friends with essentially all of the people on my floor, and a group of eight of us lived together in Park-Stradley Hall on south campus during our sophomore year. It was very nice because I share majors and thus classes with several of my close friends so it makes studying as a group very easily. On top of this, all of the guys that I lived with were also in Bio Sci Scholars so it made it easy going together to meetings and being reminded of upcoming events. Last summer, I volunteered once a week at Aultman hospital in Canton as well as did landscaping work for people in my neighborhood. It was a good way to gain experience in a hospital setting as well in a business setting where I was dealing with people everyday about the jobs on their yards. This summer, now, I am currently working at West Medical, Inc., gaining more experience inside a primary car doctor’s office. No one could have ever expected that coronavirus would be nearly as impactful as it was, but I believe that it can be looked as a learning opportunity. I hope to be able to return to meeting in-person for classes in the fall, but I will always very fondly remember sophomore year regardless.

Vision Statement

My goal when enrolling in The Ohio State University was to further my education while also creating relationships with fellow students as well as faculty members. My first two years in college have greatly exceeded any expectations I could have possibly had for myself. It does not seem like very long ago that I was trying to decide where I wanted to attend college, and I can confidently say I made the right decision. I went to small Catholic schools for grade school for grade school and high school, so I was not sure how the transition to a large, public school such as Ohio State. Luckily, it is a great school in that it offers all the opportunities of a big school while still allowing the students to find small clubs or groups that more specifically cater to their interests. In my next two years, I want to primarily continue to focus on my classes while also excelling outside of the classroom. I believe there is great value to getting involved with extracurriculars on campus. Not only is it a great way to escape from the at times overwhelming academic side of things, it can also introduce you to an abundance of new people that you would most likely not have met otherwise. Throughout high school, I was involved in many different service groups and I have carried that over in my undergraduate career. This is a major factor that aided me in my decision to start on the pre-med track. I have always been greatly fascinated by the medical field and the occupation of a medical doctor I believe best encompasses my values as a human. I enjoy working with people and communicating with peers/co-workers on a task rather than working by myself. I have always made an effort of respecting everyone and all of their values and beliefs, and that is why, no matter where I go with my further education and eventually my career, I wish to continue to work on my people skills while experiencing and learning as much as I can in the process.

Semester in Review

This semester has been a rollercoaster ride with all kinds of ups and downs, but all in all, I have learned and grown a lot from it. I live in a quad in Barrett House, and I came in not knowing my roommates. Living in such small quarters was an adjustment for me, but I quickly got used to it and now actually really enjoy living with a bunch of good friends. As is the case with most college freshmen, classes were a bit overwhelming right off the bat. It came as a surprise how much more work is required for college courses than the typical high school class. After meeting with my advisor and going to office hours, I finally saw that it is all very possible to do well in, and I started getting better grades. Outside of classes, I have been regularly attending Biological Sciences Scholars events, remaining an active member of Health Points, as well participating the running club from time to time. Over the course of the year, I have become more familiar with my surroundings and gotten more comfortable with all of the resources that are available to me. This semester has definitely been one of the most influential experiences of my life, and I truly believe the changes that I have gone through have made me a better person.