Author: Inah Nicole Lagason

Reasons Why Commuting is the Best!

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Flashback to my senior year in high school, my family had just found out that my dad had been offered a job in Ohio. I didn’t know anything about Ohio State or what a Buckeye even was. Little did I know, I was about to be a part of something greater. Fast forward to a national championship in football and one amazing summer of orientation, and I began my junior year as a commuter! Commuting was definitely a challenge to adjust to and there are days that I still struggle to get to campus on time. However today, I want to focus on why commuting is actually so great!

You get to have your car on campus!

You are the ultimate expert of Columbus. You know the ins and outs and the secret places that everyone wished they knew. Take this as an opportunity to invite your friends to your favorite brunch place, the local park or one of the malls in and around Columbus! Some of the best memories of my freshman year were off-campus adventures! I can guarantee you that your friends will appreciate your effort! If you need some inspiration or ideas of some great Columbus events, check out Experience Columbus!

You get to have some more “Me” Time!

If you’re anything like me, I typically get up an hour before I have to leave, which doesn’t leave much time for me to mentally prepare for the day. During my commute, I typically find myself making a mental list of things I need to accomplish. Use this time to also check in with yourself to make sure you are ready to take on the week!

You get to have a daily mood boost!

For me, that looks like blasting some Beyoncé or some Coldplay. I can always count on music to really set my mood for the day. If you’re completely done with listening to music or morning radio shows and you want a more productive start to your day, listen to the news, NPR, or a new podcast! You can also try and learn a new a language! There are so many things that you can accomplish before your class even starts. Carpe diem!

Whether your commute is 15 minutes or over an hour, try and make the best out of your commuting time! Being positive about your commute will allow you to not only be productive but also more relaxed and ready to take on the day! Who knows, you might even start looking forward to your commutes!

Ohio State Spotlight: The Application for Special Scholarships

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Recently I had the chance to talk with Ellen S. who works in Student Financial Aid, specifically with Special Scholarships. She was able to provide me with answers to my questions as well as give me some advice on certain things that they like to see on the application.

What is it?

The Special Scholarships application enables Ohio State students to be considered for several thousands of special-eligibility scholarships that encompass a wide variety of eligibility criteria. The application is also free, just like the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

How many scholarships are offered?

Thousands upon hundreds of scholarships.

What do I need to do to apply?

First, access the application through the Student Financial Aid website. Students are encouraged to fill out both their FAFSA and the Application for Special Scholarships by the priority date of February 15.

The application asks basic questions regarding a student’s activities and affiliations, family information, and diversity. It also asks for a personal statement. [Cue dramatic music]

I’m only a freshman–How could I ever have enough to write a personal statement?

Don’t panic: the Financial Aid office understands that by the time this application is due, first-year students have been in college for less than a year. While it’s okay to highlight personal accomplishments from high school, take some time to reflect back on your first year and the things that make you proud. Maybe you can write about a professor that you’ve gotten a chance to know better, or about some affiliations–student organizations, religious groups, residence hall, etc.–that you have on campus.

The personal statement prompt has no structure or format but does require that you stick to the 900-word limit. The application gives students some prompts to get your started, but you are not required to stick to those. Make sure to talk about some things that you can bring to the Ohio State community, as well as some of the struggles that you’ve had to overcome. It is recommended that you complete your personal statement in a Word document or similar software that can be copied and pasted into the application text box; if the application timer (found at the bottom of the application page) runs out, your response will not be saved.

Common mistakes to avoid?

NOT CHECKING YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR!

In a world where everyone is more text-savvy, it’s easy to forget how to properly use certain words and punctuation. Make sure to have someone proofread your work before submitting any of your essays. You can check the Writing Center’s walk-in hours in Thompson Library to get some quick feedback on your writing.

Having an “okay” personal statement

The personal statement is where you need to shine. When talking about how a scholarship can help you, an “alright” answer would be “College is expensive.” A better way to answer this question is to take some time to reflect on how a scholarship can help to alleviate some of the stresses in your life , or how it can help you accomplish some of your long-term goals.

I hope this has inspired you to get started on your Special Scholarships application! Financial Aid wants to award as many of its scholarships to as many students as possible, so take some time–winter break is a terrific option–to complete your application by February 15!

Bad Grade? Bounce Back in 5 Steps!

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Now that the first round of midterms is almost over, you’ve probably started to get your first midterm grades back. If you didn’t do as well as you expected on an exam, don’t be discouraged! Taking college exams is not an easy task, especially if you’ve never taken one before. Now that you are more familiar of how an actual college exam works, let’s take some time to reflect on how you can improve the next time around!

Here are some tips that I have found helpful after getting a disappointing grade on a midterm.

Talk to your instructor

Stop by office hours and go over your exam with the instructor. This is really helpful because you’ll be able to go over your mistakes and find out why your answers were incorrect. Make sure to ask questions and always ask to clarify a topic that you do not completely understand. Your professors are always willing to give you guidance on how to approach their class, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them!

Develop new study habits

In high school, you may not have studied much for midterms. In college, studying may require hours at Thompson Library, memorizing pages of notes and study guides. This is not always the most effective way to study the material. In my time as a college student, I’ve learned that it’s not about how long you study, but rather how well you study. The Dennis Learning Center in the Younkin Success Center has several student resources for effective study skills. You can also attend Use Your Brain! Memory Tools for Effective Studying (register through the First Year Success Series) if you want to learn a new way to study!

Make use of the resources on campus

Ohio State has so many resources on campus. The university wants its students to succeed above and beyond and it is only fitting that we use these resources to our advantage. Check out these campus tutoring centers (if you haven’t already) for help with subjects that many students study in their first year.

Campus Tutoring

Hold yourself accountable

Too often we place the blame on the professor with a different accent, or on our friends for distracting us, but we need to be the one to take responsibility for the disappointing grade. Placing the blame on someone or something else is counterproductive because then you will never be able to recognize how you can do better in the future! If you do get a bad grade, it’s okay to be upset about it, but then try to find ways to improve yourself. The best way to deal with a bad grade is to put in the effort to do things differently and to strive even harder the next time for the grade you feel like you deserve.

Stay motivated

Getting your first bad grade on an exam can make you rethink a lot of things in life: your major, your career choice, and maybe even your time here at Ohio State. Don’t fret! Everyone struggles with staying motivated at one time or another…I know I still do! Just know that we can get through this together! I found this article about staying motivated in college to be helpful.

The most successful students are the ones who ask for help when they need it! Don’t be afraid to ask for help and support, whether it’s from your professor, your TA, your RA or even your Peer Leader. Just know that together, we are all here to help you pave your path to success! Stay positive, work hard and make it happen!

BuckeyeThon: One Team, One Dream, One Million

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This is a special year for BuckeyeThon. This year, BuckeyeThon is trying to raise $1,000,000 For The Kids.

That’s right — 6 zeros.

The dancers are giving it their all to accomplish this incredible goal, with the hope of forever changing the lives of kids fighting cancer.

As a former participant, I am here to answer some questions I know I definitely had before doing the dance marathon. Some commonly asked questions:

What exactly is BuckeyeThon? 

BuckeyeThon is Ohio State’s largest student-run philanthropy, which raises funds year-round for the fight against pediatric cancer. All of the donations go toward supporting the kids who are treated on the Hematology/Oncology/BMT Department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Some events sponsored by BuckeyeThon include CarnOval, Extra Life, High School Dance Marathon, Miracle Miles 5K and, biggest of all, BuckeyeThon: The Dance Marathon.

On February 6-7th, more than 4,000 Ohio State students will participate in the dance marathon! This is the largest number of participants to date Students are required to raise a minimum of $100 to participate, but they are encouraged to raise more. All efforts are made in order to bring the year’s goal one step closer!

I’ve never done a Dance Marathon (DM) before, what is it? And do I need to know how to dance? 

A dance marathon is basically a 24-hour long event, which is broken up into two, 12-hour shifts. The Scarlet Half happens from Friday night to Saturday morning, and the Gray Half happens from Saturday morning to Saturday night. Participants choose their shift during registration.

You definitely do not need to know how to dance! No one cares what you look like dancing or what kind of crazy, wacky dance moves you have because everyone is their to support the Miracle Kids. Also, a dance marathon is a LOT more than just dancing!

Throughout the event, you will not only dance, but you can do other fun and hands-on activities as well. For example, students can meet the Miracle Kids for whom they are dancing, donate their hair, do yoga and maybe even meet Miss Ohio!

Not only are activities provided, but so is food. Dancers are given two full meals and a snack during the event. So don’t worry about packing a meal, but definitely pack a snack, just in case.

 

Why should I do it? 

If you’re still asking yourself that after I just described all these awesome events, just remember:

Buckeyethon 1

What should I wear?

Everyone is put on a color team, so you basically wear the colors of your team. I would suggest having fun with your outfits because people go all out for this event! And, this might be only time in your life that you can wear a tutu for almost 12 hours.

Dress (comfortably) to impress! I suggest you wear comfortable shoes. You will be required to stand for the whole shift, and thus sensible footwear is a must.

Also: if you own a fanny pack, this is the time to blow the dust off of it and put it to good use! Fanny packs are so handy because they don’t interfere with your ability to dance and have fun and they also can hold important items such as your phone and some money.

What should I bring? 

  • BuckID
  • Phone and Charger: You need that phone to be fully charged so that you can document all the fun you’re having! (Pictures or it didn’t happen, right?)
  • Cash or Credit: So you can wear some of BuckeyeThon’s apparel, and look super fly after the DM
  • Snacks: Cannot emphasize this enough, you’ll need to keep your energy up for 12 hours, it’s good to be prepared
  • Deoderant: I’ll just leave it at that

Any other tips? 

Make sure you get plenty of sleep before your shift! Remember this is a marathon and no one starts a marathon running on a couple hours of sleep.

Meet someone new at the DM. Being in the Union for 12 hours, you’re bound to meet someone new and who knows, maybe by the end of your shift, you could leave with a new friend.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! The Dance Marathon only happens once every year and what better way to kick off spring semester than by supporting BuckeyeThon and taking a stand against pediatric cancer.

 

Final thoughts…

Last year, I participated in the Dance Marathon and it was definitely the highlight of my freshman year. I remember the opening ceremony where we got to meet all the Miracle Kids, and they were so adorable and looked so happy to be there! I knew at that moment that I was not only doing it for them but I was also doing it to for their families.

I danced and laughed the night away. During the event, I got the chance to meet so many inspirational dancers whose families have been affected by pediatric cancer. Listening to their stories made me realize how important this dance marathon is  to the Ohio State community and I was truly glad to be a part of it all.

3 Things to Do Off-Campus This Fall

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Columbus is a city filled with so many activities and opportunities that there’s always something to do — especially this fall! To celebrate Ohio’s finest season, here is a list of my favorite fall activities to do off-campus.

One of my personal favorites is the Circleville Pumpkin Show. Just as the name suggests, this festival is all about the pumpkin! Try one of the many different ways that pumpkin can be used: from pumpkin brownies, to pumpkin funnel cake, to pumpkin donuts, and even pumpkin pizza!

There are so many different ways to enjoy pumpkins and the Circleville Pumpkin Show is definitely a must-see. Last year, my residence hall had free busing to the event, so definitely check explore whether any residence halls  or campus organizations are planning to make a trip out to the event.

My second favorite thing to do during the fall is to go apple picking. Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala, Ohio, is a wonderful place to visit! Many residence halls organize bus rides to the Lynd Fruit Farm from campus, so again, ask your residence hall or your RA if there are any planned trips to the farm.

Lynd Fruit Farm also has an 8-acre corn maze where you can step out of our world and begin an amazing adventure into a maze of mystery and intrigue! Apple picking is great way to celebrate the beginning of fall by hanging out with friends, taking some great pictures, and tasting some crisp, yummy apples.

Finally, another great event in Columbus is the HighBall Halloween Masquerade in the Short North. The one-night event is centered around a Costume Couture Fashion Show, followed by a street party, live art, electrifying stage performances, and a public costume contest. All the proceeds go to support the initiatives of the Short North Arts District.

Autumn is finally here, so let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate as we watch the leaves turn to pretty shades of fall.​ Happy autumn everyone!