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Semester in Review (AU18)

As the autumn semester comes to a close, I have started to reflect on the experiences I’ve had for the past several weeks. I have been able to find a “community” of people in which I can connect and relate to. I started working at OSU during the middle of October, which so far has been a great experience working in a collaborative environment. I am developing new skills along the way while building onto my resume. I have also learned how to manage my time more wisely, since it has been a challenge trying to balance the academic and social parts of college life. Although it has been rough, I have learned a lot this semester and I hope it will prepare me for the next. 

My G.O.A.L.S.

As a Bio Sci scholar, it is important that I develop and implement my G.O.A.L.S. The acronym stands for:

G – Global awarenes

O – Original inquiry

A – Academic enrichment

L – Leadership development

S – Service engagement

Academic enrichment is one of the most important part of G.O.A.L.S that I am focusing on right now as a freshman. Since I have taken OSU classes during high school, I already had an idea of what I should expect in terms of the amount of homework I will have each week and how much time I have to dedicate to studying for exams. In addition, I realized that I should take advantage of the free resources here at OSU, such as the MSLC, which I go to every week for homework help. I usually don’t like asking for help, but I have pushed myself to go the MSLC knowing that I will be a lot more productive with my work there than at home. The MSLC is equipped with tutors who are great at explaining difficult concepts in an easy way to follow.

Another part of G.O.A.L.S that I have been working on as well is original inquiry. Although I do not plan on engaging in research until my sophomore year, I have already been exposed to some research at OSU. I have briefly learned about the opioid crisis in my Sociology class and attended a forum about the drug epidemic. At the forum, I learned about the different research being done at Ohio State and other public research universities that serve to tackle the drug epidemic. It was interesting to see the different approaches that were made to address the drug epidemic, including correlated deaths and racial disparities.

Bio Sci Study Tables

Study tables in the Barrett lobby

A couple of days ago, I went to my first Bio Sci study tables. Before this day, I have never been in Barrett Hall since I am a commuter. So, I admit that I did get a little lost on my way there. But in the end, I arrived right on time, or at least I thought until I saw that the lobby was already full of people hard at work.

Since all the seats were taken, I decided to sit on the floor next to a friend. We are both currently taking Math 1151 (Calculus 1) and have talked about how different the class is compared to algebra or trigonometry. It is difficult to handle two five credit hour classes (the second one being general chemistry), but it is really helpful to have a couple of friends taking the class at the same time so that you can study with them and learn about the material from their perspectives. As we were going over our calc homework together, I realized how nice it is to know someone who is as confused as you are. At a glance, it’s easy to assume that everyone in college seems to know what they’re doing most if not 100% of the time, but it is definitely a learning experience for all of us.

First Stethoscope

During my junior year of high school, I participated in the “Bodies” program. This program was geared towards juniors and seniors considering pre-health/pre-med pathways during their undergrad years. It was through this program that I started taking my first OSU classes and participated in my first research project at OSU.

During my fall semester of junior year, along with Bio 1114, I took anatomy since it was a requirement for the Bodies program. I loved learning about the different parts of the human body and the way in which the organ systems work to keep it running. I also enjoyed doing dissections (including the heart, bone, and eye!) since they were unique hands-on learning experiences for me.

Every student in the Bodies program received their own stethoscope as shown in the picture above. We all learned how to use one of the most widely recognized instruments health care professionals use and feel a bit “professional” ourselves. Although I have used stethoscopes before, it felt like I was taking a small but significant step towards my future goals. Although I don’t have a plan for the future that I will stick to 100% as of now, I just know that I want to work with medicine and people. The stethoscope serves as a little motivation for me whenever things do get rough during the academic part of my student life, and also serves as a reminder of the many opportunities I experienced during the Bodies program and how much I’ve learned from them.

About Me

Hello! I am Fakhtah Abdulla, a freshman at OSU studying biomedical science. I am a first-generation Tanzanian American, born and raised in Columbus. Columbus is a diverse city of people from different ethnic backgrounds which has helped broaden my perspective of and awareness about the world.

I chose the Biological Scholars Program since I am really interested in science and thought it would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge of the biological sciences. I am also interested in research exploration since I do plan on participating in research during my undergraduate career.