Week 12

These past few months have been some of the most fascinating months of my life. 12 weeks ago, I started an entirely new chapter in my life, leaving behind everything I knew and traveling halfway across the country to learn all that The Ohio State University had to offer. I think that be biggest change for me was the sheer amount of Ohio State culture that was present the second I stepped on campus – and really, the second I stepped into Columbus. I certainly was not a football fan until my exposure to OSU.

When I was making my decision back in April of 2017, I heard some stories about the intensity of Ohio State alumni culture – and how when you become a Buckeye, you never stop being a Buckeye. I knew that football was really important here, but coming from an metropolitan New England area I didn’t realize what exactly that meant. As soon as I got here, I began to understand the magnitude of the intense school spirit that permeated throughout Columbus. I never had that in high school, so it was a welcome change to the bored indifference of my high school pep rallies. By the time the first football game of the season came around, an away game against Indiana, I finally understood why so many people felt so fiercely loyal to this school. Across campus, students and faculty alike were decked out in scarlet and gray from head to toe. Projectors on the south oval threw a livestream of the game onto huge inflatable screens for everyone to watch. The sense of community was unlike anything I had ever seen before. When we beat Indiana, my older brother’s alma mater, I knew that the next four years (tentatively) of my life would be unforgettable.

Obviously, the student culture is not the main reason for choosing a university, but it is a big part of it. I’m very glad that Ohio State has a good balance of amazing academics and a really fun environment, and it’s one of the things that appealed to me most when I made my decision to come here. I hope that I can build on these experiences the next four years, and I want to be able to maintain that balance of having an amazing college experience both in and out of the classroom.