Month: September 2020

Artifacts

| baker.2883

My (almost) first month of college is done!
College is very different than high school because instead of taking general required classes, I can actually start to choose and take more major focused classes. For example I’m taking this course, ENR 2300, and it’s a lot like my AP psychology and AP environmental science mixed into one class. So far the most interesting thing that I’ve learned from that class is how systemic racism causes many minorities and/or poor communities to experience the most climate change. This is because back in the 1920s immigrants, blacks, and majority people of color would have to live in highly packed apartments on the dirty side of a city. Compared to many white families that could have bigger houses, their streets were frequently cleaned, could afford luxury things, etc. Over time not much has changed because those people in the poor communities often had low paying jobs, meaning they couldn’t afford to move out of the bad living conditions (like sending their kids to schools with few resources, working jobs that exposed them to extra pollution, or even living near power plants that caused severe health problems). I like this class because it helps break down poverty & other social problems, and explain how that impacts the environment.

Another way that college has been different for me compared to high school is because I’m commuting this year. I live about 10-15 minutes away from campus and not being in the dorms has been a struggle for me. At times it can be hard for me to feel the “college experience” and being socially involved with others who are my age. I’ve made a few friends who are in the SENR program but I haven’t been able to really get to know them due to dorm policies and social distancing (with class schedules on top of that). Even though it’s been hard for me to adjust socially, it’s also allowed me to be more independent. I’ve been able to really focus on myself since the beginning of the pandemic-figuring out what makes me happy, the best way(s) i can de-stress, or exploring new study habits. Learning self-patience has been a big accomplishment since summer.

Year in Review

| baker.2883

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

| baker.2883

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

| baker.2883

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

| baker.2883

Hello everyone! My name is Sophia Baker. I grew up in Bexley, OH. I am the oldest in my family out of three girls and a proud owner of an adorable cat (named Mulan). The reason why i chose to attend OSU was for its wide selection of majors that deal with the environment, compared to majority of other colleges that have a small selection. My ideal plan (as of now) is to major in Environmental Science.

What really sparked my interest regarding environmental conservation, is when i would go to my grandmothers house. She has a creek and a bit of land. A friend and i would climb trees, go creeking(“hiking” in the water), compare different flowers, catch bugs…we would stay out all day if we could. And as we grew older, we would witness more human waste outside, less water in the creek, warmer weathers, not able to see the stars as easily, all the sad things that come with increasing human pollution. I know environmental science is still semi-broad and im not entirely sure what specifically i want to do but something along the lines of either finding ways to repurpose our waste or figuring out how to limit the amount of waste in the first place.

What i look to get out of my undergraduate years is to gain more understanding about sustainability and our earth even more than my pervious knowledge from APES, environmental club, and Envirothon (i especially during this time want to maintain a good GPA, gain connects, and experience new opportunities).