As 2017 comes to an end, I have been able to actively reflect on my time at Ohio State for an entire calendar year. Realizing how much I have grown from the beginning of the year brings joy to me. I am happy with my progress, and I am so proud of myself.

In the beginning if 2017, I felt as if I had chosen the wrong college, but I was not sure why. As the end of winter break began approaching, I told myself that I did not want to come back to Ohio State. However, upon returning, I tried to stay as positive as possible. During my first few weeks back, I went through Panhellenic Formal Recruitment to join a sorority, and I thought that this may help me feel more comfortable at Ohio State. After about a year of being a sister in Gamma Phi Beta, I can confirm that becoming involved with Greek Life at Ohio State was one of the best decisions that I could have ever made during my time in college. I have met amazing women who inspire me every day. They push me to be the best version of myself, and I cannot thank them enough for what they do.

The spring semester was a little rough for me. I did not enjoy the classes I was taking, and I felt like my major was not of interest to me anymore. This worried me. What would I do? After thoroughly thinking about whether or not I should change my major, I finally did it. I am so happy that I did. I changed my major from English Education to Human Development and Family Science. Through my first semester in this major, I have learned about my passion for helping people and about my love for meeting new people and speaking with them. Changing my major was one of the best things that I could have done for my academic career. Although I was not sure if I was making the right decision at first, I now know that this is where I am supposed to me.

Summer flew by for me. It consisted of reconnecting with old friends and working my job several hours a week. I began to practice self-love strategies over the summer, and I started to post more often on my personal blog. It was a summer of self-growth.

With school starting back in the fall, I was nervous to return. I was not sure about how my second-year experience would go in the dorms again, and I was nervous to begin taking classes within my new major. The first few weeks seemed to drag by. However, by mid-September, time started picking up. I found new clubs that I was interested in, and I began to attend meetings. I also started my new job. I have loved everything that I have gotten the opportunity to be involved in. As of now, I can say that I am home for winter break, and I already miss Ohio State. Columbus has become my second home, and I cannot wait to go back and see what the spring semester of my sophomore year has in store for me.

It has been a challenging, but rewarding, first year of college for me. I joined a few organizations, a sorority, and got promoted at my workplace. Although I had trouble in the beginning, everything has worked itself out for me.

Overall, I’d say that my freshman year of college was better than I ever could have imagined. I made new friends and allowed myself to learn and grow throughout the whole year. My second semester was a lot more difficult than my first, and this was something that I struggled with. In the first semester, my classes were centered around subjects that I was passionate about and had great interest in. However, the second semester consisted of some classes that I took simply to fulfill requirements for my major, which was English Education.

I have actually switched my major from English Education to Human Development and Family Science; I am pursuing a minor in Psychology. In the very beginning of the year, I was a Middle Childhood Education major, and for the second semester, I was an English Education major. Throughout the duration of this semester, it became clear to me that I did not see myself in the front of a classroom, and this was a tough realization for me. However, I believe that I am now in a major where my passions will constantly push me to succeed. I have the long-term goal of someday becoming a high school guidance counselor, and this major will help lead me to that path.

Coming to a new school in an unfamiliar city with people from all over the country was a bit scary at first, but now I do not want to leave it. If I could give an incoming freshman any advice, it would be to appreciate all the time you have at THE Ohio State University because I cannot believe my first year is already over. My year has been great, and I cannot wait for the fall of 2017. Go Bucks!!!

[ “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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]