Over my first few months of college, I’ve been exposed to many new experiences and people. And while these experiences and people have impacted me immensely, what has impacted me more has been taking on all of these new challenges alone. I no longer had my parents to hold my hand through everything and I didn’t realize how much that impacted me until I got to college.
It took a while to adjust to my new responsibilities, but once I did, I felt a newfound sense of independence. Sure, balancing everything in my life is difficult, but I now have the freedom to choose almost everything that I do. From the clubs that I’ve joined, to the new friends that I’ve made, to even deciding to have ice cream for dinner one night, I am in control of all of my decisions.
With that control comes responsibility, but also opportunity. As I proceed through my undergraduate years, my hope is that I can use this independence to participate in as much as possible on campus. Hopefully, I will become a part of a research lab and participate in a study abroad experience during my time here. Opportunities such as these, which are ample at Ohio State, will help me to grow both professionally and personally.