by Paige Schaffter
When I first stepped into my freshman apartment on Holly Court at Ohio State ATI, I didn’t feel like I was old enough to be in college, let alone actually be starting my college career in two very short days. Fortunately, everything exceeded my expectations and hopes by miles.
Although ATI isn’t as big as the Columbus campus, you’re still getting the entire college experience by being here. There are clubs, campus life, and opportunities to grow as an individual—academically, professionally, and socially. As an ATI student, I have been 
involved in Community Council, Homecoming Court, Collegiate FFA, Student Activities Council, and the Admissions Ambassador team—just to name a few!
Aside from all the clubs that are available to students on campus, there’s also a ton of activities. If sports are your go-to stress reliever, there are intramural sports for every season. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, dodgeball, and softball are just a few of the teams that have games throughout the year. The Student Activities Center also has a pool table, ping pong, darts, racquetball, badminton, painting, string art, along with other crafts and activities for students across campus.
If sports aren’t your forte, Residence Life is right up your alley. Residence Life tailors specifically to students who live on campus and their well-being and entertainment. Community Council organizes numerous events throughout the year that students can enjoy, ranging from a field trip to a trampoline park, complete with a Raising Cane’s dinner, to ATI’s annual Homecoming and Bull Bash dances. Additionally, the Resident Advisors on campus host a variety of educational and fun programs for students during the week and on the weekends.
During the week, educational programs with professors include stress management, horticulture education, cultural diversity across the state of Ohio and Midwest United States, and many more. On the weekends, you can find students eating snacks and watching the Buckeyes football game on the projector in the Community Room, playing Farming Simulator, or painting pumpkins and ornaments for holidays. Also, no RA program or campus event is complete without food, so if you’re hungry (for knowledge and food), there’s always a program you can attend to ease that hunger.
One of my favorite things about being a student at Ohio State ATI is being a Buckeye! As Buckeyes, ATI students are able to purchase tickets to football, basketball, and other sporting events for extremely discounted prices, and get to sit in the student section with other students. Even though you’ll have to travel to Columbus for game day, the experience is unlike any other. As a student ticketholder, I watched Ohio State beat Penn State 39-38 in 2017, crush That Team Up North 62-39 in 2018, and I sat in section AA, ten feet from the football field for the 2018 Homecoming game against Indiana! All of these incredible game day experiences happened sitting next to some of my best friends, surrounded by crazy Ohio State fans and students like me, creating memories of a lifetime. Buckeye born, Buckeye raised, a Buckeye fan for all the days.
So as you’re selecting your university and campus, don’t dismiss Ohio State ATI, and certainly don’t sell yourself short on memories, friends, and opportunities to have the time of your life. A friend of mine once said that college was the best four years of their life, and I have to agree with them. Nothing beats living on a campus with students who are just as involved, passionate, and crazy about agriculture and the Buckeyes as you are.
Here are a few of the campus activities I have participated in:
- Homecoming Court
- Family Day
- Announcement at the Homecoming Dance
- Coronation at the OSU Columbus campus, complete with parade in Columbus and meeting President Drake
- OSU Tailgate and introduced at the Skull Session and on the field prior to the game
- AA Deck seats at the game
- Community Council
- Plan Homecoming week’s Bull Bash
- Helping plan SpringFest
- Year-round activities
- Up All Night overnight event for admitted students
- CFFA
- Farmer-to-Farmer Fund
- Ornament making and selling
- Professional development
- TOSSS
- People to People
- Community service
- Student Activities Council
- Event planning
- Leadership development
- SpringFest
- Spring semester activities prior to finals