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End of Year Reflection

This first year of college has not been what I expected from when compared to what I would imagine in my head as a kid. Part of that is because I did not imagine my first year of college to be during a pandemic. Although my first year of college was mostly online, I still had a lot of fun and made many memories. Something that impacted me greatly from what I learned in a class was in programming. I am in a Programming class for MATLAB and I learned a lot on how to code and what it takes to make games and simulations. At the beginning of the year I only knew the name MATLAB, now I can make games and simulations, or just solve loops. I think most importantly I was able to build on my problem solving skills since I had to solve errors and find out what problems were present. Even though college is known for its rigorous classes to help you in your career, I learned a lot outside of the classroom. Something I learned outside of the classroom was that there will be people who will drag you down and it is important to realize when you are in a bad relationship. A bad relationship can weigh you down so much, so it is good to get out of it as early as possible. It is best to surround yourself around people you appreciate and who appreciate you. Something I learned about myself as a person is that I used to be really shy and anxious around people, usually trying not to offend them and make them like me by staying quiet. Now I am trying to be more myself and have more confidence in myself as a person and student. My favorite memory from the past year was probably me and my friends would walk to Buckeye Donuts late at night because it is so fun to go out that late with friends. These walks would give me so much energy and we would have so much while doing it. In general, though it is hard to pick one memory that I like the most, so I decided to say an event that we would do that is one of my favorite weekend activities. Since many people are getting the vaccine now, it is no surprise that there will be more in person classes next semester. I am excited to meet more people in shared classes. It will also be fun to actually be able to walk to different classes, receiving the actual college experience. I will also be more comfortable with my teacher and ask more questions when I am confused on a topic I am learning about. This year has been such a unique experience and I am so glad to have these new memories. I learned so much in, and outside of, class that I will carry with me for a long time. I grew as a person and bettered myself so much since August 2020. I am excited to start my second year of college and change even more as a person.

March Reflection

March has been such a roller coaster, with classes and social life, there have been many ups and downs throughout the past 31 days. Something Interesting that I have learned in class was in General Chemistry One. I learned about different types of reactions between different molecules and compounds. These reactions have different outputs and we got to apply some of these reactions in the lab. Having a hands on experience on my learning makes me understand a lot easier because I get to see the process and how it works in a real life application. Although I have learned a lot in my classes, I also learned things about myself that have fascinated me. One thing that I have learned was I work a lot better and more efficiently when I am at a place surrounded by others who are working. These places include the Union and the libraries on campus. Something that I have struggled with this semester is something that has persisted with me through both semesters of college already. I have trouble paying attention to an online class. Although I have gotten a lot better, I still have a long way to go until it meets my standards. There are multiple reasons I have trouble paying attention in class so I will only name the biggest. The number one reason that I have trouble paying attention in zoom class is my phone. I usually open my phone to talk to friends, scroll through social media, or play games. It is so easy to pay attention when my camera is off and my phone is readily available. I have improved my attention for classes by taking classes in places outside my dorm, like a library. Finally something that I have achieved in the month of March is finding the best way to retain information for my math class. In the beginning I struggled in my math class, finding the material and exams really hard. In March I found a way to study for my math material and do better on my exams. This month has been a month to remember and I can’t wait to see what April has in store for me.

Career Plan

The job that I am looking at is an entry level position as a water resources engineer. For this job I will need a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and/or Environmental engineering. I will also need a EIT (Engineer-in-Training) certification, or be able to receive one in 6 months from starting the job. In addition to that, I will need one year of consulting experience and a willingness to learn new tools, concepts and be able to build relationships within the jobs community. I will have to do multiple things before I would be eligible to apply for this job. My major is Environmental engineering and I plan on going to graduate school. While in my undergrad I will have to do internships, as a result I would try to find an internship that focused on water treatment and restoration to gather experience early on about the job. I could also find an internship that dealt with consulting, as to gain experience in that career too. After I graduate I would try to get a job at one of the internships that I was in before, preferably the consulting job as I need one year of consulting experience. While in the job, I would go to graduate school for Environmental Engineering. I would go to graduate school before applying to this position because they state that they would prefer the person applying to the job to have a masters in Civil or Environmental Engineering. While in graduate school I will probably be introduced to many different and unique tools that will help me adapt to new equipment. My time at university would help me with my Engineering skills as well as my social skills needed to succeed in my career later on in life. It is well known that engineers need to be creative and able to work in teams. I will grow my social skills and my group skills in college as part of the curriculum. I will also get practice when I work with my group on projects. These projects will have many challenges that will arise team disputes, it is about getting over these disputes to do what’s best for the team. These skills will help me get the job by showing I am able to adapt and work with a team to finish the job well and on time. These skills that I plan on acquiring through my years as an undergraduate as well as in graduate school will help me become more marketable and get a job easier outside of college.

January Reflection

January has been a fun and interesting time. It was the start of my first spring semester at The Ohio State University. My winter break was a fun time to hang with friends I haven’t seen in awhile and hang with my family. Now my winter break has ended and my second semester of college has started. This semester I am taking a lot of fun classes including chemistry and Intro to Drawing. Something Interesting I have learned was in my chemistry class. I learned the difference between a molecular formula, an empirical formula and a structural formula. It’s cool to look at the different ways to write molecules and learn about the different ones. I also learned the importance of each formula when applied in chemistry. Something I learned about myself is that I tend to lose focus and motivation during the winter months. During january and february, the weather is colder and the sky is gray. This can make me sad and unmotivated to do things as a result. Something I struggled with was keeping track of everything I have going on in my classes. I tend to be less motivated in January and get less work done which can affect my grade. I also wait until the last minute to do my work and my work tends to be lower quality. Something I achieved is I moved onto campus. When I move onto campus I have higher levels of motivation and get more work done as a result. Being surrounded by others who are working gives me more energy to work on my classes. I am not working as efficiently and of the quality that I want to at the moment and I hope it gets better. January has been an interesting start to my spring semester and I am excited to see how the rest of my semester plays out.

Semester Reflection

College was a huge change in my life, and with any change comes its ups and downs. College life was very hard for me at first, I didn’t know anyone and I had no idea what I was doing. I am a pretty shy person so it took me a long time to make friends. Over time I started to warm up to people and got used to my classes. I made new friends and figured out ways to study that worked the best for me and my classes. It took a long time and I still dont think I’m fully adapted to college life just yet. One of the benefits of college life is independence. I got to schedule when I wanted to do stuff, like my clases, social time and study time. This was very new to me because I was the only one to keep myself accountable for my actions. One day I could go for a run between my classes, or I could try to get some homework done. Other days I could take a nap or go get something to eat. It was very hard to manage my time at first, but once I got the hang of it I loved it. One thing that I struggled with in college was paying attention in class. With most of my classes being online, making sure I listened to the teacher was a struggle. It is so easy to go on your phone and scroll through social media or play a game. I’m not in a classroom setting so I do not usually have the classroom mindset. One way I have tried to fix this problem is to put my phone in another room or keep it out of sight. This makes me pay attention in class, however my phone isn’t always my only distraction. Something that I have achieved is making new friends in college. As I stated before I am a shy person and talking to people is not easy for me. As a result it usually takes me a long time to make friends. I was able to make friends in college which was one of my main goals for the first semester. College would be so boring and stressful without friends, and my weekend would feel so alone. It is important to learn and do well in college, but that’s not what it’s all about. There are so many opportunities and you are able to make bonds with people who you can be friends with for a long time. A new goal I want to set for myself in the spring is to pay more attention in my classes. One of my biggest problems is looking at my phone when I should be paying attention in class, however that is not the only distraction. I get bored and usually just walk around or get food during my classes. Next semester I will catch myself doing this and try to stop. This first semester of college has been so fun and I can’t wait to learn in the future.

Alumni Interview

The scholar Alumni who I interviewed was an Environmental Engineer named Brittnee Halpin. After graduating from OSU, she worked for a couple years and is currently in graduate school at Colorado School of Mines. In the interview, we covered what she did in her time at OSU, as well as what she does now and tips for surviving in the professional world. When talking about her time at OSU we went over topics like the ENR scholars program, classes, internships and extra curricular activities. She told me that what she remembers most from ENR scholars is the people, she made so many friends in the scholars program, still talking to some today. She even married someone she met in ENR scholars. The classes she took were mostly tied to her major, so mostly science and math courses. She took some fun classes too, an example being theatre. She also took a lot of psychology classes, some of which helped her wither career. She also had a minor in international relations, this gave her the opportunity to go to chile. She was in 2 internships during her undergraduate career. Her first internship was with Ohio UPA. Her second internship was at a consulting firm. There she did big projects and later got a job. As for extra curricular activities, she did not take part in many clubs, only the club engineering without borders. There she explored the world of engineering and even went to El Slavador. After graduation, Brittnee continued to work at a consulting firm. There she picked up valuable lessons for how to conduct yourself and navigate in the professional world. One of the biggest lessons she learned is to advocate for yourself. You are your own biggest advocate, if you want something you have to go get it. Some other advice she gave me is to take care of my mental health. Mental health is the most important thing you need in the professional career. People rely on you and trust you to do your job, if you have a poor mental health then how can you be efficient. Lastly she gave me tips and advice for interviews. She told me to make sure my personality shines through because they want to hire a colleague. It is important that they hire you for you, not for what you pretend to be. Also an interview is a 2 way street, so you must also ask them questions to make sure this company is the right fit for you. It is important to know what the company’s morals and goals are, as well as know you can be yourself with the company. This interview was very helpful to me, giving me inspiration and advice on what to do during my time in and out of college.

October Reflection

The month of October has been a very eventful and fulfilling month. I have learned a lot about myself and learned a lot of new information in class. In my engineering class I learned how to use MATLAB. I learned how to use equations and use (if, else, end) statements. I have also learned about matrixes and finding out if a value is true. Something I learned about myself is that I used to take advantage of the ability to hang out with people on a regular basis. However, now I appreciate the time with people a bit more since it doesn’t happen as often. I spend most of my time working on school work, without seeing someone for hours. Working for hours can be emotionally draining, so when I meet up with people I feels energized. It also is not easy to meet people across campus, I try to limit my time with people that do not live on my floor. This has made my bond with the people on the floor that much stronger. A lot of alone time also means a lot of time with my phone. One of the hardest things I have struggled with in online class is the distraction that comes from my phone. It is so easy to just grab my phone during class and play games. There is no one but myself to keep me focused and accountable, there is just me to stay strong. I partly achieved overcoming this struggle by making my environment easy to focus in. I would keep my phone in another room, or hide it away so I can not reach it. Lastly, I would give myself a window on how long I can do an assignment, making myself complete it by then. October has been very fun and I can not wait to see what November brings.

The first month of college has been a lot. So much has changed, from where I live to how I spend my time. It can all be very overwhelming, however I believe I have been doing well for the most part. I have already learned a lot in college, mostly because curriculum seems to go at a faster pace then high school. Something interesting I learned in class in my first month of college was how important comedy was in our news. Comedy plays an important role in discussing politics and world events. Something I learned about me was how easy it was to distract me. I thought I would be really god at focusing in class, yet I catch myself on my phone all the time. It would be easier if classes were in person, since they aren’t, its a whole new level of challenge. College also has a lot of struggles, different struggles that I have not encountered before, especially since college is online for the most part. Something that I have been struggling with is staying on top of my work. In high school I always finished my projects and homework days in advances, as not to procrastinate and wait last minute. I has been very hard to stay on top of my work in college, leading me to do things last minute and sometimes forget assignments. There has been some good habits that I have made in college as a result of the difficulties. Something that I have achieved is making sure I understand the information in class. I will study the material outside of class to make sure I know what I am doing. This first week of college hasn’t been the easiest, but overtime I am hopeful I will get the hang of it. I just need to give myself time to adjust and figure out a system that works best for me.

About Me

Hello! My name is Raman Chakravarthy. I am a freshman at The Ohio State University from Powell, Ohio and I am majoring in environmental engineering. I love to listen to music, go for runs/ hikes and learn about our environment. I am a nice person who loves to explore ideas and help others. During my time at OSU I want to join clubs and get involved with my community. I also want to take part in some fun clubs, meeting people with similar interests. As a result I joined the running club since I did Cross country and Track during my four years of high school. I want to learn about myself and the world, having a clean idea on what I want my future to look like. The Ohio State University has many opportunities to further your knowledge, I will use these advantages by taking advantage of the internship and research opportunities provided.
I am also in the Environmental and Natural Resources Scholars program. While I am in this program I want to learn about environmental policies and sustainability. I have always loved the environment, reading books about pollution and different types of animals. It is important to learn about the environment and how to help it. I also love the outdoors and I am so excited to go on adventures while in this program, while learning about the environment at the same time. It’s important to get away from technology and learn outdoor skills, bringing us closer to the outside world.