During this semester, I think I really grew a lot and experienced a lot mentally and physically that I did not think I was going to experience. College is definitely very different from high school, that’s for sure, and even though I felt like I may have tried to be more prepared and get ahead of the game, I still knew nothing and learned a lot of things the hard way. I learned that taking 17 credit hours was probably not a great idea your first semester of college, and that there are a lot of things that would catch up with you if you don’t do them right away. I learned that it is okay to not do well on a test or an exam, and even though the grade that you got was not what you expected at all because you put so much work towards studying, you still learned something new at the end of the day and that it is possible to bounce back from it. It’s very strange to think that already an entire semester has gone by, and next semester would be a new beginning with new classes and new things to learn. I think I have also learned to be more humble, because going to a big school like OSU puts a lot of things into perspective like how big this world actually is and how many people are actually in it. My peers in my classes are all extremely talented people, whether that is in a certain subject or in a certain art medium. It makes me feel very lucky to be able to interact with all of these different people and learn from them and experience new things. This is especially true for Arts Scholars, because I have met so many different people through it and have been inspired by all of their talent and everything they have to offer. Since art has always been such a big part of my life, Arts Scholars has been such a good way for me to still be involved in art and have a way of displaying and using art while being a STEM major. That was one of my biggest concerns for college, because I knew I definitely wanted to be in the science field, but I still wanted art to be in my life because it brings me so much joy. This was the perfect way to do that. Overall, I think my first semester at OSU has been full of learning opportunities and experiences, and I can’t wait to see what future semesters have to offer. 

It still seems very surreal to me that I have already completed one week of college and about to go on another week and more following that. I always thought that it would feel like a giant turning point in my life, but so far, aside from a few minor breakdowns, it has been pretty okay so far. Maybe even good. Being a person who constantly transfers schools because her family moves around so much, it was very refreshing to finally go to a school for the first time with everybody else. I was always worried when I went to a new school that I would have trouble making friends and meeting people because they have their own friends already, but that was hardly the case here. Everyone came from a different part of the country (or the world) so there were very few that knew some people already. I remember being at the Arts Scholars retreat and feeling very nervous because I did not know anyone, but everyone seemed really nice and I met a couple of people who I still hang out with and say hi to in the hallways of my dorm building. Before actually moving in to college, when people asked how I felt about going and being in a new city and moving away, they always assumed I would say “excited” but the main emotion that I felt was “terrified”. I was terrified of not meeting anybody new, I was terrified of growing apart from some of the closest friends I have who are also going to OSU with me, and a number of other things. The reality as of right now cannot be more different than what I had expected. I did not need to be terrified at all, and what’s more, I’m actually enjoying it. I enjoy the independence and having all these opportunities, whether it is academic or just something fun to do. Overall, my first week of OSU, while it had its ups and downs, was pretty successful. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  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.]