Year in Review

In the Fall of 2018, I came into college not knowing who I would meet, what to expect, or even when/if I would figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was always worried about the unknown. Like most freshman, I didn’t know what I wanted or what was going to happen, especially with two, very different majors on my plate (biology and music). I started out thinking too much into what I wanted college to be for me. As draining as that can be, I eventually stopped thinking about the unknown, and took each day as it came. Before I knew it, I oftentimes found myself finishing up lab reports and then rushing to a practice room to practice piano or violin, or sing for an aural quiz I had the very next day. Every day, I went to my 10-person music classes and my 500-person science lectures, and slowly, I got to meet a range of people in different majors: many of whom became my closest friends. Sometime in the fall, I found a great research lab that I’ve been involved in ever since- Cognitive and Systematic Musicology, which combines both science and music to explain how music works with human behavior, physiology, and computation. After almost two semesters of exploring, I started thinking about what I really wanted to do, and by then, I knew that I wanted to do something with science in the future. I came into college expecting a clear picture, but I learned that that is never the case. I learned to not fear the unknown, and instead, turn “the unknown” into something new and exciting. I came to realize that it takes time and experience to really know more about yourself, and in return, I grew more as a person from the beginning of freshman year because I’ve gained this sense of awareness about myself.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.

Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.

Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.

Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.

Service Engagement: Throughout this past year, I was engaged with different local organizations such as volunteering at the animal shelter, performing music in nearby nursing homes and cleaning up a community park.

Artifacts

[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.]

About Me

My name is Emily Chen and I am a first year student at The Ohio State University. I have interests in both medicine and music so I’m double majoring in Violin Performance and Biology on a pre-med track. Currently, I am studying violin under Dr. Kia-Hui Tan at the School of Music. Additionally, at The Ohio State University, I’m a student in the Health Science Scholars program and the OSU Symphony Orchestra. As of now, I am not entirely sure what I want to do in the future but I’m hoping that my involvement in both music and science at Ohio State can help me decide!