One semester down – seven to go! I cannot believe that I am already halfway done with my first year at Ohio State. It seemed like yesterday I was just packing up boxes and bags to start my undergraduate career.
This semester, I learned a lot. Here’s some words of wisdom!
–Grades are not everything; your GPA is not the sole determinant of whether you will be successful or obtain a job. You are much more than a GPA! It’s just a number and your worth is not judged because of it.
This semester, I was very concerned with achieving a good GPA (ideally perfect), so that I would have a good start to college and because classes get harder as I get further into my major. I studied so much more than I ever did before: 15 hours a week, approximately. This semester, I earned a 4.0. It didn’t come without plenty of tears as I contemplated dropping out of school altogether and had existential crises, lost sleep, and skipped meals. I didn’t manage my time well enough. DO NOT SKIP MEALS OR SLEEP. Take breaks from studying and go grab fruits and vegetables and protein. When I was running on 5 hours or less of sleep, I couldn’t even think properly in class.
Some of my friends are disappointed that they did not make the Dean’s List (a 3.5 is needed). One friend is one of the smartest people I know. He is in Neuroscience Honors, and his classes were exponentially harder than mine, considering that he took chemistry, biology, and psychology all at once. It is not his fault at all; it’s hard to get a 4.0 straight off the bat in college. Do not think it is the end of the world if a grade ends up being lower than anticipated; brush yourself off and come back stronger the next semester.
From my experiences, I know now to manage my time better. I will go to office hours! I will make sure to start all assignments as early as I can, especially my papers, because they actually take longer than expected to write. There’s brainstorming, editing, peer proofreading, and more editing involved in the process of writing. I talked to advisors and peers about study habits and simply through those discussions, I realized what mistakes I was making and what I could do to improve.
–Learn how to do laundry as early as you can. Also, use Tide pods! – In early August, I learned how to do laundry. This is a skill that I should have learned a decade ago, but didn’t learn until college. My advice is to do it during high school. Also, bring several rolls of quarters for the machines! You can use BUCKID but if you want to add 15 minutes to your time, just add a quarter instead of swiping the card again (for me in Park-Stradley Hall, it is $1.50 to wash and $1.25 to dry). Sometimes everyone is washing and drying their clothes at the same time, so find the times that no one is down in the laundry room (I go on Thursday or Friday nights, or early Saturday mornings!) Pods make it much easier to clean clothes instead of dragging along jugs of detergent! It doesn’t have to be the Tide brand.
Tide Pods! Step 1) Throw them directly into the washer! And you’re done!
–Friendships from high school will change. Most of my high school friends attend school in Cleveland; a few have ventured out-of-state! I am less close to them because they have found new friends. However, I still speak to them occasionally and make plans to hang out with them during breaks. These friendships can still work; understand that it takes effort and that they’re still friends but can’t physically be there for you all the time.
–You will be busy! I can’t do EVERYTHING even though there’s so many opportunities available. Don’t try to join every single club that you are interested in. Make a list and then narrow it down. I joined three (one meets weekly, one meets bi-weekly, and one meets monthly), and I found it challenging to attend all their meetings. Additionally, don’t feel obligated to attend every college party or other social event. You may feel like you are missing out but it’s important to strike a balance. 🙂 Set up a study party. After all, the main point of college is getting an education.
–Some things are not meant to work out; you may be rejected by a program, internship, employer, or person you were romantically interested in. Do not take it personally. Sometimes rejections happen because there are better things coming our way.
This semester, I applied to different things (Honors & Scholars Programming Board, Health Sciences Scholars Leadership Council, and a volunteering position at the James Cancer Hospital). I made it past the application stage for all three of those, but the interviews for all of them went not as well as I had hoped. I also learned that I wasn’t right for the positions after all. Make sure you actually want the position and are ready to commit to it, and not just apply to look good on an application.
One interview I had so far this school year was successful; that was mid-August when I applied to a campus job with the College of Public Health, which is where I am today! It’s a great place to work.
–Think about your actions and consequences in the future. Ask yourself if what you are doing is going to be beneficial for you in the future. Sometimes I can’t always go to Polaris or Tuttle mall every weekend. Ask yourself if what you are buying is something you will use often. (I spent so much $$$ my first semester, on clothes and food. I made a budget soon after). Make wise decisions!
–Talk to people about your feelings. I learned not to let my frustrations or negative emotions stay inside. Find someone like a friend to confide in. Let your advisors know you. No man is an island, and it’s normal to acknowledge your emotions.
–Do have fun in college! Do not lock yourself in your room or in the library. Explore Columbus. There was a free night at COSI, a science center, and thousands of students attended. I had fun there too, learning more about technology. With the Discount Tix (D-Tix) program we have, you can get discounted tickets to the Columbus Zoo and Botanical Gardens, to name a few places. Eat in the dining hall across campus once in a while. Play Frisbee in the Oval. Visit random students down the hall from you.
I cannot wait for Spring semester when I know I will make better choices and be a better student than I was before.
Hopefully my advice helps someone (even one person!). Let me know in the comments if you agree or benefitted from my suggestions, or even if it didn’t.