Year in Review

My second year here at OSU has taught me a lot about myself, and I’ve gained priceless knowledge in terms of how I can better handle stress, how to prepare/plan for the future, and what I want to do in my life after my time here at college. My GOALS have changed and evolved to reflect all of my learning, and they represent who I am as a person here at OSU.

Global Awareness: I’ve known I want to study abroad since my junior year of high school, and it is one of the aspects of college study that I am looking forward to the most. I’ve always has a love for other cultures and countries and being able to experience this while also in a learning environment with my peers is something that I cannot wait to do. I’ve been planning my study abroad experience since second semester of last year and while I’m still preparing/allocating funds for it, I’ve nailed down that I will (ideally) be participating in the History Department’s special World War II study abroad program. This trip is perfect for me, as it is a topic I love, it goes to numerous countries I’ve never been to, and it lasts a full month. Though I’m still working towards it, should everything fall into place, this goal ca be realized next summer (May 2020).

Original Inquiry: My GOAL of original inquiry is definitely the one I could improve upon the most. Though I’ve had a good experience with in-class research with faculty-guided projects such as those in Chem 1920H and Biology 1113H, my experience with extracurricular research has been sadly nonexistent. One of my goals for next semester is to get involved with clinical research here on campus, and to push myself to be proactive and courageous when asking for potential positions. Though I have limited experience, this isn’t too discouraging as I do know my focus in terms of career has shifted from research/lab work to a more interaction-based, sociable career, where I work with others to improve people’s lives (in one way or another).

Academic Enrichment: I have always striven to do my very best in school and this is holding especially true in college. I am taking a very challenging course load, with many honors classes, and I am proud to say that I’ve been able to – with hard work and determination – keep my GPA at 3.477, which I’m very proud of (especially since the SP18 semester was especially challenging for me). My honors contract continues to reflect this trend of commitment to my academics, with a challenging string of courses for my biochemistry major – which will prepare me for whatever I end up going into – and a business minor to supplement this and make me more marketable as a post-grad hire. The remaining of my GEs were chosen to stimulate me academically, while also allowing me some breathing room in order to avoid being overwhelmed while taking my major/minor courses.

Leadership Development: My involvement with extracurriculars increased drastically this year. I served as the Vice President of Marketing for the American Red Cross Club and was extremely actively involved until my term ended in early March. I gained a great deal of leadership experience as a result and learned how to handle stressful situations, communicate with a team to reach a goal, how to delegate tasks and share responsibilities, etc. Most importantly, working in this position gave me great experience in terms of marketing, networking, and communicating with companies that will be invaluable in a practical career setting.

Service Engagement: Working with the Red Cross Club gave me a great deal of service engagement these past two years, and I’ve volunteered/worked for roughly 80 hours as a result. Though I am not in a leadership role this next year, I plan to continue to be involved with the club to help those in need. Furthermore, I also plan to get involved with a service club that works with hospitals/clinics in order to help my community, while also building up my resume for the future.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *