My first semester at OSU was SO MANY THINGS, but when I look back everything was so worth it and I wouldn’t change anything. I never thought I would endure so many new struggles and emotions, the sum of all of these things from past few months is far greater than the rest of my life. I’ve made many friends, some who were hard to stay close to, but the friends I have now I feel comfortable with, which is something I was skeptical of when I came to school. An important thing I realized was that I am way more organized and studious than I ever was in high school, which is a good improvement. At the beginning of the school year, I missed home a lot. Now, I see both Cincinnati and Columbus as home, which is a wonderful feeling.
“But Out” Reflection
I want to read more, but I have trouble setting aside time to read.
I want to read more, and I have trouble setting aside time to read. I will set times to read and mark it in my Outlook calendar, and I will go somewhere quiet to read.
I would like to be more organized than I am now, but I usually have trouble staying loyal to routine.
I would like to be more organized than I am now, and I usually have trouble staying loyal to routine. I will come up with new methods and check in each week to see if how I’m doing.
I want to get a job on campus, but I can’t find anywhere that’s hiring and sometimes don’t know where to start.
I want to get a job on campus, and I can’t find anywhere that’s hiring and sometimes don’t know where to start. I will attend a meeting next week for a place hiring and also research online jobs nearby.
I want to become dedicated to a place to volunteer, but need to find a place.
I want to become dedicated to a place to volunteer, and need to find a place. I joined my church volunteer list and will continue to look around campus for opportunities and talk to friends.
I would like to reconnect spiritually, but I need to set aside time to pray.
I would like to reconnect spiritually, and I need to set aside time to pray. I will set in my schedule every Sunday time to pray.
Humans of OSU
The person I decided to get to know more is a girl named Heather, who I knew lived in my wing of Baker but we never spoke more than “hi” while passing. I decided I wanted to get to know her better when I ran into her in the bathroom and she had purple hair. I found out she is really easy to talk to and open to share her story. We talked for a long time about multiple different things, and she had a lot of life lessons. The most interesting story I learned from her when she was 17, she came out to her parents as bisexual, because she was interested in dating a girl. She told her mom first. At first, her mom was curious about if Heather would still have kids, because she wanted grandkids. They talked about it, and ultimately her mom let her know that she loved her unconditionally. Then, she told her dad and he simply walked away. She didn’t see him until the next morning, getting ready to leave for school. He looked at her, and said “I thought about what you told me last night, and I am ashamed of you.” I asked her if he ever came to terms with it, and she said he never really did. He apologized a while after that, but their relationship was never the same. However, this made Heather grow stronger and believe that she could, in fact, accept herself wholeheartedly as she was even if her parents can’t accept her. Nobody’s opinion about you matters except your own.
My first week at OSU
My first week at OSU was pretty great! It’s weird becoming involved in so many new things all at once, but I’ve loved the experiences. Out of all the adjustments I had to make – dorm life, meeting new people, new classes – the biggest struggle I noticed was walking so much. It made me so exhausted and stiff, but I think my pace is improving. I’ve also got most of campus figured out. My classes are just beginning to become fairly busy so I hope I can keep up. By next week, I hope to have talked to more of my professors in person, and I hope the weather becomes cooler so Baker East isn’t so bad!
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
[The Home Page will show a running blog of your recent posts, which are categorized and show on that category’s page. Please delete this post or edit with your own information.]
Year in Review
[ “Year in Review” is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student. You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
G.O.A.L.S.
[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.
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: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]
Career
[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career. Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
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 is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
About Me
Hi! My name is Maddie and I’m from Cincinnati. I attended Mount Notre Dame High School, which is an all-girls private school. I really grew as a person in high school because I learned how to really invest myself in academic, athletic, spiritual, and social communities while keeping each aspect balanced in my life. My most memorable experiences were being captain of the track and cross country teams, vice president of Respect Life Club, a book club member, and creating close connections with classmates and teachers. Because of all of these, I had stronger values and I found interests I really enjoy, which is why I chose to join the Humanities Scholars. It’s going to be a challenge to apply what I know to a giant campus like Ohio State, but I hope to eventually find my way. A big part of my journey at OSU will be to find a major I can grasp with confidence knowing I can do it.
