2021 Fall Semester Reflection

My first full semester in person at The Ohio State University was action-packed! I learned a lot from this long-awaited experience, inside and outside of the classroom. If I am being honest, at times I felt more passionate about my extracurriculars than the schooling that is getting my degree. However, I think that feeling is mutual among my pre-med peers who are also suffering through all of the general education classes. I mise well talk about the schooling first, and then we’ll get to the fun stuff.

Adjusting to an almost completely in-person experience was challenging. Right away, my time management skills were sharp. However, my study skills still require some work. Going through 13 years of lower education and 1 year of higher education without ever having to study haunts me to this day. Not to mention, there are just not enough hours in the day to complete all that should/could be done. Despite this struggle, I felt I maintained a good balance in my life and my mental health thanked me greatly for that. Unfortunately, I fell short of my final term grade goals. Though I felt defeated at first, I find peace in knowing that I have had quite the learning experience. I have come to see my undergraduate years as one big journey, not defined by a single semester. The life lessons, memories, and stories I have acquired will make great conversation pieces and essay answers in the future. With that being said, I am on the hunt for a comeback story this semester. Like I said, after coming up short of my goals in Organic Chemistry I and Physics I, I am hungry for drastic improvement in Organic Chemistry II and Physics II. Building a routine, being mindful of my physical well-being, adding consistency to my study schedule, and cutting back on some research hours are just a few ways I plan to achieve my goals for this semester! As always, stay tuned to find out how it goes.

Now for the fun parts. I say parts because The Ohio State University is A LOT of fun.

  • The “Insulin Producing Cell” project; As I have noted previously, I joined Dr. Gallego-Perez Nanomedicine Laboratory at the beginning of this semester. Dedicating 3 days and around 12 hours a week, I quickly became an elite undergraduate research assistant within the lab. The Insulin Producing Cell project researches how direct cellular reprogramming can be used to convert skin fibroblast into responsive β-cells (cells that produce insulin, which type 1 diabetics lack). If you would like to read more about my research experience this semester, please see the research essay that I submitted to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.  When I said I began to become more passionate about extracurriculars as opposed to my schooling, 90% of that was due to this attention-grabbing research experience!  Goldwater Research Essay FINAL

   

  • Recruitment Hosting; It was so awesome to be able to be on the field and front row at every home Ohio State football game this season. Words cannot describe how awesome this job has been and I fully anticipate hosting for the next 2 years. We’ll see how many more recruits I can pull in and how many more times I can get on TV!

  • Tons more of Ohio State Athletics; Over the course of the semester, I loved getting involved in as much of the athletics around campus as possible. From sand volleyball and basketball intramural teams to Ohio State football and basketball games, I strived to stay active and involved with my fellow Buckeyes.

  • I am blessed to still be connected to my amazing friends and family! Some of my favorite moments this semester involved traveling to see everyone and showing my friends/family what it is like to be a Buckeye.

 

(p.s. My sister Jennifer got married in November and is expecting a little baby girl soon!!)

The fall 2021 semester flew by! I cannot wait to make more memories in Columbus and continue the pursuit of my undergraduate degree. As I continue to learn and expand my horizons, I have begun to become unsure of where I am headed in medicine. Lately, my heart has been in traveling and mission work. However, my passion for research is still omnipresent. Only time will tell. Again, stay tuned, because I am in the process of planning a multi-week mission trip to Ghana with the Doctors Without Borders club at The Ohio State University! For now, that is all I have to share. Yesterday I got my COVID-19 booster and flu shot at the same time. Saying I am exhausted is an understatement. Cheers for a good semester.