This past Saturday, I sat down with one of my mentors, Becca Finkes, for our first meeting. I wasn’t really sure how these meetings were supposed to go, but thankfully she came prepared with a couple of questions that got things rolling. We talked about academics for a while, and some of the concerns I had about my current major, but we eventually strayed toward more of a simple conversation. I learned she had two tattoos, that she was from West Chester, Ohio, and even got to talking about her experiences abroad. I found this information to be far more engaging than the answers to the typical “How have your first few weeks on campus been?” or “What’s your favorite course?” questions. While we did not set up another time to meet, I’m sure I will be hearing from and learning more about my mentor in the weeks to come.

When I arrived on campus for the first time, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the events that were taking place. I am not a very high energy person, so move in, the involvement fair, and convocation all were a bit stressful for me. However, despite my anxieties, I could already tell that Scholars was going to be a good way for me to meet similar people who were going through the same struggles.

As the welcome week activities began to die down, and classes began, I started to feel a bit more at ease about my transition. I went to an early college high school, so the class layout felt very familiar to me. Ironically, my courses this semester are actually shorter than my high school classes. My one surprise was just how much group work is built into my courses.

Prior to move in, I held the same expectations most teenagers have when it comes to college. Movies, books, music, and those who have graduated all tell tales about all-nighters before exams, wild parties, re-inventing yourself with a whole new group of friends, and so on. However (and I know it has only been about 15 days), but that certainly has not been my experience. I still hang out with the same group of friends I had in high school, and I hardly ever go to bed later than 12:3o am. As the semester progresses though, I do see myself making new friends and new memories within my Scholars group. I have come to like many of the people in the group, and I am happy to see their faces in the hall and on my way to class every day.

I remain hopeful about the next four years to come, and all the changes and new experiences it will bring.

An Introduction:

My name is Anne Grimm, I am eighteen years old, and I am a freshman at The Ohio State University. I am pursuing a degree in civil engineering, and I am a part of the Architecture, City, and Landscape scholars program. I am from Marysville Ohio, which is a small town just northwest of Columbus. In my spare time, I enjoy watching movies (preferably the “so bad it’s good” kind), taking photos, and running. I look forward to learning more about campus as my first year progresses, and making some new friends!

This is me!