“What’s your story?”

“My name is Andrew. I’m a freshman at OSU studying engineering. I’m not totally sure what I want to do with my future yet, though. I joined OSU’s quidditch team and I’ve already had a few great matches. In high school I did marching band. I played clarinet and it was a big part of my life. I’m still really into marching band stuff even though I didn’t join OSU’s marching band. It’s a little bit too intense for me so I think I’ll sign up for the athletic band instead. Anyways, I guess that’s my story right? I don’t know what else to say, I’m just a normal kind of guy who just got here. Maybe I’ll have a better story to tell in a few years when I start to define myself more with my studies and activities.”

Making the leap from high school to college is on one hand invigorating, sparking curiosity and bestowing opportunity. On the other hand, however, making the transition into college life can be physically and emotionally exhausting and even scary. One of the most commonly cited fears among newly recruited buckeyes is the inability to make friends. This first week of my experience as a buckeye has consisted of facing this fear, and many others, and debunking some of the pessimistic myths that surround them.

Making friends in a massive, unknown environment is totally doable, but the price you pay for lasting friendships often takes the form of nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing social situations. For example, I’m very passionate about the LGBTQ community and this week I thought it would be a good idea to make some friends by going to a pride mixer. When I showed up, I felt completely ungrounded and untethered. I was a lone freshman with no reason to be there except for the will to forge new friendships and make a place for myself in this newfound community. I wandered around silently for a while, taking stock of my surroundings and ultimately deciding to take a seat at an empty table, lest I encroach on a preexisting friend group. A shy looking freshman soon approached me, introduced himself, and asked to sit with me. Then another freshman came along. A few minutes after that, I recognized someone there- a junior who comes from the same town as me. She introduced me to all of her friends and talked to me about the different LGBTQ organizations around campus.

Before I knew it, I’d already started a vast network of relationships to make me feel a little more at home in such a dauntingly big place. This week, I’ve found that OSU is so diverse that anyone who seeks out a special interest will find it and likewise anyone who seeks out friendship will be successful.