1st Year in Review

Before I came to Ohio State, I was a very different person. I came in with the idea that college wouldn’t be as hard as everyone made it out to be, just as high school had been for me. I thought I could get by on minimal work like I had in the past years, but I learned very quickly first semester that was not the case.
I grew so much academically, even just in the last few months, and learned that the only way to achieve your goals is hard work, there’s no way to cut corners. I have learned how to manage all of my activities as well as my studies much better this semester, and my grades have seen the improvement. Keeping to a strict schedule has been key for me, and prioritizing studying and homework has made the biggest difference. This ability to prioritize has been going hand in hand with my maturity which has also been improving. I have had a few struggles with my roommates, but learning to walk away from drama and not letting it bother me has been a huge step.
As I struggled first semester to find a balance between school and having fun, my grades suffered a little which was something I was not used to. That struggle was what taught me the most how to be resilient. I learned how to take a bad grade, learn how to fix my mistakes, and do it better next time. I practiced that skill in all my classes this semester, and I have noticed an improvement.
Finally, I think my biggest point of growth has been in my interpersonal relationships this year. I was told coming in to college that I would have to begin to build relationships with my professors, and while I shrugged that off for a but in the first semester, I noticed how having those relationships can be incredibly helpful. In particular, I made much more of an effort to answer questions in class and participate in discussions, particularly in my Intro to Probability course. When I came to my professor for help, he was much more inclined to give me the help I needed because he had noticed how I was in class for every lecture and was always actively participating in the discussions. In comparison, last semester when I didn’t participate as actively in my Calculus 3 course, my professor was not as willing to help.
Over all this year has been an incredible one to grow and change as a person, and I cannot wait to see what the next few years also have in store for me.

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 guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]