My First Semester at OSU

Coming in to college, I had a lot of anxieties. There were so many changes happening at once that I felt resistant to. I was worried about having to make new friends, about adjusting to lack of structure, and about putting myself into new situations. I regretted not pushing myself to try new things in high school and I knew I wanted to change that when I got here.

I have grown in a lot of ways since I first came here. I’ve become much more independent and responsible since the beginning of the semester. I’ve gotten better at making friends (something I hadn’t really had to do since middle school). I even think that I’ve relaxed a little bit as a person. I’m not as wrapped up in the details of things as I used to be. I still worry about finding my “college best friend”, but I trust that I will find my people eventually. I learned there is no point in forcing friendships, things will work out.

I am really glad that I decided to join Art Scholars. Regardless of whether or not I’ll be friends with everyone in the future, I’m glad that I was able to build a close community with creative people this semester. I’m also happy that I decided to apply for ALC, even though it was something that I was unsure of. Being on the Arts Committee really makes me feel like I’m a part of something here at OSU. I’m excited to see what will come next semester, and I am ready to become more involved in ALC to help with making Art Scholars a great experience for me and everyone else.

 

My First Week At OSU

Coming to Ohio State University for Move-In Day, my expectations were all over the place. I expected dorm life to be challenging, but I was excited and confident about meeting a bunch of new people. I felt independent and ready for this next step. To my surprise, things have been much different than my expectations. I’ve adjusted pretty quickly to living in a dorm, however I didn’t anticipate how lonely I would feel without my friends and family. And while that is tough, I am fortunate that there are so many activities and events here at OSU designed to help me meet new people.

Welcome week was overwhelming, yet exciting. It is cool to feel such camaraderie at this school. I’m excited to start participating in Art Scholars events and other clubs. It will be nice to meet some more like minded individuals and possibly make new friends. I’m also really excited to explore the art scenes Columbus has to offer. I hope that all of us in the Art Scholars program will cultivate a close bond.

In terms of classes, it’s been very manageable so far. I like the freedom of my class schedule, although I do feel the responsibility of managing my free time (It is very tempting to just watch Netflix rather than study). I realize that it’s only been one week, so I don’t plan to get too comfortable thinking this semester will be a breeze. I feel hopeful for what will come this year and I can’t wait for Ohio State to feel like my home.

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 includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  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.]