During my first year at Ohio State, I have grown more as a person than any other year of my life and also been challenged more than any other year, especially academically and professionally. Coming into college, I didn’t really have any solid study skills, so for the first time in my academic career I was very challenged. It was a lot of trial and error, and I have found a few techniques for success, but I am still developing those techniques. I also came into OSU with a pretty set path as to what my career would be, but after being here I realized that was a path I had created based on what I thought others would approve of and didn’t look at the other opportunities out there. This realization of all the many options out there has challenged me because I have realized that my initial path isn’t what I want to do, but I don’t know what I want to do, so I am being challenged with the stresses of that.
However, because of this I have grown as a person and had a lot of character development. My first year at OSU has made me more open minded to change and possibilities yet also remain focused that college is about getting a degree. I also have learned that it’s okay to question yourself and what you are doing, because it makes you more confident in your decisions and yourself. I have learned how to stand up for myself and what I believe in in a polite yet confident manner whether it is with my friends, family, or professors. Because of my personal growth, I am now unsure of the career path I want to take, so over this summer I want to be proactive in seeking out opportunities of shadowing in fields I think I may be interested in. When I get back to campus in the fall, I will try to search out jobs and organizations related to fields I am want to go into to further help me make this decision.