Journal #1

    As I am ending my second week of classes, there is already so much that I can reflect on. Classes began at full speed, and although I wasn’t fully prepared for the workload, I am adjusting quickly. I have good organizational habits, which makes balancing all of my classes, going to work, going to the gym and spending time with friends a great deal easier. Before arriving to campus, I didn’t expect to have so much free time everyday. I immediately recognized that it’s up to me to stay on top of my work and get my assignments done ahead of time. I think I have a good foundation of time management skills, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Adjusting to living in a dorm has been going well too. I’ve shared a room with my sister before, so learning to live with someone else who has their own schedule and living habits hasn’t been particularly stressful. I do, however, miss having a bigger bed. I’ve been reaching out and trying to meet new people on this enormous campus, but it can be overwhelming. Being a part of a scholars program has made it possible to meet new people and make friends. I think there’s more of a connection between the students on my floor because we have a chance to come together and become familiar with the people living by us. I think throughout this year, scholars will provide me with a close community of people and guidance throughout the rest of my transition into college. 

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.]

G.O.A.L.S.

Spring Project Proposal

Next semester, I am considering dropping scholars, but with reason. I am part of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and am being considered for an E-board position next semester. I get interviewed for it this and if I get the position, I might drop scholars. I would do this because the workload and time commitment I will have from SHPE will increase, and I don’t want to overwhelm myself and become too stressed. Once I know more information about the position (and if I even get it), I will know for sure what my next semester plans will look like. I have loved being apart of this scholars group and recognize how much it has helped me meet good people and create a community. If I can, I would do both scholars and SHPE, and it is still an option.

 

If I am to stay in scholars next semester, my goal would be to learn how to longboard. I currently own a penny board and plan on getting a longboard over break. I could start learning to board over break, but it might be hard since I will be in Puerto Rico and the streets aren’t very good for boarding, especially for beginners. I will do research over break to see what type of board I want and read about recommended techniques on how to start. I plan on tracking when I go out to practice in a journal and can include photos as well. I will set a minimum times that I have to practice per month in order to ensure that I do it. By the end of the semester, I hope to be able to board to class from my dorm. The first step should be to decide on a board and buy it. Next, I would look into how to start and get comfortable with my board. I hope to do this by the end of January. My greatest obstacle will be weather. It would be unsafe to board through any snow or rain, so that eliminates a lot of days that I could be practicing on. I think I will make a lot more progress in the second half of the semester versus the first, but I am accounting for that now. 

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  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.]

Artifacts

Part 1:

Whether it be a chilly winter day or a late-night study session, coffee shops are inviting spaces where people can either get time away from their regular routine or come together with those in their community. I chose to discover coffee shops around Columbus because I thought it would show me knew parts of the city where I could get good coffee. I would frequently visit coffee shops back at home and want to find others near campus. This week, I visited two stores located in the Short North. The first was One Line Coffee which is a well-known shop in Columbus. What was special about One Line coffee is learn and share the stories of where their coffee comes from and who is creating it. The store had a very welcoming environment and large tables available to sit in large groups. I liked this setup because it allows for all sorts of people to come and sit together and enjoy good coffee. The second place I went to was called Zen Cha Tea. This shop was a little different because it specializes in tea instead of coffee. Going in, I didn’t know that much about the different types of tea but the staff helped walk me through the menu to figure out what I wanted. I really appreciated their help and liked the space in the shop too. I could imagine going back and being able to study in that store when I have the time. What surprised me about this Zen Cha was all the variety of teas they had. I am interested in learning more about the different types of teas and which I like best. Zen Cha also had a brunch and dinner menu that I would also want to go back and try soon. So far, this project has been off to a good start and I look forward to trying more coffee and discovering more of Columbus.

Part 2:

The next three coffee shops I went to were in three different parts of Columbus. The first was Upper Cup Coffee in Old Town East. It was a little further out than the others, but still not hard to find. They have a variety of coffee from different countries. I liked that they had descriptions of the different types of coffees and the flavors in each. It was a good environment to get work done in and it had a lot of character. The workers seemed to know many of their customers and were welcoming to all.

The second shop was Poindexter in the Short North. The décor here was really unique and it has a really convenient location. I worked there for about 4 hours and the flow of customers was consistent the entire time. The coffee shop is also connected to a hotel which has a lobby with a workspace in it too. This is where I found a seat to study. I l liked the coffee more at Upper Cup Coffee, but this shop had a better study space.

Lastly, I went to Stauf’s Coffee in Grandview. This was clearly a popular spot because it was full the entire time I was there. I was impressed by the help that the staff provided when I was trying to decide what to order. They have a lot of unique types of coffee and gave good recommendations. It was harder for me to work here because there was a lot going on around me, so I think this would be a place I would go to get coffee with friends and catch up. I am curious to see how the other locations look and if I could be more productive at one of those. I would go back to any one of the locations I visited for this project.

My favorite part about this project was that it encouraged me to explore Columbus. I always assume that since I’m from nearby, I know what the city has to offer. In reality, there are so many hidden gems spread throughout the different neighborhoods here. I would like to continue the search for my favorite local coffee shop, and also branch out to other categories of attractions. To whoever is interested in exploring a city in this manner, I recommend that they do some research to find out where they want to go. There were so many options that I would have never found if I didn’t look it up. It was also useful to ask others from Columbus or who know the area well about what they recommend. Another useful tip is to consider how easy it is to get to. The buses can typically take you there, but a car would be much for convenient for certain locations. I’m glad I chose to explore coffee shops because I know that that the often a place I can go to on my own or with friends. If I need a refreshing place to study, an place for casual meetings, or just for a to go cup of coffee, I have a much better idea of where I can go and what to expect.

About Me

My name is Isabela and I’m from Columbus, Ohio. I’m a first-year Environmental Engineering student. Aside from classes, I’m interested in getting involved on campus. So far, I’ve gotten to see SHPE (Society of Hispanic Engineers), the Engineering Sorority Phi Sigma Rho, and have been trying out different group fitness classes with friends (so far, Zumba is my favorite). My goal for this semester  is to do well in my classes and meet new people at OSU.