First Semester Reflection

My first semester at Ohio State was really challenging. This semester tested me mentally, academically, and emotionally, but I also learned a lot of new things both inside and outside the classroom. Academically, everything has been off to a good start with just finals and two final papers left to do before the end of the semester. My classes have been interesting and informative, and so have the extracurricular events I took part in outside of class like the NELC and Humanities lecture on animal mummies. I also spent a good portion of the semester how to properly manage myself as in time management and functioning like an adult capable of getting to the right places at the right times. I relearned how to study, building off my high school experience and making sure that no matter how I studied that it was sufficient for the work I needed to do. Along with this I relearned how to properly study in a way where I could finish all my work in a timely manner and stay mentally stable amidst all the stress and work. The biggest difference I noticed with my college transition academically is that the workload is more immense and time demanding above all else.

 I had a lot of memorable moments through the first semester while making new friends along the way. I had the opportunity to explore both on and off campus, making memories along the way with new friends at locations like the Zoo and German Village. Over the semester I have met a lot of really interesting people with interesting backgrounds and stories to tell. I feel that I have learned a lot from the new friends I have made here. I also have gotten closer with friends that I knew before college.

I would say that overall while my transition to college may have been stressful, I with the help of my friends have found a way to make the transition easier and I am excited to continue here at Ohio State next semester.

 

Where I’m From

I am from the first snowfall of the year with make believe goals on the end of a street, a plastic ball, and a few beaten up sticks. I remember my freezing hands attempting a pass, a block, and of course, an ambitious slap shot that would see my stick way above my head, only to blast the plastic puck in a direction somewhere near where I was aiming, but imaginary goals can be anywhere you want, so I was always scoring game winning shots in my mind. I am from the surprise my parents presented my with when I was 10, real goals. I come from the days my family would call up friends, pick teams, and run around in the falling snow. With real goals came real accuracy and an actual skill improvement. I am from slipping and sliding all over the ice, wobbly skates on a kid who was always called tall for his age. I come from the realization that a dream goal wouldn’t be met, but the memories and passion still stick with me today. I come from shootouts with friends the day before Thanksgiving where I taught them how to play. 

I come from new experiences too, whether it was curling, robotics, the didgeridoo, and soccer. I come from Saturday morning soccer, where my hockey skills proved to be quite useful and I lacked skates that held me back. I come from scoring goals and assists. I also come from two gloves that my dad called “Mickey Mouse gloves” and stopping said goals. I come from a sports culture that I hold onto both in play and when watching those who actually can play. 

I come from travellers, both ancient and modern. I come from misty dew covered valleys and winding mountain roads. I come from rest stop pit stops and restless energy that struggles with a seatbelt. I come from wooden piers and lighthouses that seemed so tall to a 9 year old and still fill me with wonder today. I’m from the gulls’ laughter too. I’m from the sea salt spray and sandy gravel roads. I am from cross country car trips, north, south, east, and someday I will be from the west too. I am from being afraid to fly and I have grown into being at ease in the air. I come from the thrill of adventures both the mundane and small, and the large and grand. 

I am from growing friendships that I still see growing today. I am from family and friends. I am from opportunities taken and choices made. I am from laughter, but I am also from really bad jokes that garner no laughter. I come from the stories I learn and the stories I forge myself. I come from a long line of worriers and warriors and all the inbetweens as well.I come from those who look into the past and those who dream ahead to the future.

My First Week at OSU

My first week at Ohio State certainly was unlike any other experience. Before classes started, I spent time meeting my new classmates at the Humanities Scholars’ first year retreat. I met many new faces and I am excited to get to know the people around me better. I found the retreat quite fun and useful, as it gave me a chance to introduce myself to my fellow Humanities Scholars, some of which share classes with me. After the first year retreat, I faced one of my biggest fears as a commuter: becoming lost in an area I have not driven in. I panicked as I attempted to navigate and wound up driving into the heart of downtown Columbus. I was so nervous when I pulled over to look for directions, I bumped my car against the curb. Luckily, after these driving mishaps, I successfully found the route I needed to take to return home. Since this incident, I have not gotten lost or had any other vehicle mishaps.

The first day of class is always a momentous day, and the first day of college only amplifies that fact. I was so excited for my first day that I struggled to sleep the night before. As the clock approached eight in the morning, I was getting more and more nervous. As the clock reached eight am I entered my first recitation and first college class. The class period consisted of the students in our class waiting to see if our teacher’s assistant would arrive for our class, but in the 55 minutes they never did. My first college class did not occur, but I learned two lessons. The first one was you always need to check your email, as we were sent an email informing us that our recitation was canceled. The second lesson was that you have to be on your toes and ready for anything, as you can not predict the future. After this first class unlike any other I have experienced, the week normalized. In my free time, I explored places on campus to study, my favorite spot is the Orton Hall Library, I also enjoyed visiting the Orton Geological Mueseum. I am so excited for my new opportunities at Ohio State academically, socially, and professionally. 

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.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. 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.

  • Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc.
  • Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
  • Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
  • Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

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

[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.]

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