ESLTECH 2011 Summary

Three Takeaways From This Course:

#1. Set SMART Goals

In order to succeed in online classes, one must set SMART goals. This means that one’s goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based. Utilizing this framework makes goals seem clearer and less overwhelming, making it easier to achieve them.

 

#2. Utilize technology to aid learning

Apps like Study Scheduler and Notability can have a great impact on the learning process. Study Scheduler can be used to plan study sessions and keep oneself accountable for completing each session. Notability can be used to take, store, and organize notes.

 

#3 Get Organized

Online courses, especially asynchronous ones, offer students a lot more freedom than classes taught in the classroom. Students get to choose when, where, and how they learn the course content. Without proper organization, this freedom can end up being a detriment to one’s education. Writing down due dates in order, planning study sessions ahead of time, and decluttering a study space are great ways to get organized and ensure success in online courses.

Year 2 in Review

Although this past year did not go how I expected, I made the best of it. I changed my major from exploration to chemistry and declared a pharmaceutical sciences minor. As expected, my workload was more rigorous this year than it was freshman year. I also continued my involvement in extracurriculars like CHAARG, Boo Radley Society, MSA, OSU Wellness Center, and HSS LC, and I joined OUAB at the beginning of fall semester. During spring semester, I became a research assistant with the OSU Center for Human Resource Development. Every weekend throughout the academic year, I volunteered with MY Family Pantry, and I plan to continue volunteering there when I return to Columbus.

About Me

My name is Neha Kazmi, and I am a third year student studying Chemistry with a minor in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I am still exploring career paths, but I am strongly considering a career in healthcare. On campus, I am involved in OUAB, CHAARG, and the Health Sciences Scholars, and I’m also a wellness coach at the OSU Wellness Center. In my free time, I like to read, work out, and cook.

Artifacts

A critical decision I made this past year was to undergo training to become a peer wellness coach. Before I made that decision, I didn’t feel like I had a strong purpose on campus. I was doing well academically, and I knew that excelling in my studies would help me become a doctor and be able to help people eventually, but I wasn’t doing anything at the time that was making a direct positive impact on the community. I then spent the first weekend of the spring semester with a group of about 20 other trainees in the PAES building learning how to help other OSU students improve their holistic wellness. I learned the basics of motivational interviewing, the 9 dimensions of wellness, and crisis response. I came out of the training sessions with a more open mindset and a greater sense of belonging on campus. I had found a position that provided me a sense of purpose for the next four years and a group of similar-minded individuals who also cared about helping others.

Year in Review

Over this past year, I made it a goal to escape my comfort zone as often as possible and try to maximize my time at OSU. I branched out and joined many extracurricular organizations like CHAARG, MSA, and Boo Radley Society. Through these clubs, I met so many kind and interesting people. I also became a volunteer at the Student Wellness Center as a wellness coach. Although this was a position that I found a bit daunting, I am so glad I made the decision to apply because I feel that this is an amazing way for me to grow as a person and help others grow, too. While I was not able to coach anyone one on one before the switch to online classes, I learned so much during the training and shadowing process.

I also became a member of HSS’s Leadership Council. Being apart of LC has been a great learning experience and a great way to strengthen my connection to the HSS community. In terms of academics, I obviously learned so much course content, but I also learned the importance of being detail oriented and applying myself fully. Socially, I learned the importance of putting myself out there and that it’s possible to make great connections with people who I thought were so different from myself. Overall, I’m happy with how my first year went, as I grew so much as a person and made so many memories. I will take all of the lessons I’ve learned this year about taking risks and working hard and apply them next year so that my second year can be even better than my first!

G.O.A.L.S.

 

  • Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.
    • This year, I engaged in many short term service projects in order to expose myself to various issues and gain a better sense of which causes are most important to me, so I can devote more time to them. I volunteered with groups like Habitat 4 Humanity, Project Downtown, and Recipe 4 Good, and participated in events like Community Commitment, Columbus Cleanup, and Taste of OSU. I also spent a week in New Orleans, Louisiana on a BUCK-I-Serv trip over winter break helping with the conservation of coastal wetlands. I would have participated in another BUCK-I-Serv trip over the summer if not for the stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus. If possible, I will continue volunteering at Mercy St. Anne’s hospital in my hometown as I did last summer. I will also make use of the remote volunteering links in the HSS digest to still help out the community while in quarantine. Once back on campus in the fall, I will volunteer as a wellness coach for OSU students, a position I trained for this past semester. I plan to use my STEP money to participate in a service trip abroad within the next few years, and I will definitely participate in at least one more BUCK-I-Serv trip, perhaps as a trip leader.