First Year Experience Series

Making the Success Series Work For You

September 10, 2018 – 9:10 am – 10:05 am at the University Hall in Room 043

This session went over the general topics all FYE sessions cover and where these general topics came from. The most common concerns are academic changes, living in a diverse place, social life decisions, fear of failure, personal responsibility, self-advocacy, identity development, personal wellness, money management, and time. Those concerns were then organized into smaller categories: Academic and Career Exploration, Diversity/Global Awareness, Finances, Health and Wellness, and Leadership/Civic Engagement. I learned that despite how everyone else looks like on the outside, they may be just as confused, stressed, and all-over-the-place like I sometimes feel. Despite the projector and computer not working in the room, we did all the activities and were introduced to the available FYE sessions.

Buck-I-CARE About Consent

September 24, 2018 – 9:15 am -10:15 am at Houston in Room 200

This mandatory session went over the meaning of consent and was required by The Ohio State University. We were given specific scenarios and we told to answer whether consent was given in the scenario. We also watched a clip of “Sex in the City,” and were told to give specific examples from the clip that were good examples of giving consent and some actions that they were not good (such as covering the girl’s face to prevent her from talking). I learned that communication is crucial and consent is only valid and given when not under the influence of any substances, coercion, or suppression from a position of higher power. Consent is voluntary, knowing, explicit, active, withdrawn at any time, and never implied. Consent is mandatory—all physical and social types of contact require consent.

Busting Stress Through the Breath

October 15, 2018 – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Derby Hall in Room 0150

This session went over different methods of breathing to either de-stress or relax and meditation. We were asked how and where we normally get our energy, and our answers were food, sleep, and exercise. We did not think of breathing until the session leader talked oxygen/breathing and about the length of time, we can survive without each thing. Breath was the most important as we cannot survive very long without breathing. I learned two new different ways to breathe. The first method was to press the pointer and middle finger to the temple (the area between the eyes) and rest the ring finger and the thumb on the two different sides of my nose. Next, close one side and breathe slowly through that nostril before closing the other side and doing the same. The second method was to breathe through the nose and out the lips (the lips need to be in the form as if sipping on a straw). I have been using these two breathing methods to calm down whenever I get overwhelmed, and it has somewhat helped.

A+ Research: Help for Your Writing Assignments

October 23, 2018 – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Thompson Library Room 150

This session went over some resources available to help with writing and the differences between regular questions and research questions. Research questions often required more information. Some resources available for help with research includes the subject librarians, our professors, and the website https://go.osu.edu/choosingsources gives an e-book that describes the different parts of doing research. Then, we learned the acronym F.I.R.S.T. which stands for:

F – Focus your topic

I – Interesting Question

R – Resources Needed

S – Search for Evidence

T – Tweak the Arrangement of Information

Also, there is a writing center available on campus that provides help and review of our papers if we need help with editing, structuring, or starting our papers. I learned that quoting is copied word for word and used when the phrasing is accurate, has authority, is concise, and has unforgettable language, paraphrasing is used when making an emphasis or when needing simplicity and clarity and lastly, summarizing which condenses essential point(s) of your source into main idea(s). All paraphrasing and summaries must be in our own words, and all sources need to be cited!

Financial Aid: One Click Away

November 6, 2018 – 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm at 285/289 Student Academic Services

This session briefly explained the FAFSA (there is federal student aid app), special scholarships (go.osu.edu/specialscholarships), departmental scholarships, external scholarships (Bigfuture and Collegescholarships), and loans (FASTChoice – side-by-side comparison). Then I learned that to maintain aid for FAFSA, merit scholarships, departmental scholarships, special scholarships, and external awards. For merit scholarships, I had to have full-time enrollment and maintain a minimum GPA requirement. For departmental and special scholarships, I had to complete the FAFSA and complete all of the available applications. For external awards, I need to check with the eligibility requirements of the donor. For the FAFSA, I need to complete the FAFSA and meet the SAP (satisfactory academic progress). The SAP means, 1.9 after the first year and 2.0 after the second year, successfully complete 67% of classes enrolled, and has a maximum time frame (150% time to complete degree). The website to learn more about the SAP requirements could be found at go.osu.edu/sap. The last thing I learned was that if I every needed help with financial questions, I would go to the Student Academic Services 1st floor buckeyelink services area.

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