My First Semester at OSU

I had an awesome first semester at Ohio State! I was so excited yet so nervous to come here because I wasn’t sure what to expect– especially since I’m from out of state. I was worried about stress, making friends, keeping my grades up, getting involved, etc. Surprisingly enough, none of these things proved to be an issue. I had a smooth transition here. My roommate, Quenaysha, and I hit it off right away, and we went on to become aquatinted with a few other wonderful human beings in our building (Jen, Maggie, Christian, Abby, Natalie, Phillip, Mathieu–  I love y’all the most). We have all been inseperable for the past few months, and I am confident I have met my forever friends. In terms of getting involved, I am a part of the Humanities Scholars and a club called 1girl. Both organizations make me very happy and proud to be a part of. They both give me the opportunity to give back to my community and have fun at the same time. I think I’m going to try to join a couple more clubs/groups next year. As for academics and dealing with stress, I can honestly say I’ve been doing okay. I have pretty good grades and I have only had two mental breakdowns (hopefully I can say the same after finals, haha). It’s definitely a lot harder than high school, but my ambition always pushes me to do my best. As my first semester draws to a close, I can comfortably say Columbus is now my home. I am so blessed to be a Buckeye, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Humanities This Week

Most people don’t know how to respond upon being asked about what the term humanities means, yet humanities can be found in our everyday lives. Humanities take on different forms and have different meanings to each individual. Personally, some of the aspects I think of when I hear the word humanities include art, community, history, philosophy etc. The first place I experienced humanities this week was Monday afternoon. I met with some of my group members from a club I’m in called 1girl. As members of 1girl, we travele to United Prep elementary school to talk to young girls about feminism and empowerment. My favorite part about the club is learning about each of the girls and watching them grow as leaders. They’re all so unique and inspiring, and I know they’re going to change the world. Next, I started my my Tuesday in anthropology learning about the discovery of the first human-like fossil. I’ve always enjoyed learning about the history of humans. Fast forward to later that night when I saw Aladdin on broadway which was so beautiful. I really appreciated the acting, singing, and settings included in the show. Lastly, I ended my Wednesday night giving back to the community by trick-or-treating for non-perishable food items for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank with my fellow Humanities Scholars. It was so much fun and for a great cause. My favorite part of Wednesday was seeing everyone’s Halloween costumes. It’s cool to see everyone express their individuality and creativity through their costumes. It also got me thinking about how much I love Halloween and how important it is to our culture. In just three days I experienced various aspects of humanities. People may not always notice the presence of humanities on a daily basis, but they would definitely notice if they were gone. Humanities are an important part of our lives, and we would not be the same without them.

My First Week at OSU

My first week at OSU was a whirlwind. In the days leading up to moving in, I felt a mixture of emotions. The overall feeling was bittersweet. I was excited to start the next chapter of my life, but I was anxious to leave my family and take on the responsibilities of being on my own. After finally getting settled in, my mood completely shifted to the positive end of the spectrum. One of my biggest fears was not making any friends, but I have already met so many wonderful people in such a short amount of time. The friendships I have established so far feel as though I have had them for years. Some of them live in my building, and others I met over the course of welcome week. Some of my favorite activities during the first week were meeting my fellow Humanities scholars, Buck-I-Frenzy, and the involvement fair. I found a few clubs that interested me, but I only ended up joining one called 1girl. The club provides young girls with college mentors to help empower them.
Aside from socializing, I was pleasantly surprised with how my first week of classes went. After reviewing each of my professors’ syllabuses, I feel more comfortable with the workload and difficulty of each class than I was anticipating. I was afraid of being too overwhelmed and stressed out by my classes, but now I am sure I will be okay. Overall, my first week at OSU was awesome! I can tell this college is the perfect place for me, and I am so glad I chose to come here. I have high expectations for the next four years.

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.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. 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.]