Recently, I interviewed a family friend, Herangi Asher, a second year medical student at UC Davis about her experiences. When asked about her experience getting into medical school, she replied, “It was very difficult for me, specifically preparing for the MCAT. I had to balance studying for that, while also taking difficult science classes for my [biology] major.” She suggested coming up with a plan during sophomore year of how you want your next two years to go, keeping in mind you need to dedicate at least one semester for the MCAT and the preparation required for that. Next she talked about the application process. She told me, “start as early as possible, and know exactly who you are going to ask for recommendation letters ahead of time. Have a couple different people look through your application, especially your adviser. Stay on top of deadlines.” I also asked her about what her life was like now, and how it differed from being an undergrad student. She said, “The transition was sort of tough, but it’s easier to adjust to, than say, going from high school to college. The best way to get through it is to remember you are there to learn first and foremost, so don’t let yourself slack off, and make sure you study not only just before exams, but from day to day.” Overall, she left me with this piece of advice, “Make sure to plan for the future, but also make sure you are making time for yourself right now. The people review your application don’t want some robot, the want a full, interesting person, so make sure you give attention to every facet of yourself.”
Do
This semester I plan on shopping in the North Market Farmer’s Market. I’ve only ever been to the farmer’s market in downtown Worthington, so I’m hoping to compare the experiences. I enjoy farmer’s markets because they introduce me to new takes on familiar food and even new food. I figure this will be an interesting way to find new and healthy things to try.
Two weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to North Market to explore. We saw a number of new things, including organic crockery and Vietnamese food. It was an exciting trip, where we experienced novel types of food, as well as interesting trinkets you can find locally, such as minerals and gemstones. It wasn’t a typical farmer’s market, instead it was a collection of different types of food and shops selling an eclectic range of things, from crockery to salsa to jewelry. 
Go
This semester I plan on going to the Columbus Museum of Art. Even though I’ve lived in Columbus most of my life, I’ve never had a chance to check out this museum. I plan to visit during spring break to broaden my horizons a bit and learn more about art.
At the end of spring break, my sister and I took a trip to the CMOA. It was a great experience, seeing some familiar works, like those of Picasso, and new works, like those of Melvin Edwards, who is a sculptor who works with metals. It was a interesting opportunity to broaden our horizons and learn about a part of culture we didn’t have much knowledge about. 
Eat
This semester, I went to D’Licious cafe on high street to try bubble tea, something I’ve never had before. I ordered the mango bubble tea and it was pretty good. I’ll definitely be back there again. 
Resume
Final Strategic Life Plan
After spending some time in the neuroscience pre-major, I would say I have a good understanding of what I plan to do. Neuroscience is a diverse, rapidly change field that doesn’t just including studying the brain anymore, but putting this knowledge to use in many other fields. My plan in to go to medical school, with a focus on neuroscience to hopefully become a surgeon. For now, I plan to continue to work hard and explore the various options neuroscience has to offer. If this doesn’t pan out, however, I still plan to put my knowledge of the brain to use by going into the field of psychology. In order to really research and understand my career plan, there are many resources I can utilize, including the onPACE module, the career centers on campus, and my advisors. Of course, I have to stay alive in order to achieve this goal. I have to take care of my health, both mental and physically. I’m doing this by visiting the gym a few times a week, both to take care of body and to work out whatever frustrations I have. I make sure to not overwork myself, and take breaks when I feel close to tears. I watch an episode of my favorite TV show or take a quick power nap. When I feel overwhelmed I make time to see my friends and destress. I always make sure to ask the advice of my peer mentors and my RA when I feel like I’m falling off track. In the next semesters, I plan to continue to explore my options academically and build a vast network spanning different departments and organizations.
Welcome to my Honors & Scholars e-Portfolio
[The Home Page will show a running blog of your recent posts, which are categorized and show on that category’s page. Please delete this post or edit with your own information.]
Year in Review
This past summer, I was someone who thought they knew exactly what they were doing and thought they knew exactly how to do it. This past year has taught me that I simply can’t know everything I need to know, and that I need the people around me. HSS has been a big part of this learning process. This program, one I thought to be just about attending meetings and learning about what you can do in the health fields, has helped me realize just how interconnected the health fields are to life. HSS, through its requirements and events, has helped me see that healthcare is not an isolated event. It’s about people helping people, not only with health but with their lives. College is a lot like that, learning that people help people, with whatever they can. I went in expecting one thing, but came out with a new perspective on life. With my 2nd year, I plan to expand on this new notion of people helping people with whatever they can. I want to branch out of what I usually do in the name of service and explore all the ways I can help people, with whatever they might need. I started to branch out into service this semester by tutoring a few middle school students who live in my neighborhood, since I live so close to school. It’s a truly wonderful thing to see a person grow and learn because of the tools you give them.
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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. 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 information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]