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Year in Review

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Something I learned that had an impact on me was from my scholars program. Throughout the year, the Environment and Natural Resources Scholars program has focused on different ways pollution is produced. After we discussed causes, we focused on ways to reduce our waste and our carbon footprint. One thing we used is called a footprint calculator, which calculates a person’s ecological footprint. All of these combinations opened up my eyes to how wasteful we are as a population. This motivated me to take additional steps to reduce my carbon footprint and waste. I have since started carrying a set of bamboo silverware with me, so I don’t have to use plastic silverware. I also always carry a water bottle with me instead of buying a drink that comes in a plastic bottle. This has also helped me realize how uneducated my family is about our pollution problem. I have since started to educate my family and got them to incorporated more sustainable items into their everyday lives. This also inspired me to join Students for Recycling club.

One thing I learned outside of the classroom is how valuable friendships are in college. Being away from home can be very difficult. It can be hard getting used to seeing your family that you have lived with for 18 years only a couple times during a semester. I have learned to really value the relationships I have made while at school because I do not have my family close by. This doesn’t mean I didn’t value my friendships before, I just have deeper appreciation for how much friends can be emotionally supportive.

Throughout my first year in college I have grown and came out of my shell. I used to be pretty shy and sometimes I still can be, but college has helped me open up more. There are so many opportunities at Ohio State that have shaped me into the person I am today. Some of these opportunities include Buckeyes First, the Ohio State Welcome Leader program, Environment and Natural Resources Scholars, Students for recycling, and Human Animal Interactions club. I am excited to see how I continue to change over the course of the next couple of years at Ohio State.

One of my favorite memories from this past year would be hammocking with my friends. Second semester starts off very cold and dreary. Students are confined inside and rarely go outside to do physical activities. As spring begins to move in, students get excited for it to be warmer and everyone is outside. It is amazing to see everyone playing games, studying, and working out. When the weather breaks, students also get out their hammocks to enjoy the niece weather. My friends and I started to hammock as much as we could, and it was always a fun experience. While we try to work on school work, we normally end up laughing and talking about life.

I am looking forward to lots of things about next year. I will be living in a new dorm, and while I love the atmosphere and location of Morrill Tower, I am excited for a new experience in the dorms. The location of our new dorm is on north campus, so it will be fun to explore new study spots. Another thing I am looking forward to is already knowing campus. It was hard moving to campus and trying to find my way around. It took me a while to get the layout of campus and made the transition from home a little more difficult. Next year I will already know campus and there will not be a transition phase.

Spring Break

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For spring break, I went home. I spent a lot of time with my family and dogs. I was able to get ahead on homework for the week after spring break, which allowed me to ease back into school. I went to a local coffee shop on Thursday and worked on chemistry homework, which was really nice to relax and be productive at the same time. I was also able to meet up with one of my friends from high school and get breakfast with her. One fun thing I did over break was go to a concert. On Friday, I went to Detroit, Michigan to a venue called the Fillmore. I watched Quinn XCII perform his new album that was released a couple of months ago. There were two other performers that opened for Quinn XCII which were Christian French and Ashe. I had a really great time and can’t wait to see him live again. On Saturday, I cooked dinner with my dad and had some other family members come to our house. After dinner, we played cards and had a really good time. I learned that it’s okay to take a break from school and spend time relaxing. Normally I want to get my school work done and out of the way, and while I did work on a little bit, I still relaxed with my family. Spring break made me excited to be done with my first year of college in a couple of weeks and be able to go home for a couple of months.

Columbus To-Do List Review

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The two places that I chose to go to were the Gallery Hop on the Short North and also Fox in the Snow. I experienced both of these events with two of my roommates. Not only did this activity allow me to get to know Columbus better, but I was able to become closer with my friends. The first activity we completed was the Gallery Hop. One Saturday after a football game, my friends and I walked to the short north and visited multiple places that were displaying art. One gallery that we entered had videos displayed in different rooms. It was a very neat opportunity that I have never experienced before. My favorite piece of artwork would be a painting that can be seen from the road on high street. The painting is of a woman in front of a bathroom mirror looking at herself. The amount of detail in the painting is amazing, and it really captured my attention. I would highly recommend going to the gallery hop because you get to support local artists and see more of Columbus.

The second place I visited was the coffee shop Fox in the Snow. It’s not too far from campus, but it was a nice walk to get there. We went to this coffee shop right in the middle of fall so the leaves were beautiful colors. Fox in the Snow is very unique. The layout is very hipster, and so was everyone working. They have amazing pastries that are very well made. I didn’t try one, but I did have a cup of coffee and the taste was very good. In total, we spent about two hours in Fox in the Snow doing homework and enjoying each other’s company. I will be going back, and I hope to show Fox in the Snow to more of my friends and family.

Another event that I went to last minute was the hot chocolate race in Columbus. While I didn’t run it, my roommate did. I went to watch and support her as she ran her 15k. This was actually the first time that I had been downtown. A group of us walked to different spots on the trail to cheer her on, but I got to experience many new things. Being downtown was a completely different feel from campus, but I really enjoyed it. I am not used to being around so many tall buildings, so it was fun to just look around and take it all in. I would really like to go downtown in the middle of winter, so I can see all of the lights and the buildings with snow on the ground.

Overall, I am really glad I had to do this assignment for my scholars program. I was able to see more of the city I live in and spend quality time with my friends. I know while I was visiting the places I chose, I saw many other things that I would like to do. I am looking forward to doing many more things over the next three years.

             

Career

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I am currently majoring in zoology. Along with my major, I am double minoring in business and environment and natural resources. I would like to work as an animal care worker in a wildlife rehabilitation center or a zoo after I graduate. While an undergraduate, I would like to get and internship with the Columbus Zoo or the Ohio Wildlife Center. I have chosen this path because I have always been passionate about working with animals and conserving our wildlife. I believe our environment is precious and should be protected. This career path is something that I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life. A couple of jobs I looked into were a zookeeper and a wildlife control technician. Based on what I found I am going to need lots of experience through volunteering. While at Ohio State I should take advantage of how close I am to the zoo and other facilities where I can get experience. I found an internship where I could get experience and also college credit from working. Another thing I can take advantage of is networking. There are lots of faculty members and professors that want to help students at Ohio State. It is good to make strong connections while in school. I want to get more involved in clubs to get more experience in leadership and also meet new people who have similar interests. During my time at Ohio State I need to pursue internships in my field so I have experience. I also need to pursue leadership roles that will make me stand out. I am currently debating changing my major to animal sciences with a specialization in animal industries. Reviewing the requirements for the jobs I looked at made me realize that I need to talk to someone in a position that I am looking at before I change my major. I want to make sure that I am doing my best to get the job I want once I graduate. I want to make sure I am on the right path. An alternative job I could pursue would be an animal nutritionist. Although I would not be as hands on with animals, I would still enjoy this job. A resource that could help me prepare for this alternative path is my academic advisor. They know how what qualifications I need and what steps I can take to be prepared for the job market. By double minoring, I am trying to give myself more experience and options to find a job. Now I need to continue getting involved in clubs and organizations on campus. I need to continue to look into getting in touch with places where I could get experience and also network.

GOALS

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I have chosen the categories art and music as well as coffee and tea. For art and music, I am going to attend the gallery hop in the Short North, which occurs the first Saturday of every month. There are multiple galleries, special events, street performers, and food. As for coffee and tea, I am going to go to the Fox in the Snow. This coffee shop is known for its unique rustic look and hand-poured drinks. I am most looking forward to exploring Columbus. Since I am not from a big city, Columbus can be a bit intimidating. I haven’t left campus much, but when I did I had very good experiences. I am really looking forward to the Gallery Hop because art is something I enjoy, and I am sure Columbus has many talented artists. It’ll be nice to get away from campus for a while and spend time with friends. I am also looking forward to spending time in the coffee shop and working on homework. I really hope to gain more knowledge about the city of Columbus and also figure out where things are. I would like to be able to show my family and friends around Columbus when they come to visit me. When I first visited Ohio State, I stayed with a friend that took me to the Short North. We went to the North Market and had dinner. Other than that, I have not been off campus much. I am looking forward to this experience and what I will discover.

Year in Review

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[ “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.

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[ “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

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[“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

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For my peer mentor meeting I met with Ansley Watkins who is a second-year majoring in natural resource management. The five questions I asked her were “How did you decide on the major you have chosen?”, “How have you chosen to get involved on campus?”, “What advice do you have for making the most of the ENR program?”, “What do you plan to do with your major after graduation?”, and “What advice do you wish someone gave you your freshman year?”. Originally, Ansley was majoring in animal sciences, but she switched to natural resource management. She wanted to focus more on the social science aspect and felt like she could do that better with natural resource management. This was helpful to know because I am currently debating on switching majors. Another topic we talked about was involvement. Ansley is involved in a lot on campus. Some activities she is involved in include ENR scholars, Morrill tower activities board, Movement, undergraduate student government, and she also has a job in the office of diversity and inclusion. This made me realize that this university has many opportunities to get involved no matter what you like. I currently attend young life meetings and recently went to Rockbridge for fall weekend. I am also looking into joining the zoology club. Ansley told me to take advantage of as many activities within ENR scholars as I could. She recommended going on the backpacking trip because she had a lot of fun last year. She also said she enjoys being a peer mentor for scholars. So far, I have really enjoyed being in ENR scholars. The camping trip has been my favorite activity, and it was a really great experience. For my last question, Ansley said she wished someone would have told her that it was okay to have alone time. She is an introvert, so she enjoys having time to herself, but she said it was good for everyone to do once in a while. She also said to have a calendar to plan out your homework and meetings. I do this now which it allows me to be very organized and know when I need to do things. It is easy to get caught up in school, but writing things out can remind you of assignments that need to be completed. Overall, I really enjoyed having a conversation with Ansley. She is very insightful, and I know if I ever have questions about school I can go to her and she would try her best to help me. It is really nice to get advice from others that have already experienced their first year because they know what we are going through and how to avoid some troubles.