Personal Development

So far I have had nothing but pleasant experiences here at Ohio State. From meeting new people, to football games, to student organized activities, I have learned more about myself than ever before. One way I have developed over the course of this semester was in my self confidence both inside and outside of the classroom. What I truly believed helped strengthen my confidence occurred when I became an LSAMP scholar. Over the summer I participated in the LSAMP Bridge Program that was three weeks long and required us to take classes such as Chemistry, Math, Technological Communications, College Prep, and Physicial Science. We had this classes everyday and were given assignments to complete. It allowed me to prepare for how college classes were ran and the course load that was involved. I was also able to learn how to navigate the campus prior to classes starting which was very beneficial. After taking these “crash courses” I felt more prepared in confident that I would do well in my college courses. On a more social aspect I felt more confident coming to college and being on my own because I was surrounded by other first years who were having the same struggles that I was. I was able to form an amazing bond with people who are also minority students who wish to pursue a career in the STEM field. The program has definitely made me more confident when it comes to interacting with other students or my professors. I was able to join a family of intelligent and fun people as well as take away some tips that will help me be a successful student here.

Artifact #2

I chose to use a poster for mental health as my 2nd Artifact for several reasons. Being on a college campus with students from all age ranges has opened my eyes to the different stressors that could be occurring in our lives. For 1st years, our stress involves being on our own for the first time and being away from our family. A 4th year could be dealing with the stress of trying to do everything this degree requires. As college students, it is important for us to be aware of our mental health and for those who struggle with mental disorders such as anxiety to have to support system in order to deal with them. Unfortunately, there have been some incidents with students on this campus were not able to properly care for themselves and their mental health. I have observed some of my closest friends being taken over by their mental issues due to the stress that college brings to students as well as myself. These issues have striked my interest in learning more about mental health and how if affects people differently. Being a young African American woman, it is important for me to be aware that mental health awareness is not greatly promoted in my community which leads us to have more mental disorders. This is something that I would consider getting involved in research with.