I have always been a rather organized person when it comes to school, but timing everything to be ahead of assignments can be a challenge for me. I was a bit worried about seeking help for time management, but I knew I wanted to find the tools that could help me optimize my time. I wasn’t sure how to improve my time management skills, so when I found out about the Dennis Learning Center, I knew I wanted to make an appointment.

I have asked for help in the past when I was absent from school or when a concept didn’t come naturally to me, and, although I may have felt nervous, I really benefited from asking for the help I needed. It may feel uncomfortable to ask for the help I need because of the stigma associated with it, but I know that it is important to seek the help I need. Seeking help is one way that I can take an active part in my education.

When I arrived for my appointment at the Dennis Learning Center, I met with an assigned counselor. When I first walked in, she asked me what made me schedule the appointment and we briefly discussed what led me to scheduling the appointment. Once she knew that I was there for time management, she started to very specifically break down a plan of attack for me. She taught me how I can schedule my days out, including scheduled obligations, free time, and study time, so that I can find the how much time I have to study and then decide how to allocate it. She answered all of my questions and helped me make a plan to implement the different systems that we talked about. I really enjoyed the format of the meeting because once she knew why I was there, there was an outline that she followed and adjusted to my needs. My counselor showed me how to maximize my time throughout each day and I in the few days since our appointment, I have already found myself managing my time better. Now that I have found the time I have for studying, I can maximize my productivity and plan out how and when I should work on each assignment. My counselor also showed me how to use several different platforms to make a longterm assignment list and detailed to do lists to organize myself and tackle the oncoming assignments. I scheduled a follow up meeting to check in after I have been using these time management tools for two weeks to hold myself accountable to fully testing the systems. So far, I have found the strategies very helpful and I have seen a large difference in how I am able to manage my time.

I have tutored other students through National Honor Society before and I really enjoyed helping other people understand different subjects. I would love to tutor others at some point in the near future and be able to help others the way that my time management counselor helped me.

The first student organization meeting I went to on campus was the Society of Physics Students’ opening meeting. I heard about this organization when I was looking into physics organizations at Ohio State and made sure to join the club at the activity fair. I went to this first meeting alone, but I met a few other freshman there who are in my physics class and we sat together during the meeting. I found the upperclassmen at the meeting to be very welcoming and friendly and met several different people with varying majors and levels of interest in physics. I found the casual lecture format really inviting and I am excited to go to the next meeting.

The Society of Physics Students excites me because it connects me to the physics department and gives me a place to meet other people who are passionate about physics. The organization also keeps its members informed of upcoming physics department events and open positions within the department that students can fill. Having a group that helps me connect to the department will be beneficial for finding research opportunities and other events, such as colloquia within the physics department. I feel that the Society of Physics Students is unique in that it offers me a chance to hear lectures from professors on intriguing topics and introduces me to other students within the department who can offer their advice and wisdom as I continue in the physics program. I think this organization will help me network within the department.

The leaders of the Society of Physics Students were great at communicating with the group gathered and they kept the environment casual and fun. They managed to keep it light without putting a damper on the lecture we heard for the largest part of the meeting. There was food for the attendees and plenty of casual conversation before the lecture portion began. The leaders made announcements about upcoming events for the club and announced the speaker for the next meeting as well. I could see myself doing these things and becoming a leader in the club in future years. I will block out the time for these club meetings in my calendar and plan to shift my studying and the other parts of my schedule to enable me to attend the Society of Physics Students meetings.

I think the size of Ohio State has made me more motivated to find the clubs that will help me find people who have similar passions as I do. I also think that the vast amount of clubs at Ohio State has made it much easier to find clubs that suit my specific interests. I could see myself starting a club in the future that relates to scientific debate because I have a passion for debate and feel that it is important for physics (and other STEM) majors to be able to articulate their positions and argue for them and there is not a club that fits that criteria.

I am excited to continue getting involved in the physics department and look forward to taking advantage of all that the Society of Physics Students has to offer.