My First Semester at OSU

My first semester at OSU was tough, but I am proud that I made it through.  I did well in my classes and built connections with a few of my instructors.  I have amazing roommates and have made some spectacular friends.  I am practicing new and better ways of self-care and self-love.  Overall, I learned a lot and have grown a lot, both as a student and as a person.

I wish that I could leave it there.

On the first day of classes, I took a picture of my feet, imagining how they would take me into the future.  I didn’t know then that those same feet would take me in and out of the hospital and doctors’ and specialists’ offices multiple times this semester.  I didn’t know that they would walk me to bathrooms to have my first panic attacks.  I didn’t know that I would hug them at night and cry with loneliness and fatigue.

Managing school and my deteriorating physical and mental health alone and very far from home has been the hardest thing that I have ever done.  I am a performer, and it is easy to put up a smile, but it is harder than I thought it would be to keep it there.  I learned this semester that I know less than I thought I did about who I am and what I want.  I learned that I am not timeless – more than that, I learned that I am very mortal and very vulnerable.  I learned that being alone is better than having friends who don’t respect you (that’s how you find the people who do respect you), even though secluding oneself can feel way worse in the short run.

I don’t want this to sound like a pity party.  Everything that I learned was something that I needed to learn – and I’m still learning it.  I didn’t come to school here just for the classes; I want the wholistic experience.  However, it would be misleading of me not to say that this semester was the scariest semester that I have ever lived through.  And yet, somehow, I did live through it.  Those naive feet that smiled for the camera on that first day are still carrying me.  So I will take that as a good sign.

My First Week at OSU

On the first day of classes, I took this picture of my feet.  To me, it symbolizes walking into the future, closer to my achieving my hopes and dreams.  Closer to real life.

My first week at OSU was almost overwhelming.  Although it is typical not to know what to expect on the first day of school, I felt more out of place than usual, being nearly 2000 miles away from home and having limited school supplies and not many friends. Getting homework after my first classes was a shock, as was buying textbooks and other necessary supplies.  And then, there were the spectacular Welcome Week activities.  Seeing so many people together in one place, the energy palpable, was both like being surrounded and like being enveloped in a large group hug.

Even though my first week at OSU was a bit chaotic, it was also extremely empowering.  I may not have felt prepared walking into my first class sessions, but doing the homework and organizing myself based on those first days helped me realize that college was not a great impossibility for people older, wiser, and more capable than myself.  My professors appeared friendly and supportive, and I met other students with whom I could study and spend time.  Relatively quickly, OSU has stopped feeling like a large and foreign place and more like a place that I can grow and thrive.  A place that I can call home.  And because of that, my first week at OSU was the best I could have imagined it to be.

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.]

About Me

Hi, all!  I am Rachel Nwakamma, student and learning enthusiast.  I come to The Ohio State University from Kirkland, WA, a town in the Greater Seattle area.  My academic focus is a double major in Public Policy Analysis and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in Judicial Politics.  Although I love all art forms, my favorite medium is music, especially vocal music.  I am, at my core, a lyricist and a dreamer, and I love connecting to other people.  I change my mind nearly every day about what I want to do with my life, but no matter where I end up, as long as I am giving back, I will be happy.