Moving into school this year was more exciting and less nerve racking than last year. My suite was already very close, so living together a second year was no problem. I got a chance to give the new first years an experience like the one I had my first year. Brendan likes to say “embrace the awkward” and this was very true for how I experience college now that I’ve gone through two years of school. Scholars allowed me to meet new people in situations that we all seemed to be uncomfortable in.  What I have learned in my college experiences is that there is a perfect balance that exists between social life, school life, and healthy living. This balance is difficult to discover but everyone is trying their best to thrive in college. Scholars allowed me to get involved and meet new people, but it wasn’t the only thing I became involved in on campus. I found my niche at OSU’s Hillel as a board member of Ruach, a conservative Jewish movement. It became my outlet every Friday night. Going each week gave me a place that was empty of stress and full of good friends, good food, and fun events. Finding an outlet was important for me because it gave a separation from the normal stresses of college. Also, I have become involved in Buckeyethon and OUAB events. At the start of next year, I will be an Anatomy TA for an anatomy class on campus. This job would not be possible if scholars hadn’t taught me to step out of my comfort zone. Scholars gave me the skills necessary to have a conversation with people I don’t know or others who I would have never thought to talk to before. These skills are necessary in my field of interest as well as in living life to the fullest. It is important to step out of those comfort zones we all know too well, and experience new things with new people we meet along the way. My closest friends were made while in scholars and this was due to these conversation skills taught in the leadership course and through the many bonding activities we did over the past two years.