It may seem cliché to say that college changes a person, but I think it’s completely fair to say that Ohio State truly changed my perception of reality and myself.
Graduating from one of the best school districts in Ohio with an International Baccalaureate diploma, I thought I was ready for college. At first, it felt like a breeze, but once I took the 3000 courses, started an internship, and continued working, I realized that no amount of work in high school could help me prepare for this semester. I fell, hard, and it took me a while to understand what was going on. What felt like a bad week bled into a bad month, and later months. I honestly felt as though I wouldn’t make it through my classes. Looking back, I’m glad that I persisted through my classes with the help of my professors, family, and friends. I learned so much this semester, not only academically, but about my learning habits and personality as well. Towards the end of this semester, I understood that it was okay to have rough patches because it just shows that you are doing what is right and that you are willing to work hard towards your dreams.
In addition to classes, I also had the opportunity to interact with a plethora of people from all different political backgrounds and walks of life. I walked the hallways of a school that championed its diversity, but even though we all had different skin tones and countries of origins, we never had the platform to discuss our differences in issues such as politics. College provides this platform, and with this comes a lot of adjustment. We are raised in sheltered schools, later to be confronted by many people who either support your opinions or respectfully disagree. Personally, I had a difficult time adjusting to these different viewpoints, but I am thankful to be in a place that allows the ability to discuss these differences in a civilized manner, and this will only help us in the real world.
I am, by no means, at my fullest potential, and through the interactions that I will continue to encounter and the classes that I will take, I hope to become a well-rounded individual who is prepared to bring my knowledge to the workplace. I am so thankful to be part of such an amazing scholars group and such a magnificent university. I am incredibly excited for the future.