My first semester at Ohio State was significantly better than I thought. I’d heard a lot of things about first semesters of college, especially how hard it is. But this semester, for me, was full of new friends, hard work, rewards, happiness, new experiences, and newfound appreciation for things I previously took for granted. I have plans to visit my friends in Cincinnati over winter break because I cannot imagine not seeing them for three weeks. I spent close to fifteen hours at the library every week, and each hour I spent studying paid off. I found my classes to be pretty easy because I stayed on top of all my assignments and thoroughly prepared for every exam. I know I can keep this work ethic up and I think I can be really successful in my four years here. Every weekend I hung out with all of my new friends and got well versed with our new home: Columbus, Ohio. I learned about so many new backgrounds and upbringings that are so different from mine. I’m from a pretty wealthy suburb of the east side of Cleveland called Orange, where everyone is pretty similar. We all were really fortunate and had similar familial situations. But here, I have learned what it is like to not live in Orange. I have learned to appreciate the things I took for granted in Orange. I have learned to thank my parents for giving me more than I possibly could have asked for. I thank my parents everyday for all they have done for me, and I wouldn’t have realized this without my experiences here.
Overall, I had a great first semester here. I text my friends who are still in high school, stressing over which college to choose. I tell them if they have any questions about OSU or if they are ever here, to reach out to me because I would love to rave about how much I love it here. I am so excited to see what next semester holds, and I’m incredibly grateful for how much I have already grown as a person from my first semester as a college student.