My First Semester at OSU

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.

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.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation includes both a description of the artifact and a reflection on why it is important to you, what you learned, and what it means for your next steps.  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

[Your “About Me” is a brief biographical statement that might include your intended major, your academic interests, your goals, as well as the things that make you unique.  Definitely include a picture! Also, remember that you can always update this post at any point. 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.]