Overall:
I have encountered both successful and challenging times throughout this year. Coming into Ohio State, I wasn’t entirely confident in any of my decisions: my school, major, clubs, etc, however, over the past year most of my uncertainties have been erased. The first month of school, while hard, was amazing at the same time. I fell in love with the school, the campus, and the community and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else throughout this journey. On the challenging side, I often felt way over my head in class work and wondered if I had made the right academic choice, but, although the work was hard, I did enjoy what I was learning and the challenges I was given.
Academics:
Coming into OSU, I knew I had chosen a “hard” major in chemical engineering, but I definitely didn’t understand the full concept of how “hard” the major really is. Starting out, I had never looked at, touched, or written a code in my entire life. Suddenly, I was expected to write a code almost everyday in the first semester and program a robot in the second. I must admit, coding was a definite challenge for me and was not a natural skill. Throughout high school, I always thought of myself as a natural learner, top of the class, but, in FEH, that wasn’t always the case anymore. The first semester definitely made me question myself a lot about whether I had what it takes to thrive in this program. Many nights I would stress over a coding assignment that many of my classmates completed within minutes, however, because I was determined to understand it, I would ask my friends for help and go to office hours if need be. Before classes, I started reading the daily assignments and writing some code to help me better prepare for the class. Though I wasn’t the most gifted coder and made a lot of mistakes on my initial attempts, I managed to pass FEH with a high grade. By doing this, I proved to myself that I did have what it takes, even if it took me some extra time to get it right.
Another class that challenged me in my first year was Organic Chemistry I/II. Having credit for both General Chemistry I/II from high school, my academic advisor placed me in OChem my first year, something I didn’t really know was uncommon. Entering the class day one, I was expecting it to be similar to my college-in-high-school general chemistry courses, however, it was nothing like that. My lecture must have had over 300 students, with one professor and several teaching assistants. I was so used to having a personal connection with all of my high school teachers, but in college, with so many people in a class, I found it was much harder to ask questions in lectures and establish a good connection with the lecturer. Also, the fact that most of these students already had developed good study skills and understood how college classes worked definitely intimidated me. As the first midterm approached, I had to learn to make my own study guides and to form my own homework assignments, earlier learning that college professors don’t necessarily give out graded homework or study guides telling you what will be on the exams. While I definitely had to take a learn-as-you-go approach to these courses and felt like I was studying non-stop, I am in a way glad that I took OChem in my first year and came out of the class with better scores than I anticipated.
From my academic struggles and successes, I proved to myself that I could thrive in the major I had chosen, earning dean’s list both semesters. I developed great study and organizational skills, always trying to stay ahead of the coursework by completing assignments as early as possible, and sometimes even working ahead of the schedule. I learned how to keep a good balance of work and play, and accept the challenges that come with confidence.
Extracurriculars:
Club Gymnastics was definitely my most involving extracurricular throughout the year. From social events, to practice 4 days a week, to fundraising, and especially travel competitions, learning to balance this with school and other activities was definitely challenging at times. With the added fact that practice was held from 8:30-10:30 at night, almost a half hour off campus, it took a great part of my day, however, it was a great escape from the stress and pressures of school. A large challenge for me was returning to campus at 11 pm, still having to shower, finish homework, and prepare for the next day, but, because of this challenge, I learned to make better use of any time I did have, making it much easier to stay on task in the moment. Also, club gymnastics showed me how to be a better teammate: how to cooperate with a group of very different-minded people that all share the common love of gymnastics. Coming into OSU, I knew all of about two people, however, I left my first year with at least 15 teammates that I absolutely cherish as friends and would do almost anything for.
The Society of Women in Engineering was a great way for me to meet people that have experienced the same things I am/will be experiencing. I enjoyed attending the monthly meetings and taking part in several of the fun activities throughout the year, getting to bond with everyone in fun ways (outside of a strictly school atmosphere) and get advice from the upperclassmen on how to handle different classes, professors, etc. I definitely was able to form connections with others throughout this program that I can now look to for advice or lend support to based on my own experiences.
Community/Family:
As I stated previously, I came to OSU knowing little to no one. Living in a dorm with so many people was a new experience for me. My roommate and I were friendly enough, but we weren’t necessarily great friends. Because of this, I spent a lot of time out in my floor’s common areas, trying to meet new people and form a sort-of floor family, which, by the end of the year, we were. By reaching out to others, I not only broke out of my shell, but I formed friendships that I believe will last in the long-term. Living with these people for just one year, I formed better relationships than I did throughout 12 years of grade school. I came into OSU knowing everyone as a stranger, but I left my first year knowing I’d return having a community of people I could lean on for the long haul.
Moving Forward:
Based on this year, there are several things I would like to change, as well as several things I definitely plan to continue. I would like to remain involved with SWE and OSU Club Gymnastics, as well as participate in Buckeyethon again. In addition to these organizations, I would like to become active in several service clubs and potentially an intramural sport. I already know that I will be a peer mentor for the incoming pre-chemical engineering class of 2021, which I am super excited about! Becoming a peer mentor will definitely help to enhance my leadership and communication skills. I am so excited for the new experiences I will gain in my second year and can’t wait for what is to come!!