My First Semester at OSU

Olivia Schaffer

My First Semester at OSU

Humanities Scholars

My first semester at OSU was full of ups and downs. I learned more about myself than I ever have and have made forever friends in such a short period of time. It is also not what I expected. Being on my own for the first time was scary but helped me to learn more about myself. The challenge of college classes, specifically chemistry, was not something I was prepared for. I had to learn new ways to study and come out of my comfort zone to ask for help. I also became very involved by joining clubs which helped me figure out what I am interested in outside of my major. 

I realized that Ohio State feels like home and I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. I am happy to now be a part of all of OSU’s traditions and I hope to keep exploring the many ways to get involved on campus. Keeping up with orchestra and getting involved in other things that are not STEM has made me appreciate trying to become a more well-rounded student. For example, joining the undergraduate student government has given me the opportunity to serve the students of osu and make our campus a better place. 

Being a humanities scholar pushed me to explore the humanities and find more things that I am passionate about. It has also connected me to friends that I would not have met otherwise and has given me opportunities to volunteer and appreciate the arts. I would not have had the same first semester experience without being a humanities scholar.

Overall, I have had a positive experience here. I had to learn how to better manage my time while balancing classes, my job, and the clubs I am in. I have grown a lot as a person and I am excited to see where next semester takes me. 

Where I’m From

Your typical midwest small town: long country roads, big backyards, and lots of corn. I am from a place that seems insignificant when you are just passing through, but it’s home. The feeling of home comes from the bonfires on those chilly fall nights, all the warm food in my grandma’s kitchen on Thanksgiving, and the excitement of Friday night football games. I come from hard workers who wake up to work outside at dawn and do not return until the sun is setting. I was taught by teachers who watched me grow up and I went to a school where everyone knew everyone. I come from a town where you will be greeted by name when you walk into the local coffee place and where your ice cream shop is a short walk down the road. Family gets together around the dinner table every night to share the events of the day. On weekends, we cheer on the football team, then gather around a fire and roast marshmallows. The country music coming from the speakers during a long drive on a Saturday is one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about where I am from. Although it is not much, I have been shaped by the small town I call home.

My First Week at OSU

My first week at OSU was fun, exciting, and busy. I was nervous at first to move to a big city but it has been a positive experience that has made me look forward to the rest of this school year. There is always something to do and people you can talk to when it gets overwhelming. One aspect about OSU that I did not expect was the amount of people looking out for you and wanting you to succeed.
Another part of coming to college that worried me was my classes. Being a biology major, I knew my schedule was going to be difficult. Even though a couple of my classes are already stressing me out, I know that I have resources to go to when I am looking for help. That is one reason I am excited to me a Humanities Scholar this year. The program already feels like a welcoming community in which I can talk to others with similar experiences as me.
Going into my first week, I still was not completely sure what the Humanities Scholar Program was all about. As I am learning what we do, I am getting more and more excited to explore the humanities with the other members of the program. Enjoying the arts has always been important to me. I have been playing the violin since first grade and decided to take a non-major orchestra class this semester. I was nervous about adding more work to my schedule, but I am happy I decided to take the class so that I can continue on with music.
This year I am mostly excited to come out of my comfort zone and be more outgoing. In just a week, I have met so many new people. Before I got to OSU, I was used to seeing the same people every day so I am looking forward to making new friends by joining clubs and putting myself out there. Getting involved on campus is one of my goals for this year. I applied to be in USG and joined Campus Outreach so that I can hopefully meet new people and make an impact on others.
My first week made me a little nervous for classes but excited to be living in Columbus. I am grateful to be in a scholar program and I am looking forward to all of the events we have for this year.

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.]