Year in Review

A year is a long time – or so I thought. As the days became weeks, which became months, which inevitably turned into where I am now, which is finals week of my second semester, I never thought that time would go by so quickly. I am a whole different person from where I was a few months ago, and an extremely different person from where I was a year ago. Not only have I survived my Freshman year of college- the most crazy, heartbreaking, heartwarming, unpredictable, and amazing time of my life- but I have learned how to thrive here at Ohio State. The rough transition that occurred when I first arrived here made me into a better person. College has made me responsible in many different ways. I make sure all my work is done and done correctly on time, I buy my own groceries and clothing and supplies whenever I need them, and I decide how I spend my free time. This responsibility grows hand-in-hand with my maturity. Although at times I get overemotional and stressed, I have learned how to deal with my emotions in positive ways, whether it is talking to my friends, exercising, or simply taking a few moments to collect my thoughts and calm down. These techniques will be improved on and used throughout the rest of my entire life, so it is good that I have set a strong foundation.

By far the most important thing I have learned is how to handle obstacles and setbacks that come across my path. I understand that sometimes I don’t do as good as I wanted to on an exam or I forget to finish an assignment, and even though I might get frustrated, I try to figure what I did wrong and how I can fix the situation for the next assignment or exam. This has gotten me very far in college, and although I might not have perfect grades, I know that I put the maximum amount of effort into everything I do. Only this knowledge brings me satisfaction with school, not the actual grades themselves.

Most importantly, this year I learned who my friends are. My fellow scholars, my floor mates, the faces I see every single day; these are the people who I will keep by my side the rest of my life. I could not be more thankful for the opportunity to have my best friends in my life, and I certainly don’t know who or where I would be without them by my side.

I hope that in the rest of my college career, I continue to lay sturdy bricks on the foundation of which I have already started, and to not let rough winds and harsh storms break me down. I will continue to stand tall and strong.

Artifacts

I am 7 weeks in. I would like too think that I was very prepared for college, but no one could ever really be prepared for this. I had to very, very quickly adapt to the enormous workload that was brought onto my back by challenging courses I had enrolled into. Even though I spend hours doing my homework and studying, making myself stay up late and wake up early for my 9 A.M. classes, I have somehow still managed to not miss a single lecture, recession, or lab for these past 7 weeks. Although it may not seem like a difficult challenge, the amount of motivation I have left after continuous studying and hours spent doing homework is sadly very low. This has definitely been a change from my prior habits of skipping classes in high school, due to the fact that I simply cannot afford to skip any of the lectures in college, and I have recognized that in college. I hope that this habitual pattern continues on throughout the rest of my college career, because I definitely need to absorb as much information as possible.

About Me

Hi, my name is Lauren Schnipke and I am planning on completing a double major in Neuroscience and Biology on a Pre-Med track at The Ohio State University. I am a first year STEM EE Scholars student and aspire to become a neurosurgeon in the near future. In my free time, I love immersing myself within my studies, as well as spending my time volunteering at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. I have always been deeply captivated by the field of medicine, especially in the branch of neuroscience and the different neurodegenerative diseases affecting the brain. The mere fact that these neurodegenerative diseases remain relatively unexplored and there is so much left to understand makes me extremely excited to continue to learn about this field and grow as a human and as a medical personnel. I hope that the research and knowledge I acquire throughout my pathway of higher education can allow me to change the future of neuroscience and the lives of those who are affected by neurodegenerative and neurological disorders.