My first semester at OSU has been a challenging, new and exciting experience. I have greatly enjoyed bridging the gap between the moderate independence I was given in high school and the more complete independence I am given in college. I enjoy being able to make my own schedule and work on my own time, as well as choose how I learn material for the best possible outcomes. I joined BuckeyeThon as soon as I could, and it has been an absolutely amazing student organization to become a part of. It was incredibly rewarding to be part of the Day of Miracles, where we raised over $300,000 in one day for the kids at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I have also been so fortunate to have joined the Humanities Scholars program, where I got to know other freshman with similar interests and was able to learn about so many fascinating humanities subjects. In the future, I hope to be able to attend second year community meetings if I can, as well as attend various Humanities Scholars events throughout the year. I will also be dancing on the Humanities Manatees team for BuckeyeThon!

I certainly had my fears coming into OSU; a big campus with so many students, large lecture halls, a hard major, and being on my own for the first time. Coming from a very small high school I wasn’t sure what to think of OSU’s enormity, but I soon learned that it is more than possible to make a small community on the campus of this large community, and to make your own home here. OSU proved to provide so many resources that it has more than made up for the large class sizes. My major proved to be difficult, sure, but also fun, exciting, and manageable. I was worried about making friends and meeting people, but everyone here is so nice and accepting, that it was easier than I thought. We as a campus also learned in a very difficult way what it means to be Buckeye Strong, and how that will carry us through our time here and even after we graduate. I am so glad I am a part of the OSU community and I can’t wait for what’s to come!

(1) I’d like to get more sleep, but I have too much work to get done.
I’d like to get more sleep, and I have a lot of work that needs to get done. So I need to find ways to improve my time management skills, so I can take advantage of the time that I have. I can also learn from my experiences when scheduling future semesters and commitments, so I can make this problem less of an issue.

(2) I’d like to exercise more, but I’m always busy with school and other commitments.

I’d like to exercise more, and I’m always really busy with school and other commitments. Perhaps I could learn how to integrate the activities I participate in with an active lifestyle so I have time for all I want to accomplish.

(3) I’d like to call my grandmother more often, but I usually remember when it is much too late at night to call.

I’d like to call my grandmother more often, and I usually remember when it’s too late too call. I need to write in reminders for myself so I can remember that she doesn’t stay up as late as I do!

(4) I’d love to study abroad this school year, but I have no idea how to decide what program to go on.

I’d love to study abroad this school year, and I have no idea how to decide which program to attend, so I need to learn more about what each program offers and attend informational sessions, as well as talk about it with friends and family.

(5) I need to keep more on top of my commitments and schedule, but there are so many dates and times to remember.

I need to keep more on top of my commitments and schedule, and there are many dates and times I need to remember, so I need to find an effective way to keep track of all the information (like a planner, calendar, or app).

humans-of-osu-riki-shenkar

Before I arrived on campus, I was scared – scared, and nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, what to prepare for, what challenges would arise during my years at OSU. I was nervous for classes, nervous to make friends, nervous in general – but, by the end of my first week at Ohio State, that changed. I am already feeling much more confident and comfortable with this new stage in my education. My first week went really well; I explored some major intellectual interests of mine, learned of many student organizations I’d love to be a part of, and gained a much better understanding of the campus and university as a whole, as well as my vision for what my place on campus will be.

I expect my OSU experience to be amazing; I expect it will change me for better, not just as a student or in a professional stance, but personally – I believe the environment created here will serve to make me a better human being. I also believe this of the humanities scholars program. Everyone that I’ve met thus far in the program has been extremely nice to me, and, as a result, I feel very welcome on campus and in the program itself. I am so excited to continue this journey of intellectual, social, and personal growth and development, and cannot wait to delve deeper with my involvement in certain programs, like hopefully BuckeyThon and the College of Pharmacy’s Generation Rx program. Here’s to another four years of the Buckeye Life!

[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 is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]