Posts

Campus Resource

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Flyer found in the MCC

A few weeks ago, I attended a counseling session through OSU’s Counseling and Consultation Service. I went to the office that is located in Lincoln Tower, and I talked to a counselor about transitioning to college.
When I found out that I was required to find a non-academic campus resource, I was a little nervous. It is very rare that I ever seek help at – academic or non-academic. When I went to look for a resource, I was shocked to see how many different ones were offered by the university. I knew that Ohio State has many resources for students, but I did not know that so many were available. There were so many that I was interested in utilizing, but I knew that I would not have the time to go to everything that I wanted.
I found out about this resource when I was in the Multicultural Center. They had flyers on the desk for resources offered around campus, and this is one that caught my eye. I did not make an appointment to speak with someone, but I did walk in and was able to speak to a counselor within a reasonable amount of time. I hoped to get some tips about transitioning to such a big school from my small private school in Cleveland, but they gave me a lot more information than I had anticipated. They coached me to be successful socially and academically through my transition to college. I have been using the advice that they gave me, and it has been very helpful.


One way that I think this service could be improved is by having upperclassmen available to talk with students. This would be especially helpful for Life Transitions counseling that I went to because they recently went through everything I am, so their advice could be very helpful. Unless these students were volunteers, it may be difficult to get the university to pay for them to work there. Also, they would not be certified counselors, so they may not get approved to work with other students. Many people also can need to see a counselor, so there need to be more people available to students when they are in high demand. I honestly believe that I was able to see someone so soon because there was a cancellation.
One resource I think would be helpful for many students that I am not sure OSU offers is a way to connect students that come from the same region. I know many people that attend the university are from Ohio, but there are many students that come from all around the world, so I believe that this resource would be especially helpful for them. It is very easy to excluded you come from a different background than your peers.

Academic Support

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The day before my chemistry midterm, I went to chemistry peer tutoring in Morrill Tower. I was able to learn a few things that were not taught to me in lecture, recitation, or by doing the homework. I did not stay the entire time because I had other homework to do, but I did stay long enough to cover everything that I was not comfortable with. My tutor was very clear, concise, and helpful. For students that normally do not ask for help, I do believe that there is a stigma when they do ask for help. It is expected of us to never ask for help and to also be the ones to help those who may not understand. This puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on students because they may feel embarrassed to ask for help.

Morrill Tower Study Rooms

There were students that have taken my class before that wait in the study area in Morrill Tower for students to come and ask any questions they may have. Getting help from them was very simple. All I had to do was ask them specific questions about the things that I was confused about. I did a practice midterm before and brought them the questions I got wrong, and they helped those and other confusing concepts. I like this method of tutoring because I believe that it is not beneficial to go over things that I already am comfortable with like I would in recitation.

The last time that I have sought help outside of class was sophomore year of high school for my Honors Chemistry class. I went to an after school review session before one of our big tests. There, they went over everything that will be on it, and I was also given the opportunity to ask about anything that I still needed help on. That was the only time during high school that I felt overwhelmed enough to get help. It has been so long since I went to that tutoring, that this experience did feel new to me. I did feel uncomfortable seeking help because I have not done it for so long. I did not expect that I would need it, but I had to put my pride to the side. 

I am glad that tutoring is available to those who need it, and I would be interested in becoming a tutor in the future. To do that, I would have to be extremely confident in the subject that would tutor people in. I feel like it is very rewarding to help people that need it. I love to see people succeed in anything that they worked for and knowing that I helped them achieve their goal would mean a lot to me.

Student Organizations

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Hale Hall

Last week, I attended my first Black Student Association (BSA) meeting, which took place in Hale Hall. I came across this organization during the Student Involvement Fair in the first week of classes. I decided to join because it would give me a group of people that I could identify with. For this meeting, I was planning on going by myself, but one of my suitemates was also going, so we attended the meeting together. I was excited to go because I knew I would have the opportunity to meet lots of new people and learn about the ways I could get involved in my community. When I first walked in a met a few of suitemate’s friends. For this meeting, the leaders of the BSA allowed other black-led organizations to tell everyone about their clubs. A couple of clubs that I found interesting were the Ladies of Leadership and the Black Mental Health Coalition. The leaders of the BSA are very welcoming, energetic, and entertaining, and in the future, I could see myself potentially becoming a leader if I get more involved in my community.
I believe is important to join any organization while in college because it is the best way to get involved with the university. Also, many connections could be made if you join the right organizations, but also they can be a lot of fun. The meetings are not very often or very long, but BSA also sponsors fun events throughout the year. I went to the cookout sponsored by them earlier this year. Time management is also important when being in any club, but I do not think it would be difficult to stay involved. There are many clubs that I find interesting, but I think I am good at allocating my time towards the things that are most important to me. With the university offering so many organizations it is very easy to become overwhelmed. I believe that it is good there are so many to choose from because there are so many types of people on campus every single day. Sadly, people can have many different interests, and there is a good chance that the university has an organization that caters to those interests. For someone who wants to be involved in so many things, it may be difficult to juggle classwork and all the organizations they may be in.
During the Student Involvement Fair, it was very easy to find clubs that I was interested in, but I was hoping to find club basketball, but it was there. If the university does not offer girls’ club basketball, but I would be interested in starting one sometime in the future.
I believe it is very important to get involved in a student organization. It is an excellent way to make new friends, build professional connections, and become involved in the community. There are so many organizations on campus that I am not even aware of. Throughout my time attending Ohio State, I hope to be active in as many clubs as possible.

Year in Review

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[ “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.

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[ “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

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[“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

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[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

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My name is Taylor Smith, and I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I attended Hawken School, where I was a member of the Black Student Union and the Red Key Society. I also played varsity basketball and softball.

I am currently pursuing a major in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University where I am also a member of the STEM Exploration and Engagement Program. In the future, I hope to become either a neurologist or a neurosurgeon. During my time at Ohio State, I also hope to become a Neuroscience Ambassador.