I moved into Ohio State in August.  I knew four people from my high school, but I would only call one a true “friend,” the others I just knew because I had classes with them.  I had no idea what my major was going to be.  I knew I hated science, but aside from that I really had no direction.  Everything was scary for me, I had a pit in my stomach before move-in-day.

It is now January when I am writing this, and, everything has changed for me.  In one semester, Ohio State has revealed so much to me about where my passions lie, what qualities I value in friendships, and most importantly in just five months it has solidified my identity and beliefs.  Thanks to the support of my new friends, my advisors, and my parents, my first semester at Ohio State has been my most transformative.

First off, the people of Mount Leadership Society Scholars Program have been some of the most encouraging and supportive groups of people I know.  In one semester with Mount, we participated on a multi-day retreat, completed a class strengthening our leadership skills, and volunteered monthly in the Columbus community.  I have been able to surround myself with people that have very similar values and goals, and they challenge me to be the best, most authentic version of myself.  The independence of college was scary but being able to live with the people of Mount has kept me both accountable for my actions and helped me learn to live on my own.  Currently, I am helping to plan two large service event projects dealing with the theme of abuse.

Secondly, I have learned more about myself as a student in the past few months than I ever had.  My high school did a good job preparing me for the rigors of college, but the first round of midterms challenged me because of how much material I needed to remember.  I just remember feeling so overwhelmed and disorganized by the vast number of notes and textbook pages I had to read.  That was a wake-up call for me, and while I performed okay on the tests, I strove to be better prepared and do better.  I improved my next midterm scores by 10%, and my grades on finals surpassed my expectations.  By developing my time-management strategies, learning to use my resources (like free tutoring and office hours), and improving my organizational skills, I was able to finish my first semester with a 3.72 GPA.

Thirdly, I discovered my major.  Even though advisors, peers, and my parents were telling me not to worry about not having a major, the thought still plagued me every day leading up to college.  My favorite class from the first semester was English 3372, a class on Science-Fiction literature taught by Professor Brian McHale.  I remember being the youngest student in the class and was really challenged by the material.  However, I loved what I was learning, and it was that class that really solidified my passion for English.  I remember interviewing Professor McHale for a project for another class, and he made an English major sound so exciting and worth pursuing.  I knew right there that I wanted an English degree because it was learning that truly excited me.  I am now in two English classes and I love both of them.

English was not the only major that I discovered during the last semester.  I got accepted into the Undergraduate Student Government at Ohio State.  Through that, I participated in the Interns program which is more of a social club for first-year USG members to help them make friends and connections at Ohio State.  Some of my best memories from first semester are the Interns meetings where we learned about each other.  We shared our hopes and fears, our emotional highs and emotional lows and because of that share a bond that will not soon be broken.  Many of the other Interns would often share stories about their Public Affairs classes which piqued my interest.  I soon discovered that Public Affairs would help me take my passion for politics and learn how to institute real change.  I am now taking Public Affairs classes and am really enjoying learning about forms of leadership in the Public, Private, and Non-Profit sectors.

As my dad reminded me on the phone the other day, “all work and no play make Johnny a dull boy.”  Reflecting on my first semester, yes, I did work a lot.  But I also did my fair share of playing.  It has always been a dream of mine to attend Buckeye football games and I really enjoyed the sense of community and pride we all share on game day.  I’ll never forget waking up at three in the morning with my friends to go sit in the front for College Gameday (and because of my effort I got to high five Eddie George and be on National TV!).  I’ll also never forget rushing the field after our football team beat Penn State in what I am considering the greatest sporting event I will ever attend.  I also got involved with intramural Broomball.  I joined on a whim because my friends did but ended up having so much fun playing.  Our team made it to the quarter-finals of the playoffs and lost in double overtime, but the memories we made will last forever.

As I anticipate my next semester, I am excited at all the opportunities that lie before me.  I am very excited to be taking classes that I truly enjoy and am passionate about.  I am looking forward to all of the spring events for Mount and have joined a new club called the Sports in Society Initiative.  I am applying for internships for the summer and am thrilled that Ohio State has been able to open so many doors for me.  I think about the last line of the alma mater often.  It goes “time and change will surely show, how firm thy friendship Ohio.”  I think that rings true for my experience here.  The friendships that I have made in the first semester will last throughout so many changes in my life, and that is priceless to me.