At the time of this writing, I have 13 days left of my first semester at OSU. Two weeks from today, I will have woken up at home, in my own bed, and that thought is exciting and comforting, but also surreal. I can’t believe how fast this first semester has gone by. I have learned so many things and met so many people; I feel like I’ve grown up a lot since move-in day. I know when I look back on my first semester, there are lots of things I’m going to want to remember, so I’m going to list them here.

• Being an OWL, moving in early (and not having air conditioning or a working fan in my room, which was torture), and meeting a lot of the girls who have since become my best friends here at Ohio State.
• Going to football games, and finally understanding how people can be so dedicated to a sports team. I can honestly say now that being a Buckeye is one of the most important parts of my identity, and not a lot of things make me happier than seeing everyone decked out in scarlet and gray on Saturdays. Also, although I didn’t attend the Michigan game this year, watching it at home with my mom and grandparents is now one of my all-time favorite memories.
• On a similar note, TBDBITL is now my favorite band.
• I got to see Wes Moore speak about his book and his life, I found that to be an incredibly inspiring experience.
• Painting outside at 11:30 at night was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done.
• Watching the World Series with my friends, and everyone eventually moving to the Baker Rec Room to watch together was a great memory. Even though we lost, I loved watching it surrounded by other people who were rooting for my hometown.
• Getting to see Hillary Clinton speak and then voting in November were some of the most important things I’ve ever done in my life. This is why I want to double major in Public Affairs, and I will never stop believing that love will trump hate.

These are most of my favorite/most important memories from this past semester, and while I’m sure there are many more that I’m forgetting, I know that each has shaped me in some way, and everything I’ve done has contributed to the amazing time that I’ve had so far here at THE Ohio State University. I love the things I’m studying, the people I’m with, and this amazing university that has enriched my life so much already. I can’t wait to see what next semester has in store, and GO BUCKS!!!

I would like to start working out, but I don’t really know the best ways to work out. I would like to start working out, and I’m not really sure what I’m doing, so I will take classes with instructors at the RPAC.

I like to read for fun, but I have lots of reading to do for classes. I like to read for fun, and I have lots of reading to do for classes, so I should take classes on the types of books that I like to read.

I would like to eat healthier, but I often go to the same places to get food. I would like to eat healthier, and I often go to the same places to get food, so I should try ordering healthier things.

I want to get more sleep, but I often procrastinate on doing my work and end up staying up late. I want to get more sleep and I often procrastinate on doing my work, so I need to get my work done earlier.

I want to talk to my family more, but I am always busy with classes and work. I want to talk to my family more, and I am always busy with classes and work, so I need to find time in between classes and work to call them.

 Katie is a 2^nd year OSU student from Zanesville, Ohio. She decided to attend OSU because her mother teaches here, and because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study, and Ohio State has just about any major she could choose. She has since decided on environmental science as her major, and she wants to have a career that impacts lots of people and makes their lives better, possibly by working for the federal government or doing research. Katie’s favorite memory is from her first trip to Hawaii: she remembers stepping off the plane and breathing in the fresh air. The most important thing that Katie has learned so far from her time at Ohio State is that you can get a lot more done if you respect other people’s viewpoints, and that you often have to compromise and listen to other people’s viewpoints in order to get anything done.

My first week at OSU has been full of new experiences and new people. My biggest fears for college were not getting along with my roommate, not making any new friends, and struggling in my classes, and so far, none of those things have happened. My roommate and I get along pretty well, I’ve made plenty of new friends, and I love the majority of my classes. I’ve gone to a couple of club meetings, (my favorite of which was far and away MUNDO), gone to a men’s soccer game, and even tried out for an a cappella group. The thing I was most excited for about coming to Ohio State was all the possibilities, and now that I’m here, I feel like all the doors in the world are open to me.

The first week has been so much fun for me. Going to all of the events that Ohio State has for freshman, such as Convocation and the Involvement Fair, has been a great way to get to know people and learn about opportunities, even if they were sometimes overwhelming. At the very least, it was great to celebrate my arrival at Ohio State, and I got a lot of free food and t-shirts, which is always a plus. The other main highlight of my week was going to the first MUNDO meeting on Monday. I had first heard about MUNDO at orientation and it sounded like a club where I would learn a lot, but still have a lot of fun. After the meeting, I can easily say that I am looking forward to getting more involved with MUNDO, because I think it will teach me a lot of new things and force me to look at things from different, perspectives.

The last thing that I really enjoyed about my first week at OSU was my classes. I can already tell that I’m going to enjoy most of my classes, and that I’m going to have to work a lot harder than I did in high school. My teachers are all extremely knowledgable about their subjects, and I know that I’m going to walk out of their classrooms at the end of the semester a much more intelligent and thoughtful person. I know it sounds nerdy to say that I’m excited for my classes, but I’m so happy to be studying subjects that I want to study, like Shakespeare and Political Science, instead of just taking whatever classes are required of me. I know I’m getting a great education, and I’m so happy that I’m finally getting started.

In conclusion, this week made me so excited for the next four years. I know I’m going to do lots of fun things with the Humanities Scholars, I know I’m going to become involved with MUNDO and go to lots of different events, and I know I’m going to learn a lot from my classes. My first week at OSU has been a very great beginning of the rest of my 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.]