For Ohio State students, there is always something to do around campus. Here are some highly anticipated events that I recommend you experience during your first year:
1) Buck-i-Frenzy: This is my favorite fall event which takes place before the first day of class. Buck-i-Frenzy is a “lifestyle festival” that features local and national companies, each giving out many, many samples (basically lots of FREE STUFF).
2) Community Commitment: A day of service for all Ohio State students to volunteer around Columbus.
3) BuckeyeThon: Like to have fun while supporting a good cause? Take part in BuckeyeThon, a 24-hour dance marathon that raises money to support children treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
4) Hockey Game: Want a fun and FREE night with friends? Check out the Ohio State Men’s Hockey team as they compete against other schools. Just bring your BuckID!
5) Movie on the Oval: Grab your blanket and friends and come watch a movie on the Oval! Free food and snacks provided 🙂
6) Homecoming Parade: Watch the Buckeye community parade down High Street— music, cheering, and all!
7) Study Abroad Expo: Planning on studying abroad? The study abroad expo is a great first step to take. Make sure to come with questions to ask the experts!
8) Welcome Week Concert: Come out and enjoy some music with your fellow Buckeyes! Past performances include 2 Chainz and The Band Perry.
9) Taste of OSU: A great evening filled with cultural performances, exhibits and food from all around the world.
10) Football Games: Need I say more? Even if you don’t buy season tickets, Ohio State football games are something to definitely experience at least once during your college career.
11) Group Fitness classes: As a student with a BuckID, you can take advantage of all the great programs Ohio State Recreational Sports has to offer, especially all of the group fitness classes! You can find the group fitness schedule on recsports.osu.edu.
12) Skull Sessions: Held two hours before every home game, skull sessions are concerts/pep rallies with over 10,000 fans in attendance.
13) Involvement Fair: Your greatest opportunity to get involved by finding an organization or club that fits your interests. This is one of the most exciting events of the year!
14) Columbus Welcome event: A large-scale event where all first years are transported from campus to Nationwide Arena and given a taste of all that Columbus and Ohio State has to offer!
15) Basketball games: Ohio State Men’s basketball games are a great display of school spirit and camaraderie. Come to the Schottenstein Center and cheer on the Buckeyes!
16) Big Free Concert: Hosted by the Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB), this free concert is an annual springtime event. Past performances have included Childish Gambino and Skrillex!
17) MLK Day of Service: Hosted by Pay It Forward (an organization that sponsors several service events throughout the year), this particular service project takes place on Martin Luther King day.
…He who is greatest among you shall be a servant. That’s the new definition of greatness…Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.
18) Convocation: Your first official welcome to the Ohio State community! At convocation, you will hear from several university leaders, faculty, and special guests, as well as experience the several different time-honored university traditions.
19) Light Up the Lake: Hosted by the Ohio Staters, Inc., this event takes place after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season! Students hang up seasonal lights around Mirror Lake and Browning Amphitheatre for this lovely lighting ceremony.
20) Synchronized Swimming meets: What better team to watch than the multi-U.S. National champions, AKA the Ohio State Synchronized Swim Team? Add this to your Ohio State bucket list!
21) Homecoming Pep Rally: A large-scale event held in the Ohio Union featuring several guest speakers in order to rally support for the football team against their opponents in the Homecoming game.
Make sure to tune in on Wednesday (orientation day 23) – Alex will share 23 Things to Do on the Weekends!