As a student at The Ohio State University, you have already been exposed to the impressive range of diverse people on our campus. From Orientation to Move-In Day to your 8 a.m. class, you have surely met a cast of characters unlike anything you’ve ever encountered before.

The best part of this variety of people is that each one has something important to teach you.

Here’s a look at 10 people you’ll meet during your first year and will have a lasting impact one way or another.

1. Your Orientation Buddy

Chances are you made at least one friend at summer orientation. Regardless of whether you’re still close, this person taught you the importance of acceptance during your early days in your new home. You probably even still see your orientation pals around campus, and you’ll never forget their companionship.

2. The Roommate(s)

Most first-year students who are living on campus have an unforgettable roommate experience (good or bad). Living in a room with 1-4 total strangers is an experience you may never have again. This relationship will teach you how to interact and live with others. Guaranteed you’ll learn a lot about yourself, as well as understanding where others come from and how they live.

3. The Resident Advisor

You might have the “cool RA” or the strict one. Some want to be your friend. Others are extremely professional. In the end, having an older peer on your floor can only help you. Ask them for advice (they’ll love it). Your RA is a resource that should not be ignored.

4. The Class Friend

This friend might only stick around for a semester, but they’re important. You’ll sit in your unofficial assigned seats together, bond by complaining about homework, and study together. Always make a friend in your classes, especially if you’re ever sick and have to miss a day. This friend also might show up again down the road, so making connections is always helpful.

5. The Overachiever

You and your class friend might despise this person. The overachiever raises their hand to answer every question in class. They remind the professor about an assignment that they might have forgotten they even assigned. Take my advice: don’t mock this person. You’re in college as a student, and you could learn from their pep and knowledge.

6. The Smart Slacker

This is the friend who miraculously get As on every exam, yet (seemingly) barely lifts a finger to study. This friend might not even attend class. You might boil with rage when you do poorly on an exam that you studied for all night, while this friend got a full eight hours of sleep. There’s nothing you can do about their abilities, but you can learn not to stress too much over grades. You can only do your best. Ask this friend for help – maybe there’s a method to their (apparent) slacking.

7. The Mentor

The benefits of a mentor are endless. They could be your Orientation Leader, RA, adviser, older friend in a student organization, or a friend from high school also at Ohio State now. They’ve been in your shoes and know the tricks of the trade to ensure success in college. Get coffee or a meal with them – your mentor will give you invaluable advice and guide you through any problems you encounter.

8. The Buckeye For Life

We’re all Buckeyes for life, but you will meet that friend who bleeds Scarlet and Gray. They only own Ohio State apparel, paint up for athletic events, and secretly aspire to get either the lyrics to “Carmen, Ohio” or a Block “O” tattooed somewhere on their body. You could learn a thing or two from this buckeye. Absorb their school spirit. It is one of the best aspects of going to Ohio State, and there is nothing else like it.

9. The Unforgettable Professor

The academic professionals at this university are incredible. By enrolling in a wide range of courses during your first year, mainly because of that GE curriculum, you just might encounter an inspiring professor. For me, it was a yoga instructor teaching a Gen. Ed. course about the body and mind. If you actively listen and learn from them, you might learn more than what seems like monotonous facts memorized just to ace an exam.

10. The True Friend(s)

Whether you meet them during Welcome Week or studying for finals, true and good people will emerge during your first year. They are there to eat with you at KComm, talk you through your emotional troubles, and support you when you change your major for the third time (or maybe that’s just me). Friendships are constantly changing, but you will be forever indebted to the people who become your people during one of the most important and challenging years of your life.

You’ve got a friend in me,

Dylan MacDowell