You’ve made it through the first few weeks on campus!  At this point, you have found out where your classes are, made a few friends, and have hopefully done that first load of laundry. While those are all great things, you may now be finding yourself thinking about some new challenges. Let’s examine a few examples of challenges you–and many first-year students–may be facing and how the First Year Success Series can help you!

Scenario #1: “Classes are so hard! I have all the stress!”

You are not alone! You may have been told that college would challenge you, but it’s hard to understand that challenge until you are living it. The important thing is to not give up. You still have time to adjust and figure out how to manage your time in order to stress less. These First Year Success Series workshops will help you do just that:

Stress Less: Tips for Building Academic Confidence and Resilience
Theme: Health and Wellness
September 23, 5-5:50 p.m.

Stress and Time Management
Theme: Health and Wellness
September 26, 1-1:45 p.m.

Scenario #2: “My first project is due soon. My first project is due soon??? MY FIRST PROJECT IS DUE SOON!!!”

In all the excitement of your first few weeks as a Buckeye, you may not have noticed that projects and papers may be due sooner than you think. Don’t let your first assignments catch you unprepared. These First Year Success Series workshops will connect you with some resources which will make your life easier as you complete those first assignments:

A+ Research: How Do You Find Resources?
Theme: Academic Engagement and Career Exploration
September 22, 6-7 p.m.

So much more than books! University Libraries can make your life easier.
Theme: Academic Engagement and Career Exploration
September 24, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

A+ Research: Selecting the Right Resources without Having to Read All of Everything First
Theme: Academic Engagement and Career Exploration
September 24, 6-7 p.m.

Scenario #3: “I have made some unhealthy choices with alcohol” or “I have been in situations where I have been tempted to make unhealthy choices with alcohol.”

The negative effects of making unhealthy choices related to alcohol in college are often minimized or even glorified. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes experiencing these negative consequences before students understand and make better choices. These First Year Success Series workshops will expose you to the best choices related to alcohol use.

Party Smart
Theme: Health and Wellness
September 23, 7-8 p.m.

Choices About Alcohol
Theme: Health and Wellness
September 24, 1-2 p.m.

Scenario #4: “I have met so many people who are different from me. How can I be an ally to those whose identities are different from my own?”

For many students, Ohio State is the most diverse of any diverse environment in which they have lived. Buckeyes seek not only to notice the diversity around them, but also create an environment in which everyone feels welcome. These First Year Success Series workshops will shed light on what being an ally for others looks like:

How to be an Ally
Theme: Diversity and Global Awareness
September 24, 6-7 p.m.

Ally Week Speaker: Maysoon Zayid
Theme: Diversity and Global Awareness
September 25, 7-8 p.m.

Scenario #5: “I love The Glass Castle! Is there a way that I can meet the author of the book?”

You’re in luck! Jeannette Walls, the author of The Glass Castle, will visit campus to speak about the book, her life, and how the experiences you read about have impacted her life. Come hear her speak and have the opportunity to get your copy of the book signed!

An Evening with Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle
Theme: Buckeye Book Community
September 23, 7:30-8:45 p.m.

These are just a few of the hundreds of sessions and workshops featured in the First Year Success Series. See all of the options online by visiting go.osu.edu/FYSS and make sure to register for your favorite sessions before they fill up! Don’t see anything that interests you? Email FYSS@osu.edu to let us know what workshops we should offer!

By now you’re familiar with your summer reading assignment for the Buckeye Book Community (BBC). At orientation you heard how The Glass Castle gives you a unique connection to all first-year students. Ohio State might seem humongous, but you’ll have at least one thing in common with your 6,999 peers: you all have (presumably) read this book and therefore have something to chat about.

And, while the BBC is getting you connected to your peers, it also about getting you engaged with ideas, issues, faculty, staff, opportunities, and resources.

When you return to campus, you will use the book in University Survey. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend campus events that are focused on the themes of the book. Today, I want to highlight some of the events you can look forward to via some noteworthy quotes from The Glass Castle.

Maybe I should have cut him some slack. With his broken wing and lifetime of eating roadkill, he probably had a lot to be ungrateful about. Too much hard luck can create a permanent meanness of spirit in any creature. (p. 120)  

In this scene, Jeannette takes the perspective of the buzzard and attempts to understand the struggles he’s faced to influence his outlook and demeanor. This fall, the Multicultural Center will show scenes from “Stranger with a Camera,” and then attendees will discuss how bias and assumptions can affect our understanding others. Co-hosted by  the Appalachian Project, this interactive event will give students a chance to interact in small groups and hear from student and faculty facilitators!

After dinner, the whole family stretched out on the benches and the floor of the depot and read, with the dictionary in the middle of the room so we kids could look up words we didn’t know. Sometimes I discussed the definitions with Dad, and if we didn’t agree with what the dictionary writers said, we sat down and wrote a letter to the publishers. (p. 56)

Rex and Rose Mary had great intellectual influence on their children. The Walls grew up in an environment where learning was encouraged and Rex loved sharing his expertise on astronomy, physics, geology, and more with his children. In college you might not have your very own Rex Walls to help you do homework, but the University Libraries can assist! Attend a workshop to learn how to conduct research–you’ll even begin researching a topic related to concepts in The Glass Castle.

She’d been reading books on how to cope with an alcoholic, and they said that drunks didn’t remember their rampages, so if you cleaned up after them, they’d think nothing had happened. ‘Your father needs to see the mess he’s making of our lives,’ Mom said. But when Dad got up, he’d act as if all the wreckage didn’t exist, and no one discussed it with him. The rest of us had to get used to stepping over broken furniture and shattered glass. (p. 112-113)

Many of the troubling scenes in The Glass Castle relate to Rex’s episodes of alcoholism and gambling. Come to the Wellness Center‘s workshop about the truth of addiction. You’ll learn about the science behind addiction, in addition to understanding the stigma of alcoholism and how we can fight to destigmatize it.

No child is born a delinquent. They only became that way if nobody loved them when they were kids. Unloved children grow up to be serial murderers or alcoholics. (p. 83)

Jeannette and her siblings had each other to lean on for support, and they eventually became each other’s safety net for thriving as young adults. What about children who do not have a support system at home? How do children in our community survive when they are in situations similar to Jeannette’s? Dr. Natasha Slesnick, a professor in Human Sciences Administration, will lead a discussion on the experiences of homeless and struggling youth.

At times I felt like I was failing Maureen, like I wasn’t keeping my promise that I’d protect her–the promise I’d made to her when I held her on the way home from the hospital after she’d been born. I couldn’t get her what she needed most–hot baths, a warm bed, steaming bowls of Cream of Wheat before school in the morning–but I tried to do little things. (p. 206)

Did reading Jeannette’s story motivate you to help others? Do you wish you could help the hungry by providing food and resources? Look out for service opportunities in November during the Battle Against Hunger.

Stay tuned for event dates and times!

The feeling I have right now is not very real, because I cannot believe that this semester is already finished and I have already sat on my favorite sofa at my home right now. It is the time for me to sum up this month that flew by: April.

There is a never-ending list of to-dos.

During the past month, I struggled with my to-do lists. Every time I thought I had finished my tasks, new things usually came so soon that I really did not have time to relax. Therefore, I do believe that there is no empty to-do list. Even so, every time I crossed off things in the to-do list, I felt a sense of accomplishment, which is amazing. Moreover, when ever I find myself feeling frazzled by the distractions and never-ending task list, the answer to finding peace always come back to focus. We will all find the way to our peace to carry on and move on.

The library is a good place for studying and also for relaxing.

I really love our Thompson Library now! I did not usually go to Thompson library before since I used to study at home or my studio. In April, one of my friends took me there to study with her. I began to love this place and found out that it is really a good place not only for studying but also for relaxing. There is a cafe on the ground floor, so students can get coffee or food while they are studying. Nearby the big windows, you can get a book or just listen to music while looking out at the beautiful world out there. Every time I look outside, my eyes relax and also it helps me to concentrate. Moreover, I even found Chinese books there, so I can read for fun when I am free. Of course, you can find so many books from other countries. One of my favorite spots in Thompson library is at the top of the library. You can look out to see the beautiful Oval and enjoy yourself whatever you are studying or just relaxing.  Go to the library, it is really more than the library you think it is.

Talking to someone can help us release pressure.

Everyone has pressures, maybe if their life or study. For me, most of my pressure is working on my projects. I used to believe that I could handle all of my pressure all by myself; however, it turned out, I failed. I can not handle too much pressure by crying since crying only can release part of my pressure and cannot solve problems at all. I believe that most of us have the same problems at some points. Talking to people is very helpful and healthy way to release your pressure. While you are talking, maybe you’ll find a way you did not think of before to solve your problems; or, your friends, or advisor, or whomever you trust could help you calm down to find yourself not in the panic to solve the issues. Therefore, talk to people and you can find your peace.

Time management is very helpful to increase efficiency of studying.

Don’t do the following things:

After crazily busy final week, I begin to believe that maybe studying is…

or this one…Nope!

Learning how to manage time can help us get through finals week! Although finals week has already passed, we have to learn something from it! Making a plan to organize our time in different subjects can increase the efficiency. Then, we need to find a good spot to study such as the wonderful Thompson Library as I mentioned before. After that we need to focus on what we are studying. Studying is not scary; instead it is a process to improve and enrich ourselves.

Going home is a big issue.

After April, we can have a long summer break. For International students like me, it is a wonderful break, since we finally have long enough to stay at home and enjoy our summer break. Don’t forget to kiss and hug your family to show how much you miss them! For me, the closer to the day I go home, the more eagerly I want to go home. I did not have that feeling before I came to America, but now I recognize I feel homesick, which reminds me of how much I love my parents and my hometown.

I’m so glad that I’m home now. Ohio State, I will be back soon!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!

Can you believe that the semester is almost over?! Finals are just weeks away, and your freshman year is coming to a close. When I was in your shoes last year, I was sad to see the year coming to an end because I had made so many awesome memories and friends. I was also excited to be entering my sophomore year mostly because of STEP. When I checked that little box on my housing form, I did not know what to expect, but participating in STEP this past year has been a great experience!

Sounds Awesome! But what is STEP?

STEP stands for Second-Year Transformational Experience Program, and it is designed for second-year students who decide to live in the residence halls for a second year. The program pairs you up with a faculty member advisor who reviews and approves a proposal about how you plan to spend your $2,000. Yes, that’s right, I said $2,000. The $2,000 grant can be used towards one or more of six experiences: Artistic and Creative Endeavors, Internships, Leadership, Service-Learning and Community Service, Study Abroad, and Undergraduate Research. There are also required co-curricular events to attend about everything from staying fit to applying to grad school.

The process of deciding what you want to do with your money, writing that proposal, and attending those required events may seem daunting, so I have come up with four steps to help you succeed in STEP (pun intended)!

1. You do not have to commit to an experience right away.

When I first started the STEP process, I did not know what experience I was going to choose. I was debating between using the grant for an internship or study abroad. I finally decided in February that I was going to study abroad in London in May of 2015. I was even one of the first of my friends to pick an experience. Some of my friends were still deciding at the beginning of March! Take your time to decide on an experience because if you are passionate about what you will be doing, it will be much easier to write your proposal.

2. Start writing your proposal as soon as possible.

I wrote my proposal all in one sitting and that was not fun. The proposal includes a two-page summary of the details of the experience you will be participating in, a one-page personal statement, and a budget and explanation of how you will be spending your grant. Did I mention that it all has to be single-spaced? If you break up the writing of the proposal it goes by really fast. After all, you have a year to write it. Even if you are not sure how you will be spending the grant, it is still worthwhile to write the personal statement.

3. Keep in touch with your faculty member.

The faculty members who are part of the STEP program volunteered to participate, so they genuinely enjoy getting to know students both inside and outside the classroom. Your faculty advisors want to help! My faculty advisor was Dr. Bartoszek-Loza who teaches some general chemistry classes. I never had her as a professor for my chemistry classes, but I am really glad that she was my STEP advisor. She was always so enthusiastic and encouraging about the ideas I had, and she gave me a lot of advice on life in general. Your STEP advisor is there as a resource and mentor, so make the most of it!

4. Keep an open mind.

This may be the best advice I can give you in regards to STEP. The STEP program is all about experiences that you would not normally get the chance to have. Pick co-curricular programs that focus on global awareness or professional development. Meet with your faculty advisor one-on-one. Spend your $2,000 on an experience that pushes you outside your comfort zone. I promise that you will be glad that you did.

So if you made it this far through this post, and are wishing you had signed up for STEP, never fear! If you are interested in participating in STEP for 2014-15 and you did not sign up when renewing your housing contract for your second year, simply contact Chelsea Black at 614-292-8266. You can also learn more about the STEP program at step.osu.edu.

Ahh, April Fool’s Day. A day during the year where offices, classrooms, and locker rooms become the playing field for some of us to play humorous, embarrassing, and well intentioned pranks on each other. A day among the ranks of Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and New Year’s as well as other capitalized holidays. But, this also happens to be the day that my parents happened to get married.

I know what you’re thinking: What self-respecting couple would defame the sanctity of marriage by having it take place on a holiday of tomfoolery and shenanigans? My thoughts exactly at age 3 when I learned of this debauchery. But I also learned that they didn’t choose this day. In fact, they didn’t even choose each other! My parents has an arranged marriage. Just as Fa Mulan was supposed to have in the family favorite, “Mulan”…didn’t work out so well for the matchmaker.

Being born and raised in the motherland they call India, my parents were chosen to marry each other by their respective families solely on the basis of tradition. It was kind of a situation as my dad put it, “A friend told a friend, who told another friend, who told my dad that they know of a girl that I should marry”. They were introduced in December (years shall remain anonymous for protection of my college fund) and three months later the marriage took place. Dr. Shauna Springer writes in Psychology Today that, “Some marital experts would argue that two years is a good amount of time to wait…In some cases, it may be wise to wait three or more years before making a decision”. My parents had three months.  

Though, here is the craziest part; I’ve never seen a happier couple in my entire life and I’m confident in saying I never will.

Weird anecdote, right? Chances are this is not the first, or weirdest, story you’ve heard and you can bet top dollar that it’s not the last. Ohio State is home to over 50,000 individuals and I’m almost positive they’re all not White, public school, young adults from medium-sized town Ohio. Our university prides itself not only on the shear extent of diversity present on campus but the fact that inclusion is just as important. This issue is a matter of cultural differences, ethnicities, academic backgrounds, extra-curricular backgrounds and so much more!

So what’s all the fuss about being so diverse anyway? Why does that make Ohio State so great? Well I can tell you that not all my friends are from the same place, do the same thing, or have the same interests. I’m actually fairly certain that not two of my friends are parallel in any of these respects. But what they all have in common is that their unique backgrounds provide me with a variety perspectives on any number of personal, communal, or societal matters. Also, I’m sure I’m not the only one who wholeheartedly believes that not only are these diverse perspectives enjoyable to have around, but they better us as individuals in ways we could never achieve on our own.

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I hope I cleared up any confusion about my crazy parents and their crazy parents because to our generation, living where we do, that is far from normal. Our university holds many assets to make you as a student prosper and find your passion so that you may continue to pursue it beyond your education. With a student body this large and a professional staff this dedicated, diversity at Ohio State is not just inevitable, it’s necessary. But there’s one thing that will always be the same when we leave to lead our successful lives as engineers, stock brokers, wedding planners, and astronauts; we’re Buckeyes now and we’ll be Buckeyes for life.

KBKCSLS. Some of you may know exactly what I am talking about; others may be scratching their heads – perfectly okay. If you are anything like me in my first year, you are probably looking like

Lets be real – Ohio State is all about the really long acronyms. But ultimately, I think it would be a sin if you went through your whole first year at Ohio State and not check the Keith B Key Center for Student Leadership & Service. It is located on the second floor of the Ohio Union and it is a perfect spot for many reasons (in which I will describe below). Really, it truly is one of my favorite spots on campus!

The Center is a great place for any student to go to connect with others. One the reasons I love it so much is because it is always bustling with students who are very passionate about what they are doing. The Center is the home of over 60 student organization offices, and each organization is required to hold office hours weekly. If you were ever looking to get involved in a student org, you could always stop by their office and talk to a member about their experiences!

The CSLS is also home to Undergraduate Student Government (USG),  the sorority and fraternity councils, and Ohio Union Activities Board. It also houses cohorts through the Union such as Pay it Forward and Student Leadership Advocates. Pay it Forward is responsible for the numerous service opportunities that you get to take part in, such as MLK Day of Service and Community Commitment. Student Leadership Advocates is a group of students trained to facilitate workshops and retreats  for other student orgs.

(This is totally how I assume every Student Life employee at Ohio State feels like when they walk into the center).

So maybe you’re sitting there thinking, “Man, sounds cool, but I’m not sure why I would use that”. Well, think again my friend!

Many people seem to think that the Center is only for students holding office hours, but that is so not the case. There are plenty of study spaces in the center, as well as a resource room that you can utilize. The resource center is a craft-person’s dream – you can get anything from butcher block paper to balloons to pins for your backpack (remember all those nifty ones your Orientation Leader seemed to have? This is the spot.) Also, I just think the Center is really the “living room” of your student experience. As a first-year student, one of the things I missed most was having a couch – since one obviously didn’t fit in my resident hall room. The Center has a very homey atmosphere to hang out in and, thanks to USG, there is even a Mrs. Pacman machine you can play in between class! How fun is that?

Now I hope you are really excited to poke your head in and utilize the center, considering it is such an amazing resource for you as a student of Ohio State! Hope to see you there my friends!