I initially came to The Ohio State University early by participating in Buckeyes First. This is a program created for first-generation college students. Being a part of Buckeyes First definitely gave me a head start in all aspects of attending college. I got to know the campus well before everyone arrived, I met my dorm OAs and RAs, I learned many different things about finances, academics, and networking, and I had the opportunity to make connections with peers with similar backgrounds and experiences with me. Needless to say, it was a privilege to take part in it!
My first official week at The Ohio State University was pretty tame. It was a week filled with syllabi and recitations. My classes are mostly studio art classes, so I wasn’t anxious about buying textbooks as everyone else was. I only had to purchase one textbook, and I did so by purchasing an e-book off of Amazon; it was only $18. The rest of my expenses were spent on art supplies that I would need for class. Though, I already owned a lot of the materials because art has always been my passion.
There were plenty of activities offered to new and returning students alike during Welcome Week. I went to a few of them, but I think the most fun I had during the first week was getting to know the people in my dorm. There were a lot of awkward moments involved getting to know these complete strangers, but as time passed, the awkwardness became normalized and eventually turned into friendships! I met a few people just like me who don’t necessarily like to go out and party every night. We prefer to stay in or go out to do intimate things. I already found myself a gym buddy, who is basically the same person as me, except Croatian. I even got to go to her sister’s house and meet her cats; I was in heaven. My roommate, also, is a very sweet and excitable person. I was relieved to have a roommate that is easy to get along with! She’s offered me so many snacks, I’m actually blessed.
The one thing that was very unfortunate was that the toilet in my wing malfunctioned and flooded our floor. Yes, it got into our room. It soaked a lot of my clothes that were laying on the floor, and it ruined a lot of my canvas boards that I had just paid for. It also ruined the large rug that my roommate had brought to the dorm; we got it cleaned for free, but it was still ruined when it was returned. These things really pissed me off. The week after that it flooded again. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.
