Coming to Ohio State from a different culture and country, with no friends initially was really difficult, but the past year has been a wonderful year even with its ups and downs. I had accepted and the campus had accepted me over the course of the year and there is nothing I would change about the last year. I always wondered that commuting to campus would be difficult as I won’t be much connected to the campus and make connections as one would like their freshman year. But I was fortunate enough that through the scholars program and joining a dance team on campus, I came across an amazing group of friends. Although living on campus would have elevated my freshman year experience, but still I could take away a lot due to the constant involvement Ohio state offers to its students. I came in as a really indecisive student about my major and changed my major three times, starting from engineering to neuroscience. Although during my first year, I didn’t find at peace with the route I have taken of being a pre-med, through volunteering and service opportunities and interacting with others already in the major, it helped me stand firm with my major and to strive on. Even though neuroscience is a really demanding major, I like many aspects of it and hope to continue my interest within the major.
Joining a dance team my freshman year was a joyous event in my life as I could share my passion for dance with 17 other talented ladies. Being part of the team made me more involved with the campus and also help studying skills as I had to balance both academics and dance practices. It helped me manage time efficiently, although there were days when things would fall apart, it taught me to strive and not to give up. Although during the course of the year, there were hardships like spraining my ankle and having a hairline fracture, I learnt to rise above those hardships and strive through. When our freshman on the team came to know that this was the first time the team was placing when competing with other university dance teams, we were really excited to have contributed in creating this history. Joining the team also instilled in me working with a team qualities that I would cherish the rest of my life.
Also, through the scholars program, I got to meet an amazing group of students who are passionate about the environment just as our scholars motto claims to be. I was fortunate enough to get know some of them in either scholars activities or during lectures. Mostly, during scholars field trips i got to know them better and it was wonderful to know their take on sustaining the environment through our ENR course. I also enjoyed the columbus to-do list assignments that helped me explore the downtown and the city, which was very vital to someone who cam from a different country and knowing about a new city was really helpful. I got to take the COTA several times to go to downtown through which i get to learn more about the COTA transportation routes. That helped me discover that COTA runs till a bus stop near my house and from then on I used COTA to commute to campus, and also fulfill my EarthMonth challenge of reducing ecological footprint by not using my car to drive to campus. The bus system is really effective and takes you one to almost anywhere on north high street which is really helpful to go around and explore the different stores.
Also, I could come across meaningful service opportunities through ENR and outside that helped inculcate in me service values and helping the society by giving back what it gave me.The services I participated this past year were cleaning up the Olentangy river bank and trail, the first ENR scholars service event, apple picking at waterman, volunteering with AID Columbus for both fall and spring semesters,volunteering at Columbus Alzheimer Care Center, cleaning up invasive species along the Olentangy river to plant trees. The service events helped built characters in me that is required of me as I embark upon my journey of saving lives. I also learned a lot of things out of my experiences like when volunteering at Waterman farm, I came to know about the technological advances in agriculture that would ensure proper, healthy disinfected apples to be donated to hungry people through the mid Ohio food bank initiative. Also, while volunteering with AID Columbus, I came to know about the existence of widespread downtrodden communities in India which could be developed into safe communities by the help of funds generated through volunteering with the organization. I was glad to be part of all the service opportunities I was able to be a part of this past year, which helped me grow into a more mature, understanding and responsible person to the community around through service.
One other highlight of my time here was the football game I got to go to as a token of service for the campus parc volunteering I did last semester. It was really worth to see a real football game and knowing more about the game from friends, since I had no clue being an outsider. Overall, I loved my freshman year at OSU and can’t wait to start my Sophomore year beginning fall.