My First Semester at OSU

Overall, my first semester at OSU has been a positive experience. At first, it was beyond overwhelming to manage academics, a social life, as well as my personal health. Altogether, taking care of yourself is a lot when the only person looking out for you is you. One thing I dealt with a lot in high school and continue to deal with here is that you cant say yes to everything.  Now, three months into school, it is more than necessary to say “no” to a lot of things, whether that be a class when I am sick, lunch with someone that I see every day, or staying in bed when I have an exam the next day. College takes a lot of effort in time management. Especially at a large school with as many opportunities as Ohio State, it is immensely important to take time for yourself and do what is the most right when both options are right. It took me a few weeks to also realize that although I am here for an education, and paying for it, it is also important to enjoy doing it; otherwise, people end up driving themselves mad.

Meanwhile, I am a little upset at the amount of things that I have not tried, like going to the short north with friends to shop around, going to the symphony with friends, and experiencing greek life a little more. I think that often times, people get into such a schedule of class, homework, sleep, class, homework, sleep, that they lose sight of the enormous city and town that surrounds us. On the other hand, I feel a sense of pride for the things I have gotten involved with, like the Women’s Glee Club, Yoga Club, my Humanities Scholars program, and all the people I have met and tried new things with.

Thank you OSU for a great first semester! Can’t wait for the next (hopefully only) seven!!!

Humans of the Ohio State University; Shannon O’Toole

Humans of The Ohio State University 

Shannon O’Toole

Shannon is currently a third year students at the University and is particularly interesting due the variety of activities and organizations she chooses to participate in. She first saw the Ohio State campus when she was in middle school and saw her sister attending the university. When it was her turn to start looking at schools she

realized she was comparing each school to Ohio State. The campus life, dining, the resources for students, and the distance from her home in Cleveland all continued to catch her eye when she would visit her sister. Presently, Shannon is a member of the eighth floor improv group, a university ambassador, and a Mount Leadership scholar. Within her scholars program she dedicates herself to leading others into various service opportunities.  Additionally. This past Monday she performed with the well-known and famous improv group Second City! 

humans-of-osu-pages

Butt-Out Reflection

I like to do well in school but I do not get the grades I want.

I like to do well in school so I am going to study as much as I can and devote myself to studying to get the grades I want.

 

I like to practice yoga but I don’t allow myself enough time in a day to practice.

I like to practice yoga so I am going to plan ahead and set out time each day to practice yoga.

 

I like to be open minded about other people and ideas but I often surround myself with judgemental people who do not like do to the same.

I like to be open minded about other people and ideas so I will remain confident and hold true to myself to not let others change how I treat people.

 

I like to maintain relationships with family and friends who live far away but I am bad at keeping in touch and responding to peoples texts and calls.

I like to maintain relationships with family and friends who live far away so I am going to set aside time to talk to those people and respond to them right away instead of waiting.

 

I like to be involved in many clubs and activities but I often run out time to continue attendance.

I like to be involved in many clubs and activities so I am going to pick just a few to continue attending to maintain involvement.

My First Week at OSU

My first week at OSU has been very enjoyable! There is always so much change happening which definitely makes it overwhelming, but I know there are so many resources available to me that if I have any problems or questions I know I can contact someone.

I did however think that the first few days were unreasonably busy due to the scholars retreat, the H&S Launch, and our Pre-convocation and Convocation meetings; there was no time to settle into our dorm rooms and make it feel slightly like where home should be for the next year. I think that in the future OSU should either start classes at a later date or have people move in a few days earlier. I also felt like there was no time to meet anyone around me or in my building.

Academics wise, I did enjoy my classes the first week. I saw a few familiar faces around campus which helps and I also met up with my sister a few times who also attends Ohio State. My roommate and I enjoyed trying out the different dining options around campus but, again, I felt like the first week I could not map out where any dining locations were with all of the welcome week activities going on. Therefore, when classes started it was that much more overwhelming to try to find my classes as well as somewhere to eat.

Altogether, it has been a good and exciting first week at school! I am excited to learn more about the university and the opportunities that it can provide me with!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.   For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

[Artifacts are the items you consider to be representative of your academic interests and achievements. For each entry, include both an artifact and a detailed annotation.  An annotation is a reflective description of the artifact that attempts to communicate its significance.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

About Me

[Your “About Me” is an introduction and should provide insight into who you are as a person and a learner.  This should include a picture of you that is appropriate in a professional/academic context. This information should be continually updated.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio.  Delete these instructions and add your own post.]