G.O.A.L.S.

The University Honors & Scholars Center at The Ohio State University serves high-ability, motivated undergraduate students. While embracing diversity in both ideas and people, the Center fosters purposeful learning communities that enhance students’ academic and social experiences. The Center facilitates impactful, rigorous, and unique opportunities that further student success and involvement in our G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement.

G.O.A.L.S.

Applying analytics to data is no simple task (as I have quickly come to learn). It involves a combination of high level math, deep methodical statistical applications and extensive knowledge of computer science skills to finalize the computation. And yet, my brain and my heart are filled with excitement but also weary with the thought of the amount of work and struggle required to attain the skills and attributes needed to do anything beyond basic level data analysis. Therefor when thinking about which concepts of G.O.A.L.S. are best applicable along my desired career path, immediately, Original Inquiry, and Academic Enrichment come to the forefront.

In todays modern business society, the idea of “early and often” seems to be a prominent motto. When looking to hire interns, companies tend to be much more likely to choose an applicant who has a lot of experience, but also began their quest at an earlier stage. Although students and people with my career interest may need to start small, when looking through the lens of “Original Inquiry,” starting small looks to be the idea. In order to make a strong statement when applying to jobs in todays market, I will need to fulfill the contents of Original Inquiry to its full extent.

With data analytics becoming such an up and coming field it is a wonder that not more people are branching out to gain the skills to be a data analyst; however, what could be hesitating some of potential inquirers, could be the extensive academics, mathematical, statistical, and computer scientific knowledge required to succeed within the field. Looking within the scope of Academic Enrichment, it is the word “rigorous” that really stands out, and possibly what turns heads away from a rigorous field such as data analytics. Coincidentally, aspects of Academic Enrichment are included within the scope of Original Inquiry, in that of searching for experiences beyond just that of the classroom. Before I can begin to search for internships and research opportunities within my field of interest, I must first gain the skills and knowledge that function as a prerequisite to success as a data analyst.

Throughout my four years at Ohio State I hope to fulfill parts of “Original Inquiry”, and most of “Academic Enrichment”. With the resources that Ohio State offers and the already academic excellence that it’s professors and faculty are still improving every day, the skills and knowledge gained here before I graduate are a safe bet to be the skills and knowledge I need to succeed as a data analyst. As far as connections go, the benefit of going to a city school becomes an even bigger attraction, as companies are coming to the school in search of students with interests and skills that I am and will have before I graduate. After I graduate however, I hope to have fulfilled the Academic Enrichment aspect, but I hope to be proceeding with Original Inquiry 10 years from now in terms of focusing on more extensive research, as well as delving into a possible global relationship with my work.