My First Semester at Ohio State

My first semester at Ohio State has had a lot of ups and downs. Overall, I am very pleased with my decision to attend this school, and find myself very content with my life. Going into this semester, I had anticipated that my fellow humanities scholars would be my closest friends. Although I am very friendly with my fellow scholars, I have found that my closest friends are actually on my ice skating team, which I had not anticipated. Since my ice skating team is made up of largely graduate students and fifth year seniors, I thought there would be too large of an age gap, but that is not the case. I am so glad to have found a community of people at OSU who share the same interests as my own, in an environment where I feel like my true self is embraced. Next semester, as a humanities scholar, I hope to grow as close to my fellow humanities scholars as I am to my teammates.

In addition, I hope to further expand my knowledge of the humanities by attending humanities events. This semester, I have found that my OSU experience has been enriched through humanities events. Some of the most impactful events that I attended were Twisted 2, The Plough and the Stars, and Treat the Hungry. Twisted 2 was a captivating performance, that sparked my interest in ballet and other forms of dance. The Plough and the Stars was an inspiring play, that left me teary-eyed and feeling truly connected to the characters and their troubles. Lastly, Treat the Hungry reminded me that I am so blessed and should be thankful for everything I have.

As far as academics go, this semester has been rough. Calculus has pushed me to work harder than I ever have before, and to accept that sometimes your best work just simply isn’t good enough. I am thankful I took the class, however, because it caused me to switch my major from business to speech and hearing sciences. At the beginning of the year, I felt indifferent toward specialization, but now with a changed major, I am genuinely excited about my education.

But Out

I would like to make more new friends, but I am very shy.

I would like to make more new friends, and I am am very shy. So, I will make a point to introduce myself and reach out to my fellow humanities scholars and the girls on my ice skating team.

I would like to get a good grade in calculus, but I have failed the past few quizzes.

I would like to get a good grade in calculus, and I have failed the past few quizzes. So I will go to office hours and spend more time studying for the upcoming midterm.

I would like to work out more, but I can never find the time.

I would like to work out more, and I can never find the time. So I will cut down on netflix and go to the RPAC 3 times a week.

I would like to maintain strong relationships with my high school friends, but I am often very busy.

I would like to maintain strong relationships with my high school friends, and I am often very busy. So, I will make a plan to call them at certain times of the week when our schedules match up, and stick to that plan.

I would like to eat healthier, but the mac and cheese at Scott is really good.

I would like to eat healthier, and the mac and cheese at Scott is really good. So I will only eat it once a week, and choose a salad or good source of protein instead.

 

 

 

Humans of OSU

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Annalee is a freshman at Ohio State, but she has walked more paths than just those that cross the oval. Annalee has traveled to a plethora of countries, including Canada, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Monaco, Austria, Germany, and China. Her greatest takeaway from these experiences has never been the trip itself, but the return home. “Every time I step back into my home after travel, I gain a new appreciation for the wonderful details of my everyday life.”, she explained simply. Annalee’s biggest obstacle is learning to be honest which herself and accepting herself. She is inspired everyday by the women in her life. Her sister, mother, and grandmother serve as her greatest motivation due to their honest passion and dedication. Annalee loves blueberries and making other people happy. She is a new and excited member of the OSU club frisbee team, and an avid coffee drinker. When she was just seven years old, a man said to her, “They can take everything you have, but they can never take what’s in your head”.  It is this token of wisdom, along with many other life-changing experiences, that have shaped Annalee into the adventurous, imaginative spirit she is.

My first week at OSU

My first week at Ohio State has not been what I expected. I quickly realized that this so-called giant campus is really not all that big, when I walked in to traditions on the first day and the first face I saw was my high school friend Jacob. Since then, I have run into just about every person I know that attends Ohio State, which I originally did not think would be the case. I was glad that I partook in the OWL program because it allowed me to feel more comfortable with campus and meet some humanities friends who are also living in my hall. The down side to the program and the first week in general has been all the ice breakers, since they have made me feel like a child when I am ready to be independent. Baker is extremely hot, but my body has surprisingly gotten used to it. The showers and bathrooms are not what I am used to, but it will be okay.

I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of opportunities for involvement at OSU. At the involvement fair, I expressed interest in so many clubs I would have never otherwise considered, and I am excited to see what I truly spend my time doing. My days have been very busy, but I am enjoying the fact that my classes don’t start until 11:30. At this point, I am super excited for football to start, and for other events such as the Kesha concert and the Breakaway music festival, which I got tickets for through D-tix. I am, however, nervous for syllabus week to end because I’m not sure how I will handle the course load. I haven’t yet found a good place to study that isn’t completely crowded, but I hope I find a library or study area that I feel comfortable doing the majority of my work in.

During lunch I tend to eat alone because of my schedule, but often times feel like everyone else is with people but me. My high school friends have been very attached to each other, and I am staying in contact but trying to meet new people as well. Sometimes it is difficult to tell who will be your friend and who won’t, but I am trying to keep an open mind and make conversation with everyone in the hopes of finding friendship. Overall, my first week at Ohio State has been a whirlwind of emotion and change, but I am happy with my new home and excited for what is to come.

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.]