I’m going to dedicate a lot of the rest of my time on campus to planning for my future career plans. I am currently still on the pre-medical track and plan on reviewing for the MCAT for next year this summer. I am also going to start exploring other options in the health care field, including becoming a PA or NP. I have a few shadowing opportunities lined up for this summer and next summer I plan on living in Columbus to continue to dedicate time to my professional development. Another thing I need to plan is the possibility of taking a gap year for either clinical experience or to do a service project. I’ve been thinking about joining the Peace Corps or Americorps for a long time and I think taking a gap year could be a good opportunity to do so. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I am excited to keep going and am ready for what’s next.

I just finished Micro 4100 this semester as the first core class for my microbiology major. I was a little nervous going into it in fear that I wouldn’t like a class that entails information in my entire major. Luckily, I loved it. My instructor for both lecture and lab were terrific, and I really liked the subject matter, as I thought I would. Apart from enjoying the class I also got a good grade, which very important to me. My passion for microbiology and to learn hasn’t burned out, so I am very motivated to move forward with it. This class was a great start for me in my major and I look forward to 4110 next semester.

In the fall I joined a club called Buckeyes Against Alzheimer’s. This club is dedicated to raising money and awareness about dementia as well as volunteering at dementia-specialized residences on the weekends. This year I have been volunteering there a lot, which mainly entails spending time with the residents as they eat their breakfast and doing arts and crafts. I really enjoy getting to know every resident and hearing stories from their pasts. I had always known on paper what dementia does to a person and their memory, but it is truly different when you actually experience getting to know someone with the disease. I’m very happy to have found this club on campus and am very grateful for the opportunity to volunteer with the residents, as I get to help them out with their days and I get to learn and develop a relationship with every resident I meet, which is very important to me. I have learned a lot from volunteering and I plan to continue during my time at OSU.

I have now moved back home with my family as my first semester at college comes to an end, so far on a good note. I still have my final exams and a few projects to finish up, but as of right now I am in good standing academically for my expectations. My first semester at college has been a crazy one; learning to live independently, getting quarantined for 2 weeks, starting classes, and best of all, meeting new friends. I think I’ve been handling being by my self for the most part, but one thing that is still a struggle for me is going to sleep at a reasonable time. This has caused me to be very tired during the day and likely affects everything else I do. I’ve managed to keep good grades, even when I was not on campus and in quarantine. Coming from a smaller high school, there are so many people to meet here at OSU. I have probably met more people here in the past few months than people I met in my four years of high school, and I’d say that’s a good thing. Being in college is certainly a huge adjustment to what I’m used to at home, but I believe that it’s been a great thing and I’m excited for what my future here holds.