Ohio State University--Columbus | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

AChurbock

Class: Senior
Major: Psychology
Gender: F

High School: Lakota East High School
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

Time: Fall 2003. Location: a cramped room in the Union. Event: Campus Tour. It was approximately 8:30 in the morning and I was less then thrilled to be sitting in a crowded lecture hall with about 200 other high school students and their parents. It was hot and I had just driven 2 hours from my Cincinnati suburb to check out Ohio State University. OSU really hadn't been one of my top schools of choice, I had my heart set on Miami University since I was in the 4th grade. So, you can imagine how irritated I was being here so early. The next thing I knew, some high energy students came out followed by the band. Before I knew it Hang On Sloopy was being echoed throughout the room and everyone was doing O-H-I-O. I was suddenly amazed by the energy in the room. I had forgotten all about my self-pity and was throwing my arms up with the rest of the crowd. The tour was equally as fun and the tour guide was bursting with happiness about the school. I suddenly felt at home and was loving every inch of the school. For being one of the largest schools in the nation, it surprisingly didn't feel as such. It was overflowing with charm. On the drive home I remember telling my parents, "Forget Miami, I'm going to OSU". That same welcoming feeling has continued with me throughout my time here and I have never felt like "just a number". OSU is big enough to encompass any club, activity, sport, and class you could ever want, need, or desire, and small enough to make you feel like you actually belong.

Academic Life

Being that OSU is such a large school and Psychology being one of the more prevalent majors, I have fallen victim to classes where my professor never knew my name. When you are in a general 100 level class that most every student has the option to take, you will run into classes with hundreds of students. Given this, I would never expect a professor to learn everyone's name. However, I have found that if you take advantage of office hours, the professors are more then welcoming and make it a point to get to know you, your name, and will recognize you during class. If you make it a point to stand out, you will. OSU is competitive and there are a lot of intelligent, motivated, and ambitious students. I look at this as a blessing. Being in such an environment helps me strive and achieve the goals that I set for myself and have allowed for new ones. The real world is a competitive place and getting it first hand before you're expected to deal with such an issue is an advantage every student shouldn't take for granted. I feel that I have been prepared to handle life after graduation, and not just in the academic sense. College is the best place to help prepare you for work, but also helps you grow and mature into the person that you always knew you could be.

Student Body

If there is ever a place to experience an array of differences in the human race, it is at OSU. I don't think that there is a race, religion, socio-economic, or sexual orientation that I have not been exposed to while at Ohio State. Students seem to be aware of the variety and have embraced them with activities, clubs, and groups. The Multicultural center allows for incorporation of racial diversity. LGBT and religious organizations are common and widely used. Numerous religious centers are located within or close to campus. Students come from all over the United States to attend OSU, so there is not an overwhelming student population from one particular area. With the presidential primaries coming up soon, many students have taken an active role in supporting and soliciting for their particular candidate. Students are also trying to get others aware of the candidates, issues, and making it a point to stress the importance of our votes. One student in my class is part of a political organization on campus and brought absentee application forms to class to hand out to anyone who is not registered in Franklin County to vote and also offered to send them in for us free of charge. This proactive stance is exactly what our nation needs to help get everyone out to the polls.