Student Profile
Leslie
- Class: Sophomore
- Major: Education
- Gender: F
- High School: Dover High School
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
Here's what I'm going to talk about: why I love Ohio State. Admittedly, it was not the only college I applied to. I also applied to Baldwin-Wallace College and Marietta College. However, for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to go to college here. Ultimately, that is what drove my decision. And on a side note, the day I found out I was accepted here was one of the best days of my life! Before I actually got here, my family, friends, and others worried about safety, about me moving from our small, rural community to Ohio's capital. I have never felt in danger while on campus, but I know what I have to do if that situation should arise. I'll admit, too, that I was worried about my adjustment to the city; growing up on the farm doesn't exactly compare to walking down High Street, passing a variety of people, restaurants, and shops that I know would never be seen in my hometown. But once I moved in here, and after a couple days of adjusting, I knew I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. I love walking across the Oval and seeing hundreds of other students laying out, doing homework, throwing a baseball around, or playing frisbee. I love walking past Orton Hall and admiring its beautiful bell tower. Mirror Lake is another great aspect of campus, too, and not only for the Mirror Lake Jump tradition the Thursday before the Ohio State vs. Michigan game! The RPAC is a great place to work out, too; I've never seen as many different machines that worked so many muscles I never knew I had! Aside from all these "exterior" reasons, I have plenty of "interior" reasons. I've made some great friends, and I don't have the roommate horror stories you sometimes hear. Ohio State does a fabulous job of matching people with compatible roommates. I've been able to re-connect with a friend of mine who I hadn't seen or talked to very often before now. I've been exposed to a variety of cultures, races, and traditions that have only made my experience here that much better. This university is the place for me, and it can be the place for thousands of other students, too. It's great to be a Buckeye; we love our toxic nuts!
Academic Life
I think I've discovered another stereotype that I can discount: with 60,000 students on campus, most classes are huge in size. I'm in a scholars program, which gives me some priority scheduling. Not much - honors students get much more priority, even freshmen. However, even honors students still have to take general education requirement classes; it's not smart for honors students to take more than one or two honors classes a quarter. And yes, being in the honors program really helps minimize class size. On the contrary, I've noticed that the largest classes are the more general requirement classes, and they're the most popular ones. My Biology 101 class had 712 people in the lectures three days a week; however, in the labs once a week, only 24 people were in a class. So yes, you might be sitting in a lecture with hundreds of other people, but when you have recitation or lab, you will be in a much smaller class size. Teaching assistants mostly teach the labs and recitations, but they earned their position. They are being paid to teach and they are knowledgable about the subject matter. The professors are always available during office hours and through email, too! My biology professor even made it a point to visit every lab once so students could see him up-close, meet him, and ask him any questions they had. Even if you do end up in a big class - and most of mine have been 50 students or less - it's not hard to have your questions answered and get one-on-one help. The people who say it is hard aren't trying hard enough. Lecturers and TA's always stress to students to ask for help when they need it, so don't be intimidated by large class sizes! Help is ALWAYS available! And you're still getting just as good of an education as you would be if you were in a small class!
Student Body
When I read through the suggested topics for this prompt, the question that jumped out at me was, "What kind of student would feel out of place at OSU?" I answer this question with complete honesty: NO student would feel out of place on this campus. I have seen so many different people with so many different personalities; everyone is friendly, helpful, and polite, no matter their race, gender, or religious or sexual affiliation. I've been asked for directions on campus, and I've asked for directions on campus. I've made friends in my classes and talked to people I might not have ever talked to before. I stepped out of my own "bubble" and decided to take a women's studies class this quarter; much to my surprise, there are six boys in that class and a variety of races, cultures, and religions. Our discussions are never dull, and the boys always make their opinions heard! Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and meet new people, even if you think they're not like you. You'll see unlikely pairs walking around, but it's perfectly normal. No one will judge you, and you'll be much happier making as many friends as possible!
The Best Things
In my opinion, simply being a part of Ohio State's history is the best thing. I wouldn't trade being a student here for anything.
The Worst Things
I'm not a fan of freshmen not being able to have cars on campus, but I guess I understand that there's not room!
