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What a better time....
SenorMatador
215 replies9 threads Junior Member
Well then, any other students, parents excited to go to Columbus later this week? Or perhaps earlier (if you joined the OWLs program), because I know I am!! What a better time to be an incoming freshman, we're ranked no.1 in the country for footbal, we just handily crushed the defending national champs, I can only imagine the atmosphere on campus (just read online about the celebrations in the streets e.g. lighting couches on fire o_O)....
So for all us freshman, any current students or alumni like to share with us some hidden secrets on campus, or tips for us youngsters?
I also hear we're not going to have a main library and union... renovations...
Go Bucks!
15 repliesSo for all us freshman, any current students or alumni like to share with us some hidden secrets on campus, or tips for us youngsters?
I also hear we're not going to have a main library and union... renovations...
Go Bucks!
Post edited by SenorMatador on
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Replies to: What a better time....
I studied in the Orton Hall Library, a cozy quiet space. Check it out.
Attend TBTBITL Skull Session in St John Arena prior to home football games.
Attend free lectures, concerts, theater which you can find any day somewhere on campus.
If they still have the mud flag football games outside of Scott House, ya gotta play in at least one.
Take advantage of the offerings at the Wrxner Center. It was not there when I was a student but if I was in Columbus I would take in as many movies, multimedia performances, exhibits as possible. It is one of the best contemporary arts center in the world.
Take full advantage of the OSU course offerings. You will possible never have the opportunity to choose from so many challenging and interesting classes.
--Find out where your classes are before they start, and give yourself plenty of time to get there and your pick of seats. Some of the buildings have funny numbering systems, and just because a class "starts" at 9:30am, that doesn't mean show up at 9:30 (many times most of the students are there 5-10 minutes early).
--Go to office hours! Not only will your professor realize you care (and learn your name!), but you'll have a better understanding of the material and brownie points certainly don't hurt.
OSU Specific-
--If you reserve library books, you can get them delivered to your dorm!! Little known secret!! Select your "Pick Up Location" on the Library page to "My Office". Most students don't take full advantage of the OSU Libraries, and they are a GREAT resource. For example, many course books can be checked out of the library for almost a whole quarter (then you renew)...what's better than free books??
--Go to the Involvement Fair during Welcome Week. It's cool to be involved at OSU, and there is a ton of free food (burritos, ice cream, pasta, hot dogs last year)!!
--Actually, look out for the free food and other featured speakers or events in the OSU Buckeye Weekly e-mails. So many students just delete it, but I was able to attend a lot of exciting events for free, and have several meals compliments of OSU.
--If you want to see a movie at the Drexel Theatre in the South Campus Gateway (South Campus brand new movie house), go to the Student Union (or wherever it's being relocated this year). The Drexel has a student price at the door of $5 each with a BuckID, but why pay $5 if you can go to the Union and pay $3?? They have a lot of discounts on the Union website for other area places and also at www.explorecolumbus.com.
--Check out what Commons and the other campus food places are serving each night of the week at http://food.osu.edu/menus
Best of luck on campus!
--Oh, and an Albino Squirrel lives on the South Oval by the Admissions Building...not really a tip, but keeps your eyes open because that it just plain awesome.
It's a good thing that you found your classes ahead of time, so you won't lose any time trying to find your classroom once you're in the building (I tend to get lost easily). I would just not recommend showing up "on time" if you can avoid it. Professors have different standards, so after the first day or so of each class you should have a better idea of what to expect.
Trust me, I never thought I would find my way around campus, but after 2 weeks, I felt like a pro (for at least where I needed/wanted to go).
AND...don't worry about power walking to class! Professors know the campus is huge and everyone can't always make it on time (especially the first week)!!
Best of luck!
- sorry about going off your topic a bit, senormatador, but I have to make a decision quickly since I will be starting in the spring. I would also like current students to comment on things that annoy you about ohio(i.e., large classes, bad dorms) and tips to get around them.
also, input from anyone is welcome.
Anyways, SenorMatador, can you address my doubts based on your freshmen impressions so far about ohio state?
Sorry it's taken awhile for me to get back to you, but it's been super busy for me at school! Mark, quarters are nothing really to be concerned about. I love them, but the dates are kind of annoying because we don't get out of school until early June. Typically, a student might take three or four classes for ten weeks, have a final, and then start the next quarter.
For OSU being a "party school"....I don't "party" per se, but that doesn't mean I don't have a good time. A lot of people drink at OSU, but that's because there are a lot of people here! At any school there will be drinkers and nondrinkers. You can choose to take demanding or easy classes--whatever you think is making the most of your time and tuition at Ohio State.
Even though you may be getting straight A's in your classes in high school, that doesn't mean that you will in college. I'm not trying to underscore your high school achievement, as I was an A student myself, but it really depends on who your professors are and how you choose to spend your time at OSU.
If you are already thinking about transferring out of OSU before you get here, you might want to seriously consider if OSU is the place for you (or any "transition school" for that matter). While I am just a second year here, I don't think that going to school with the mindset that I just have to stick it out for two years will motivate me to get involved and take part in the great opportunities that OSU has to offer. Who knows, you may find that you don't even want to transfer when you get to that point in your college education.
For an "academic oriented person" like yourself, I think you will be fine. There are many, many, (and I mean an overwhelming amount of) lectures, movies, fine arts events, and other campus affiliated programs offered throughout each quarter.
And...since you asked: things that annoy me about Ohio State:
- no snow/ice days in the winter
- best campus food places can have a somewhat long wait for food
- one or two of my TAs/Professors were hard to understand
- construction on the Main Library and the Union at the same time (what were they thinking??)
PS- Meal plan is not free, but the first week or so of school there is so much free food on campus that you don't need to use your meal plan!
kstar, what do you plan on majoring in?
And since you listed some things you dislike about osu, would you care to mention other things that surprised you in a positive way and that you love about ohio state (if any, for that matter)?
I live on West Campus (everybody else thinks we're boring, but that's just because we're far enough away from classroom buildings that we don't come back until the evening!). Some people have already had parties, but the suite setup makes it so I am aware they are happening, but it doesn't prevent me from studying for tomorrow's chemistry quiz.
The seriousness of the students really depends on what classes you take and who you hang out with. In regular GEC (core) courses, it will be easy to get a front row seat and be the smartest kid in class. In my honors Chemistry lecture, however, students start lining up outside the door a half hour before class starts, and rush to get in the front of the lecture hall when the doors open. I went to my professor's office hours and found ten other students crammed into his office, sitting on his desk, the floor, anywhere, just to ask questions about the most recent chapter.
My suitemates and I are all non-drinkers, which was lucky, because none of us knew each other before this past week. Already we are comfortable around each other, and almost every night some of us can be seen in the common room, playing Catchphrase or watching a movie or TV, usually with a bunch of guys from our floor. Our RA usually joins us, and she is awesome. So we're not having crazy wild drinking binges, but we still have a lot of fun, and it is hard to tear myself away from a game to go into my room and study. Most of us study during the day, and so far everyone is taking their classes pretty seriously. Keep in mind I am in an honors dorm.
So yes, the honors program, at least, is very focused on academics. The GEC requirements are actually hard (practically every GEC course has to be honors or upper-level), so there's no screwing around if you want to graduate with Honors. I really love my suite, and my classes are quite hard (this was self-imposed; they don't have to be hard if you don't want them to be).
I was an all-A student in high school, too, and I'm pre-med so I hope to get mostly As here. I'm glad I didn't go to one of the prestigious (and much more expensive) schools I was accepted to, because here the students realize there are more important things than beating out all the other people in your class. There are a lot of valedictorians, but they didn't need to go to an Ivy League (or other private LAC) school to feel like they had succeeded. Of course, there are a lot of drunken rowdy people too, but I don't have to deal with them if I don't want to.
I'd recommend sharing a room, though. Singles are so lonely.