Jasmine Lambert
Ohio
University is the home of more than 4,000 incoming freshmen and about 20,000
total undergraduate students a year. It is very easy to become just another
number or face in the crowd if you don’t get involved on campus. I have had an
amazing first month in Athens because of my involvement, my focus on my
academics, and my social environment.
Involvement:
There are so many clubs and organizations on campus for all
different groups of people. Organizations are an easy way for new students to
get involved instantly and make friends. I personally chose to join groups that
are more focused on my interests and have people like me in them. I joined
Black Student Union and Ohio University Association of Black Journalists to get
more involved. In both organizations, I have friends and enjoy being in the
company of amazing people that are all trying to be proactive.
I also feel like my
involvement in the LINKS program had a huge impact on my smooth transition to
college life. I made my first new friends during the pre-matriculation program
and I became close to upperclassmen that I can talk to about anything. It also
provides free tutoring and meetings with advisors to make sure that I stay on
task and don’t get overwhelmed with all the things that I have to do. At OU
anyone can become involved with a club that interests them and I highly
recommend joining a group because it made my transition much easier.
Academics:
The academic aspect
of college caught me a little off guard. In high school, I never really had to
try. I could just pay attention in class and study a little the night before
and do perfectly fine on the test but it is not the same here. The workload
requires a lot of time and effort but I’m gradually learning how to manage my
time to get everything done and go to bed at a reasonable time.
Being
on scholarship makes it crucial that I stay on top of my grades because I have
to keep a certain GPA to continue to remain in compliance with my scholarship.
Knowing that I have that on my shoulders is also helping me stay focused on the
ultimate goal, which is to graduate and start a career after leaving Ohio
University. I think that having set goals for myself and having a support
system, like LINKS, is very helpful to staying focused in school.
Social Life:
Being involved and
focusing on academics is good but without a social life I don’t think I would
enjoy college as much as I do. Learning how to balance activities, my studies,
and a social life is complicated but easy at the same time. I always look
forward to Friday because after my last class I take the day off from studies and
really try to have fun with my friends on Friday night. Whether it be going to
a party or just hanging out in someone’s dorm, I think that every college
student needs a mental break from the week they just had.
The
good part of having friends that want to succeed is that you can have a social
life while studying. Most of my time with my friends is spent at the library,
and even though it is a little harder to focus we still manage to get things
done. I think having a social life might be the most important aspect to
succeeding in college because if you focus so much on your academics and don’t
take any time to have fun, you won’t enjoy it.
I
absolutely love going to school at Ohio University. There are so many different
cultures, organizations and programs that anyone can feel like Athens is home
if they try to get involved. Academics are much harder than high school but
with all the resources that are provided, it is almost impossible to not
receive help. OU is known as a party school so the social life isn’t hard to
find either. I think that by finding a healthy balance of all three is what
made my transition to college successful. I can’t wait for all the new
experiences that are in my future!
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