It was summer of 2009, and thousands of freshmen flocked onto Ohio State’s campus for orientation.

“There was a friendly atmosphere to OSU,” said C’aira Murria, a first-year Russian major from Toledo, Ohio. “I was excited to explore the campus.”

Like Murria, the class of 2013 was eager to start a new chapter in their lives at OSU. But is OSU all that it is cracked up to be?

Dominique Allen, a first-year in biomedical engineering from Madison, Ohio, seems to think so. Though only a quarter in, Allen said that OSU has not only met her expectations, but has exceeded them.

“There’re really good professors, and I’m getting the best education I can get … [OSU’s] definitely become more prestigious.”

But for some freshmen, getting adjusted to living on campus and away from home has presented itself to be a challenge.

Felicia Shim, a first-year in international studies and political science, said living with a roommate from a different background has been challenging.

“I get up early, and she stays up late. She always has stuff on the floor. She is dirty, and she never cleans. I don’t like it.”

But Eric Larger, who lives in Morrill Tower, has found dorm life to be enjoyable. Dorms “are pretty nice, but they are small,” he said. “I like the social aspect of living with other people.”

High school teachers often harp on how much more difficult college work is, and some OSU freshmen have found this to be true. Like many new students, Allen admits to having difficulty with time management during her first quarter.

“During midterms, I had to stay up 48 straight hours. I didn’t manage my time very well. It was really hard to concentrate,” Allen said.

But Allen has managed to find good studying habits. She now averages about 48 hours a week on studying and going to class.

Another obstacle is making friends. Despite the fact that OSU has more than 50,000 students — more than 6,000 of them freshmen — some first-years have had trouble making connections. With so many people of different backgrounds, some students have found OSU to be socially overwhelming.

“It’s hard to get to know everyone,” Shim said.
Other first-year students have had to face another aspect of college: partying.

Murria said her residence hall participates in underage drinking — usually shots of Tequila — as well as heavy partying on weekdays.
“It’s horrible,” Murria said. “The ones that [drink] typically have late night classes. They sleep all day, and Thursday is the night to go out.”

The freshmen surveyed had one thing in common: they don’t regret their choice of OSU. When asked if she would choose OSU if she had the chance to do it all over again, Shim smiled and laughed. “Yes! Why not?”