The Best Years of Your Life

College is a place to "find yourself". Before coming to college you rely on your family and friends at home to get you through the day. When coming to college, it's almost like you have to start over. Find new friends, take on new challenges, and find a way to balance it all. Going away from school can be hard because you are away from your family and your old friends. Your family is a big part of who you are. The way you are raised and traits your parents pass on to you shape how you act and live your life. Your friends are also a part of you. Who you surround yourself with says a lot about you, if you truly surround yourself with people who you can relate to and get along with. Your friends show what kind of values and personality you have. When you first come to college, most people try to find people who share common interests and values. You try to find people you get along with and have fun with. College is also a time to figure out how you handle stress, tough decisions, and a heavy workload. It can really show the kind of character you have. You learn new things and apply them to what you already know and practice. You learn to work with people who are different from you and maybe take something away from them. You are also on the track to figuring out what career path to choose. You are finding what your interests are and what kind of work you would like to do in the future. Finding your place in organizations also identifies with who you are. College is a time to be on your own and figure out what your potential is. It's also a time to stand up for what you believe in and not give in to the pressures around you. However, you may identify with people around you who believe in or value the same things you do and create strong bonds with those people. Here at Ohio State, you become a part of something bigger. It means a lot to say that you are a Buckeye. The experiences you have during your college years are ones that you will remember for the rest of your life.