The Ohio State University -- Columbus

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Corporate Communications. I am in the Fisher College of Business.
Minor: Business Administration
Student Self Identifies as: Hispanic Heterosexual Male

Summary

I am in Greek life and I volunteered outside of Ohio State.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

High School Experience: Public school in Nassau County, NY with a graduating class of about 300 students. There was a big culture of going to college.
First Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Corporate Communications. I am in the Fisher College of Business.
Minor: Business Administration

Extracurricular Activities: I am in Greek life and I volunteered outside of Ohio State.

Academic Experience

Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
It’s a lot of case studies and reading about new technologies that are emerging that will help the communication industry. There’s also a lot of essay writing and reflecting on the readings.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
I think they do well when it comes to their spread of coursework. What they do poorly is that they don’t focus on one aspect of communications, like marketing. They more so go for an overview of the communications industry in general.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think it’s very collaborative. You’re always working with other students and encouraged to do work in groups.
What was favorite class in your major?
Crisis Communication. The professor was great and they know how to teach you what you need to know in real life and don’t teach you unnecessary information.
What was your least favorite class in your major?
I haven’t had a negative experience in a class in general. Within my college we have a foreign language requirement that requires you to fulfill levels 1-3 of a foreign language. That was my least favorite because it takes away from you learning about your actual major.
How accessible have your professors been?
Very accessible. They have very dynamic and well spread office hours that they offer. They’re also very responsive to emails.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your major choice?
I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted to do business, but I knew I wanted to be in the communications industry. So far, I’m very happy with my major choice. I feel like I’ve learned a lot so far and a lot of what I’ve learned will be applicable to my career.
In what ways did being a first-generation student impact your experience?
Being a first-generation student made me want to push harder and become something.

Reasons to Attend

1) It’s a true college experience when it comes to sports, social life, and academics.
2) The area around campus is great.
3) There are awesome food options in Columbus.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) If you’re not comfortable with going far away from home because it is far for some people.
2) If you don’t want to be the Midwest or be around the Midwestern culture.
3) If you have some financial problems, it could be more expensive for somebody out of state.

Around Campus

Where have you lived on campus?
Sophomore: I lived in an apartment complex called The King. It was a really nice roommate. I lived with one roommate.
Junior: I lived in an off-campus house with thirteen roommates.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
Ohio State has a really good safety profile. They always have safety driving around and the blue light system.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
Marcella’s, it’s an Italian restaurant.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
I like to go to downtown Columbus. It’s an up and coming city with a lot to offer. There are a lot of interesting and cool things to check out there.
How was transitioning from living outside New York City to Columbus, OH?
It’s not the same New York City feeling, but you do get the feeling of being in a city that’s on the rise. There is so much that Columbus has to offer and so much potential.

Social Opportunities

What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
We usually go out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with the occasional Tuesday. Tuesdays and Thursdays are bar nights, Fridays we go to a happy hour around 5 o’clock, then Saturdays are tailgate days or house party days. There’s a nice split to it. It’s about a 50/50 split between the bar scene and the house party scene.
What have been some of your favorite times at Ohio State?
My favorite times were my first times on campus being exposed to a Big Ten campus.
What is the impact of Greek life on nightlife?
It is a little more difficult when you’re not part of an organization just because you pay to be a part of the organization and they obviously don’t like a lot of outsiders that don’t pay. But, if you know people in the organization they usually let you come in and get exposed to the group of guys to see if you want to be part of something like that.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Ohio State? Is there anything you would change if you could?
At the current moment, I’m very happy with the nightlife. The only thing I would change is that there would be more bars accessible. There are so many students, there are not enough bars to handle the number of students at the university.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my closest friends when I joined a Greek life organization. From there it went to broad friendships.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Ohio State?
It’s a really, really fun and open social scene. You have the chance to meet a lot of people, both girls and guys. It’s a huge school, and sometimes big schools can be overwhelming for people, but once you find your people and your clique, the school seems a lot smaller than it actually is. [There are about 47,000 undergraduates.]
What is the impact of Greek life on the social scene?
Because there are so many students the impact is greater for some than others. You don’t need to be in a Greek life organization to go out. You can go to the bars and have just as good of a time. But, I think joining an organization exposes you to so many more connections and networking opportunities and also really helps you find you people.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I think it’s a very diverse population. It’s not like if you’re this you go there. My own friend group is diverse. Overall, it’s a well spread and diverse groups of people.
How was blending in socially as a transfer student?
It was very overwhelming because you don’t know anybody other than your friends that go there. I feel that if I hadn’t joined a Greek organization I wouldn’t have met the people I know today and my social sphere would have been much smaller than it is today. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to make such good friends.
Do you think people are happy with their choice of Ohio State by the time they graduate?
I think so, I think people like a lot of the different aspects of Ohio State, like, the city, the school itself, it has a very good great job placement rate, and people recognize the name of the school on a resume.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Through my Greek organization the alumni have helped me. I’ve been able to connect with older students that have graduated that work with for a company that have helped me get my foot in the door and look for internships and jobs in the future.
To what extent have you used the career office?
I didn’t go that much for myself. I know that it’s very helpful for people who want to find jobs in the Midwest area. They’re very good at connecting you with people and getting your foot in the door in that area, but I’m not sure about their reach past that point.
Have you learned any computer programs that will be helpful to you professionally?
If you’re a business student or you take a minor in the business school, you have to take a mandatory class on Microsoft Office, so Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Word. That class helped me learn skills in those programs.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating are they to your needs?
I have absolutely used financial aid. They’re very accommodating and are very generous with financial aid. [About 45% of Ohio State students graduate with no debt.]