Opinion: College is a time of opportunity

Alex Drummer
Tue, 26 Apr 2016 02:00:09 +0000
News, Opinion, commencement, graduation, ohio state, osu

Credit: Lantern File Photo

Thump, thump, thump.

It’s the Saturday before my last day of class and my last finals week. I am sitting at a table on the third floor of the Ohio Union, desperately trying to shorten my to-do list, when my concentration is interrupted by the sound of several feet making their way up the staircase near me.

It is a welcomed interruption. It’s one of several campus tours I see taking place that day.

I can’t help but look up from my laptop, books, now-lukewarm coffee and croissant-crumb-covered table to see the mix of excitement, interest and worry in the eyes of the high-school students and their families.

Through my eyes, though, all I see is opportunity.

I catch myself listening in on the tour group that has stopped and huddled a few feet in front of me. The guide is telling them about how difficult his college decision was, all of the different campuses he toured, and how happy he has been at Ohio State.

My story is similar. My indecisiveness hit an all-time high when it came to the college decision, but since coming to OSU, I have never been more sure of a decision in my life.

To every high-school student in Ohio, in the country or in the world who might be considering OSU, I want to tell you something.

Don’t let the 1,500-plus-acre Columbus campus intimidate you.

Don’t think you won’t matter just because there’s more than 50,000 students.

Don’t be scared to attend the third-largest public university in the country.

Instead, see all of these facts the way I now seem them — as opportunities.

This large campus provides the space needed for OSU to offer a wide variety of courses, which give students the opportunity to gain knowledge surrounding topics you might have never even considered in the past.

Having thousands upon thousands of classmates gives you the opportunity to meet some of the most talented individuals. Some might be very similar to you. Some might come from backgrounds and experiences completely different from you. Both types will enhance your college experience, teach you the value of friendship, and make you a better person.

I realize no one university is right for everyone, so I would be lying if I said OSU is right for everyone.

But I do wish for anyone considering it, or any other university for that matter, to challenge themselves to see the unknown as opportunity.

I’ll be donning a cap and gown in a matter of days, but the Buckeye in me will not disappear, and the opportunities I’ve been given will not be a part of the past.

Time and change will surely show that the clarity I got on my college tour at OSU did not just impact my life for the past four years but for a lifetime.

Alex Drummer

Managing Editor for Content

Journalism, Class of 2016