~Submitted by Ryan Doucette
To think that just four months ago I was urgently worrying about the first semester of college that would shortly unfold is regrettable. Nothing since has prompted a sense of worry that significant; aside from the regular shivers of whether college would be more challenging than high school, there was the worrisome reality of what role the Covid-19 pandemic would have on the 2021 fall semester and my first set of collegiate memories.
Toward the latter half of August, as Covid-19 induced responses reappeared, I worried that perhaps my decision not to take a gap year was misguided. I had long told myself that taking a year off would be better than trying to navigate campus as a freshman considering the vast size of both the student body and the geography of the Ohio State University. Yet, four months later I can report back that my time at Bedford High School adequately prepared me for the adversity that my first semester brought, both academically and Covid-19-wise.
While classes at times were challenging and rigorous, I found the vast resources provided by the 66,000-plus-student-populated campus helped me to address any difficulties I had. Furthermore, the relationships that I formed with peers quickly turned into friendships which deepened my knowledge and appreciation for our shared experiences – many label this as one of the most meaningful aspects of the undergraduate experience. According to the anecdotal recollections of upper-classmen, doing this was particularly difficult in 2020. I am grateful that for me, I have been able to connect meaningfully with others and create friendships that I hope to last the length of my time on campus and even life.
While at Ohio State I have had the opportunity to engage with my education, including networking with various professors and faculty members at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, my “home” college. However, while education has been my priority, I have not shied away from partaking in various traditions that the Buckeyes honor annually and are known nationally and even internationally. This includes attending all eight home football games held in Ohio Stadium, commonly referred to as “The Shoe” by avid Buckeyes fans.
Nothing has led me to believe that the success of the preceding semester will not continue into the next which is just weeks away. Here’s to a similarly successful and limited-Covid-19-impacted spring semester…and the rest of college.
Editor’s Note: Ryan Doucette graduated from Bedford High School in 2021 and has just completed his first semester at Ohio State University where he is majoring in Public Affairs. Ryan was a frequent contributor to The Citizen as a high school student.
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