Ask an OSU Senior

Colleges and Universities A-Z Ohio State University
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I came across this thread and thought I could help; feel free to ask me anything and I’ll do my best to help. Here’s a little about me:</p>

<p>Graduating senior Spring 2012
Fisher College of Business, specialization = Operations Management
Economics minor
Started in Computer Science with a Spanish minor
I have lived on south (Siebert), West (Morill), North (Drackett), and off-campus</p>

<p>I have worked 3 different on campus jobs (in residence halls, computer labs, during summer)</p>

<p>I am an in-state student
I am involved in 3-4 different on-campus groups
I had an internship summer 2011 and worked with orientation summer 2010
I have received a few different OSU/Non-OSU scholarships
I came into school with some AP credit, took some EM tests</p>

<p>I am in the University Honors program and was accepted into the Honors Contract program
in Fisher</p>

<p>That should help you know what I know about Ohio State, so like I said, ask anything. I’ve been through different majors/departments, minors, campus locations, campus jobs, and other Ohio State programs, gone through financial aid hassle, office of testing, advising concerns, on-time graduation, etc…ask away, I’d be happy to help in any way!</p>

2

<p>How did you like living in the honors dorms on South Campus?
I am a direct accept into the business school and am worried that I will be too far from classes if I live on SC, but also far away from the social scene if I live on NC.</p>

3

<p>Honestly, living in Siebert (South campus) was the most fun I ever had living on campus…we are still always talking about freshmen year 3 years later! </p>

<p>However, it isn’t entirely dependent on where you live on campus as some would lead you to believe. Especially now that many north campus dorms have gone from upper-classmen housing to freshmen housing, I assume that the scene will change a little bit. A lot of it depends on who actually lives on your floor–I got lucky that the guys on my floor freshmen year were great, but I’m sure that’s equally possible on North campus. The one downside of south is the lack of a/c, but that’s being changed for the semester switch so you would have it way better than we did!</p>

<p>The food on south campus is typically considered to be quite a bit better and it’s nice to be able to walk through the oval/south oval/union areas without having to go out of your way. In terms of the distance to class, you’re right, Fisher is quite a hike. However, as a freshmen, you will probably also be taking a lot of GECs (math, english, etc) and not necessarily tons of actual business classes. These courses are typically more centrally located, and when you schedule, you can even pick classes that would be closer to your dorm location. Even economics isn’t typically held in Fisher. </p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

4

<p>would you please tell me about the major of international studies in ohio state? is it selective among other program, very rigorous ? academic ranking nationally? etc. Thanks.</p>

5

<p>I have never taking an International Studies course, but maybe this will help you</p>

<p>[Study</a> the World, See the World | International Studies](<a href=“http://internationalstudies.osu.edu/]Study”>http://internationalstudies.osu.edu/)</p>

<p>Here is the major specialization information</p>

<p>[Majors</a> | International Studies](<a href=“http://internationalstudies.osu.edu/majors/main]Majors”>http://internationalstudies.osu.edu/majors/main)</p>

<p>There is info. there such as a fact sheet, how to contact an advisor, programs available, etc.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

6

<p>OSULolz</p>

<p>Curious if you have any suggestions for on campus or close to campus part time jobs (for spending money and books)? How hard are they to come by? Which jobs are considered most flexible, best, worst, etc. Is there an issue if you are an OOS student and go home for beaks in terms of time off, etc.?</p>

7

<p>I feel really stupid for asking this question, but what kind of channels do the have access to in the dorms. I know they will have a tv in their room (Barrett House) and then they have one in the lounge of the dorm.</p>

<p>Just wondered if it was limited to certain channels? We have approx. 70 channels at home. :-)</p>

8

<p>You actually get pretty decent cable at Ohio State…it’s through time warner. </p>

<p>Here’s a listing of the channels : [Columbus</a> On-Campus Channel Lineup | Office of the CIO | Ohio State](<a href=“Home | Office of Technology and Digital Innovation”>Home | Office of Technology and Digital Innovation)</p>

<p>As you can see, you get all of the major networks that regular cable would have along with some HD channels (Fox, CBS, NBC, etc). Should be at least as good as home!</p>

9

<p>In terms of on-campus jobs, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND becoming an office assistant (OA). This is a job where you work at a dorm (often your own dorm) and give student replacement keys, packages, etc. It’s extremely easy and flexible since they know you’re a student. It’s honestly the easiest job you’ll find on campus and helps you to get to know students in the dorm, staff, etc. </p>

<p>I would apply at a few buildings just to increase chances of getting hired, but once you’re hired, you can basically work there until you move off campus. It’s also great for night owls because they are open 24-7 so you can find a schedule that works for you. I worked at NSA Complex and there were around 50 of us, so it was really easy to get someone to cover your shift. </p>

<p>Lastly this job was awesome because you could do your homework during it, bring a laptop, eat food, etc. So even if you have a busy schedule, you can do homework DURING work. Make sure to apply RIGHT AWAY when school starts otherwise you may miss out.</p>

<p>An alternative would be working as a computer lab proctor in the fisher college of business (one of my other jobs). Also very easy, but a little less flexible. </p>

<p>Let me know if you have any other questions!</p>

10

<p>Thanks OSU! The OA job sounds great. How/where do you apply? Could S actually apply while he is at orientation this summer for jobs in the fall? Not sure if he will know which dorm he is in by then (when do you actually find out your dorm anyway?), but it would be nice to know if he has a job as he arrives on campus.</p>

11

<p>We found out our dorms (on quarters) in August about a month before school, so probably a month earlier than that for next year.</p>

<p>You typically apply at the front desk of whichever dorm you want to work at…you could also email your hall director / resident manager before school starts (when you find out their dorm) to see how/when their hiring starts; probably could not apply during orientation. It’s a pretty simple application/interview…just try to seem excited about OSU, involved, and FLEXIBLE. In other words, don’t say you cannot work any weekends or stuff like that. </p>

<p>On North Campus, Norton-Scott-Archer Complex (NSA) is a great place to apply because there are ~50 workers, so they hire a lot. I lived in Drackett Tower Sophomore and Junior years and worked at NSA. You don’t have to work at the dorm you live in, but I would definitely try to apply to dorms in close proximity to yours.</p>

<p>Again, let me know if you have any other questions!</p>

12

<p>OSULolz-thanks for all of the answers! Very helpful! :-)</p>

13

<p>How helpful was OSU with finding a job after college as well as internship opportunities and job shadow opportunities?</p>

14

<p>That definitely depends on your major—Fisher College of Business has an EXCELLENT career center and online resources for helping you find a job, especially with on-campus interviews. </p>

<p>I’m not sure what major you are referring to, but I can elaborate on Fisher’s if you’d like</p>

15

<p>@OSULulz,</p>

<p>Thanks for helping on this thread, my D is now making her final college choice and OSU is high on the list, she has been admitted into the Honors program and direct admit into Fisher with potentially going into Law or just stay in business after she graduates. From the outside the honors program and the opportunity to go direct to Fisher seems great. So now the questions;</p>

<p>Did the honors program live up to its billing for you by providing fun, stimulating classes, was early sign up for classes beneficial, did you get the oppportunity to have good internships or study abroad or network with alumni for future opportunities? Were you happy with Fisher, did it give you the tools and education to go out in to the real world with a job? How is the career center? Did you have a great time at OSU or if you had to do it over again would you go to another college (if so which one)? Do you know of any fellow Fisher students going on to law school?</p>

<p>Anything else we should know? A lot of questions but I am sure you had the same ones when you were deciding on OSU. Thanks again for whatever you can answer!</p>

16

<p>Can you elaborate on what south campus dorms will actually have AC for Fall 2012? I’m specifically interested in honors housing.</p>

17

<p>Collegeorelse: great questions, I’ll try to hit them all.</p>

<p>1) The honors program was definitely beneficial in most aspects. Within Fisher itself, I took 4 quarters worth of classes with everyone in the Honors contract program. These classes were different because they were mainly project/case study based, a bit different than the other typical classes. It was a great way to get more of a ‘real world’ perceptive on things; we worked with a non-profit company one quarter and my group worked with Goodyear another quarter for a social media based project. Beyond those, the student will also have to take non-fisher honors courses (which are typically more discussion / involvement based) along with a minor. </p>

<p>Priority scheduling for honors was AMAZING. You pick scheduling based on certain ranks, and honors was rank 1 along with athletes. I typically scheduled 3-4 weeks ahead of my non-honors friends, so it was never an issue to get into a class that I needed. </p>

<p>While I don’t think the honors program specifically provided networking opportunities, it was definitely easier to get internships/jobs because of being in honors–the program was a great point to have on a resume and was always a conversation starter during interviews where you could then go on to talk about your various experiences with the program. Study abroad programs should be available regardless of honors status. </p>

<p>2) I was happy with my education at Fisher and I do believe that it gave me the tools to find a job in a business related field; the school is nationally ranked quite high and employers know that, coming from Fisher, the students receive a top education. However, as at all schools, there were still definitely some classes that seemed less useful than others. I found that a few of my “Intro to…” courses, especially international business and human resources, were not as beneficial as I had hoped. However, I found that all of my specialization courses were very well organized and geared towards real world application. </p>

<p>3) The career center at Fisher is probably the best at Ohio State. The student has to “become QUIC” as it’s called, and in this they go through a mock interview, resume reviews, etc. before being allowed to actually interview with companies–the best part. There are tons of companies that post jobs/internships on the website called Fisher Connect, something that all Fisher students can use after passing their mock interview. You simply submit your resume and then can sign up for interviews if accepted; all of the interviews (first round at least) take place at Fisher, so the location is incredibly convenient. I accepted an offer for a full time job that I interviewed for through Fisher Connect. </p>

<p>4) I would definitely come to Ohio State all over again if possible, and my experience would definitely be made better by hind-sight (it’s 20/20!). I would have taken more AP tests and tried testing out of more courses once at Ohio State through the office of testing; I did test out of Intro to Marketing, which greatly helped. Had I not switched majors (computer sci to Fisher) and minors (spanish to economics) I would have probably graduated early, my only regret. However, the people here are great and my college experience was excellent. Getting a job on campus for students is incredibly easy if you put the effort in, and Ohio State’s online services are very advanced. </p>

<p>5) I am not currently aware of a fellow student from Fisher going to law school, but a few friends through the honors program are going to get their Masters of Accounting. I considered law school at one point, however the market for lawyers is currently very saturated and I believe that it would be quite difficult to obtain a job. </p>

<p>Feel free to message me or respond to this post again with ANY questions/concerns!</p>

18

<p>I believe that all South campus dorms are required to have a/c now because of school starting in August, I would not worry about that!</p>

19

<p>OSUlulz,</p>

<p>Thanks for your very thoughtful, thorough response! This will be very beneficial to my D as she makes her decision. Next step is the Honors admitted students program next Friday. The info that you gave us will help us get the most out of that day. Also thanks for your offer to answer additional questions, there may be some down the road!</p>

20

<p>No problem! One more thing regarding Honors at Fisher:</p>

<p>If you get into Honors at Ohio State, you will be in it for the first two years. However, once admitted into Fisher, you have to apply for either Honors Contract/Cohort/Accounting. Fisher is the only program (that I know of) at Ohio State that makes you basically re-apply to honors–not everyone that was previously in honors will stay in. While this seems like a pain / unfair, one positive aspect of it is that it makes the honors program that much more prestigious/selective. </p>

<p>Just an important thing for the first couple years–if Ohio State is chosen, make sure to take honors/upper level courses during Freshmen year, stay involved on campus, and keep a good GPA (3.5 min) to ensure admittance into one of Fisher’s honors programs!</p>