Hope earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from The Ohio State University. She specializes in English tutoring, algebra tutoring, and a number of other subjects. Below, she shares her experience at The Ohio State University:
Describe the campus setting and transportation options.
Hope: The campus is large and sprawling. There are free shuttle buses to get you on and off campus, and a free bus pass for all students to get you around town. There are lots of bike racks if you choose to get a bike, and a free tracking system to help if it were to get stolen. I worked pretty late at night, and there were blue emergency call boxes every couple of feet and a free service that would escort you up to two miles off campus via car or on foot. This option always made me feel safe and sound.
How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants?
Hope: All of my teachers were pretty available. Their office hours and locations were in the syllabus, so if you decided to go to see them, they were always there. They were also usually available via email if you needed to contact them that way.
How would you describe the dorm life—rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students?
Hope: I loved living in the dorms; all of my friends were just an elevator ride or underground tunnel trip away. I could go to the closest dining hall in my pajamas for brunch on the weekends, which was super convenient. There were dozens of food options all across campus, and I loved it.
Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?
Hope: We had great business, dance, and engineering programs. I studied communication; it’s what my mom did for work and I really enjoyed thinking critically about my media consumption.
How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life?
Hope: I was a pretty shy person when I was 18, and I appreciated that my school had opportunities for me to get out and meet people in safe, supported environments. I worked at the front desk of my dorm and made friends that way. Then, I was a resident advisor and got to meet even more people through that position. Greek life is there, but only as big as you want it to be. I knew people who were Greek and non-Greek and we all seemed to get along pretty well.
How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services?
Hope: There are Career Centers for almost any subset and career. It made it easy to get connected to jobs and careers. There were dozens of job fairs every year that recruited from companies all over the country and internationally. Almost every week there were free resume workshops or reviews to give you the best opportunity to get hired.
How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges?
Hope: There were about 10 different libraries, one of which was open 24 hours a day. If the main library was crowded, there were other libraries on campus where you could go and study. Wifi was fast, outlets were abundant, and there were many comfortable chairs.
Describe the surrounding town.
Hope: It’s definitely a college town. The main street has tons of food and concert venues, and the majority of them take the college card as currency. On most nights, you can follow the crowds to downtown to find something to do. We have a major hockey team, music, art, museums, and restaurants. There’s always something to do on or off campus.
How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes?
Hope: When I graduated, I did so with about 12,000 of my classmates. It was a huge graduating class. It made it easy to find someone to hang out with or someone you had something in common with.
Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most.
Hope: My favorite class was called love and literature. Our professor asked us to do presentations on non-Western romantic tradition. It was so nice to learn about different holidays and cultures. I learned so much!
Check out Hope’s tutoring profile.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
