Ohio State announced that classes would be back in person about a week ago, and I am very excited to go back to campus, and that freshman get to experience somewhat of a normal freshman year. As a grad student, I've been around campus for four years now, and for the past three years, I've helped with the Arts Scholars First Year Retreat, so I'm used to being around for the first couple of weeks of the school year, and all that there is to learn from it.
Buck-I-Frenzy
Buck-I-Frenzy is THE back to school event at OSU. Fifth years will still show up, even though the event is always overcrowded with long wait times for every booth. But nothing brings students out like the promise of free food and free stuff.
Involvement Fair
Even if there is a virtual option, the Involvement Fair works because you have to walk through the booths. If you want to find a club on campus, you normally can just by wandering around on the Oval, this year, you might have to scroll through a website.
COTA vs CABS rules
There is no more obviously freshman moment than when someone gets on a CABS bus with their BuckID ready to go, or when someone gets on a COTA without their BuckID. It's just a rite of passage to get lost/confused by the bus system.
Football Saturday Energy
Even though they've decided that school will be in person, there haven't been any decisions made on football. Football is the biggest part of OSU's fall semester, and so many people show up on Saturdays for home games. The atmosphere is impossible to describe.
Getting to know your roommates/floormates
One of the things I was most excited about freshman year was meeting my random roommate. Dorm life is one of the things featured really prominently in movies, and just isn't something that you can do at home.
How easy it is to get lost on campus
I'm not sure the freshman who get lost feel this way, but I know that all upperclassmen appreciate the fact that at some point in time, everyone gets lost on campus. Maybe you have a class on West campus that you just don't understand where the building is (trust me, no one does) or maybe you took the wrong bus route, but it happens to us all.
The best/worst place to eat on campus
Everyone has heard that Morrill is the worst place to eat on campus. No one ever argues that, but yet it's still a right of passage to eat there and find out just how bad it is. What the best place to eat on campus is frequently debated. Unless you can show up and eat there yourself, you just can't fully know.
The way you feel about your unassigned assigned seat
The biggest part of the transition from high school to college classes is that no one has assigned seats. One thing that always happens is that everyone sits in the same seat every class, so wherever you sit in the first week is where you're stuck for the rest of the semester.
Trying to spend all of your swipes before they expire every Sunday
OSU's dining plan seems very complicated when you first hear about it. The biggest thing is that the number of swipes you have, expires every Sunday and resets for the next week. Every week, people try and work out the math on how many swipes they have left per day for the rest of the week and how much food they can buy.
Fall semester is better than spring- because of fall break
With there being no fall break this semester, it will feel like the longest semester ever. Normally, fall is so much better than spring, because you get breaks for Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and there's a four day weekend for fall break.
Actually having a class discussion
As much as everyone hates public speaking, class discussions on Zoom are somehow worse. No one wants to talk first, and staring at little boxes in silence is weirder than just staring at each other in person.
The feeling of leaving your BuckID/keys in your room
If you live in one of the new dorms, your BuckID is your key, so you have one less thing to lose. But there have been plenty of videos that have been posted of first (and second) years that have been locked out of their dorm room in just a towel because they forgot their BuckID.
Not all classroom buildings are made equal
Some classroom buildings have fun desks (Denny) and some look like a literal dungeon (Derby). Once you're on campus, you'll find which of the classroom buildings you can't stand to have classes in, and which ones you actively seek out.
Your favorite campus bathroom
Once you've taken a couple classes in different buildings, you're going to find your favorite campus bathroom, and sometimes, even a favorite stall. You'll learn which ones are the best, and which ones barely work, and you'll avoid those at all costs.
Syllabus Week
The best part of every semester is Syllabus week. There's nothing like going to class for less than half of the time, because all your professor did was review the syllabus, and the only "homework" being something simple, like getting the textbook. If the semester started out online, it wouldn't be the same, because you just go from sitting in front of your computer in your room to being in the same spot.
South campus is clearly better
Where you live your freshman year basically decides which half of campus you'll always feel partial to. South campus is clearly better, without a doubt, but once you show up to campus, you can form your own opinion.
