Clear as Crystal

Hello Blogians!

As you know, I transferred to The Ohio State University this fall and I'm just now starting to get adjusted to the craziness of a big university. But...there are many more interesting things to blog about now, so I hope to be posting more frequently!

When I was at Urbana trying to decide if I was going to go back after I deferred or go somewhere else, someone helped me decide. I won't say who for confidentiality purposes, but he told me straight what I should do. I told him I wanted to be a lawyer and go to Yale or Harvard and he told me I needed to go to Ohio State. At the time I agreed with him, but I didn't know why.

I've been here at the greatest university in Ohio for a month now and I finally understand what he meant.

At Urbana I had a full tuition scholarship, a job in the President's office, top grades in my classes, and I wasn't even breaking a sweat. In the last few weeks I've been turned down for a job, rejected for Mock Trial, gotten a C on a quiz, I have no scholarships, and I'm working harder than I'm used to. These losses have made me realize just what it's going to take to get into Yale or Harvard and be competitive there. The pond is much bigger here and there are so many people with great qualities. Just being charming isn't going to be enough anymore, I have to have the whole package.

I'm thoroughly convinced that I do have the whole package, but I am not used to having to show all my cards at once. I think this is what my mentor meant when he said I had to go. It's no secret that opportunities here are ample, but I have to compete with a lot more people to get them.

I'm challenged here, and I don't just mean my classes, but my life too. And I've never been more grateful to be somewhere. Not one day passes that I walk to class without thinking about how lucky I am to be here. This university has a million things to offer and all I have to do is go out and look. Not to mention it's beautiful here. The feeling makes me determined to make the most of it. Now that I'm here, my mentor's message is clear as crystal.

God Bless,
Rachel