Danny O'Connor

University of Cincinnati:First Year Experience

 

     As we make our transition from high school to college, we are all told that we are about to venture into one of the most critical transition phases of our lives. Our first year of college is essentially the first year that we experience a semblance of the so called “real world.” At the very least, many of us gain a significant level of independence in comparison to anything we have experienced up to that point. When I ponder my first year at the University of Cincinnati, these are the things that I think about. I remember what I was told going in, and of course I expected my first year of college to be filled with dramatic change and exciting new experiences. I could not, however, have ever imagined what it would truly be like until I actually went through it all. After one full year of college, I can easily say that my life has not only changed a great deal, but also that I have grown a tremendous amount as an individual. I, of course, also learned a thing or two in the classroom along the way.

   

      When I came into UC, I admit that I didn’t have wild expectations. I knew that UC was a great school, and I figured that I would make some friends and have fun since it was college. Perhaps it was these lower expectations that caused the many experiences I had in my first year to have such a profound impact on me. By the end of my first year I had become a member and captain of one of UC’s very competitive mock trial teams, I had joined one of the largest social fraternities on campus, I had attained a 4.0 GPA, and I had acquired a large network of new relationships and loyal friendships.

    

     The first activity I engaged in upon my arrival to main campus was going on the UHP annual welcome retreat. This would prove to be a crucial part of my first year experience, as it not only gave me exposure to the honors staff and gave me great insight on what the honors program at UC was all about, but it was also where I met many of the people who would become my closest friends. The honors welcome retreat allowed me to meet a slew of incredibly talented and bright individuals that were going through the exact same thing I was going through; that of course being coming into college. It helped me get into a niche, and when I got back to campus for the rest of welcome week, I had already attained a whole network of new friends. The welcome retreat also opened the way for another major experience that I had at UC: joining the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Joining a fraternity was something that I had never imagined I would do. I had come into college with all the negative stereotypes and preconceived notions of what college Greek life was. Through relationships I made early on, however, I was exposed to a group of some of the most outstanding men I have ever met, many of whom I can almost be certain will be lifelong friends to me.

   

      Despite these crucial and impactful events, the experience of my first year at UC that I feel was most important as well as had the greatest impact on the person that I am now was my experience in the classroom. Finishing my first year with a 4.0 was a goal that I had set for myself coming in, but whether or not I would actually be able to do this was yet to be seen. When I successfully accomplished this, it was one of the first times in my life that I had set a lofty goal for myself and executed it. I finished my first year with a tremendous amount of newfound confidence, and it also solidified in my mind that I could truly accomplish anything that I set my mind to as long as I worked hard enough.

    

     Nearly equal in importance to my development of confidence and knowledge over the first year I spent at UC, of course, are the friends that I made along the way. Paramount to making my first year experience truly life-changing was my joining of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. The individuals I met here served not only as great friends, but also as mentors and role models for my own personal development. Through being a member of PIKE, I felt even more determined to succeed, as my accomplishments became not only my own, but were shared amongst my closest peers as well.

    

     As I move forward in not only my time as an undergraduate student at UC, but also in life, I will take with me all of the things I learned over the course of my first year at college. The many events I took part in, experiences I had, and relationships I formed have created a solid foundation for my development as an adult, upon which I hope to continue building on. As I move into my second year, I feel the most important thing for me to do is hold onto the confidence that I built over the course of my first year. This way, I will be able to continue the successful path that I started. My second year will start in a very similar fashion to my first as I look forward to going on the UHP annual welcome retreat once again. This time, however, I will be going as a leader rather than an incoming student. Through this, I hope to have a positive impact on the up and coming honors freshman so that they may have the same life-changing and incredible first year experience that I did.