Listen HereBy: Collin Frazier
@Collin_53
For some people going to college, it’s about going somewhere where you’ll be surrounded by thousands of people of different backgrounds in a place unknown. For me, that was last year. I was a first-year going to THE (Yes, I am doing it that way) Ohio State University hoping to become an Athletic Trainer.
I’ll be honest, I hated the first three months. I kept wanting to go home because I was severely homesick, and I never gave myself the chance to become accustomed to my new life. While I eventually came around and started loving it down there, I simultaneously realized I did not want to become an athletic trainer, rather a strength and conditioning specialist with the hope of becoming a physician’s assistant.
Oddly enough, a big school like OSU doesn’t have S&C as a major; Findlay does. With that in mind, I decided to come home and enroll in Findlay. While I am now majoring in something OSU offers, so I theoretically could have stayed down there, I can say with confidence that I don’t regret transferring from a big campus to a small one at all.
One big reason why I enjoy the small campus vibe is that it’s what I’ve been accustomed to since I was a kid. While the city setting was nice, I prefer the quietness of Findlay and Northwest Ohio. I also went to Arlington High School 20 minutes south of Findlay with a graduating class of 49. The class sizes were nearly identical, if not bigger, than what I take here at Findlay. I’m also used to being taught by the teachers who not only specialize in subjects but also make the tests. I rarely got that at OSU, with most classes having TA’s (Teaching Assistants) as my teachers. While that was nice, I prefer the teaching ways here at Findlay.
Another surprising thing I enjoy here that some of the things I do here I never would have done at Ohio State. The biggest one is writing for the Pulse. With a smaller campus, I know more people around and I can make more connections with people. I never would be able to realize how much I enjoy writing and talking to people and learning more about the campus if I did not transfer. I never would be able to meet so many different people including coaches, museum curators, and even Motown legends had I stayed at Ohio State. I can’t thank the Pulse (and my brother, I guess) enough for taking me under their wing and giving me a shot to explore my passions.
While the small campus vibe is nice, I’d be lying if I said I missed nothing about OSU. I miss the football games, the trips to Easton Town Centre, random Lime Scooter rides (I cut my hand really bad once riding one but it was worth it because I loved those things), the fact that almost all my exams were multiple choice (but in hindsight, that may be a hindrance for learning my major), and of course, the friends I made down there. If any of them are reading this, I wish you all the best.
So, after one semester, I can say with absolute certainty, I am proud to be part of Oiler Nation.
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