OSU's Spring Exploration Day 4-18-14

[Ride On_17]

My mom, dad, and I arrived on campus around 11 am for Ohio State's Spring exploration Day for Juniors. It is a free event open to all current high school juniors that includes a presentation about the school, specified information based on a major of interest that you had to indicate during previous registration, and a student-led campus walking tour.

Check-in didn't start until 12:30 but we wanted to arrive early to explore a little bit before it started. First we grabbed a little lunch in the Union, and after that we headed over toward the library. On our way we came across a Bouncy House set up as well as a table with several students giving away donuts. They were a part of what they called "Project Smiles" or something like that. Just a fun way to be happy, make other people happy, and relieve some stress before finals. It has been a couple years since my dad has been to OSU and he hasn't seen the library since it has been renovated. We showed him all around, and he really enjoyed the top floor.

By this time we needed to head back to the Union to check in and get ready for the exploration program. When I checked in I received an Ohio State folder and pen along with a bunch of pamphlets, papers, and brochures about the school. We went into a large room for the presentation and it started at 1. Anything and everything relating to the school, its academics, activities, admissions, and more were discussed. This presentation lasted for about an hour.

Then everyone broke off into groups based on their pre-selected major of interest. The engineering group (my group) stayed in the same room. There was another presentation about OSU's college of engineering. It was pretty interesting and I learned some great information. Then were divided into smaller groups for out walking tour.

My group's student ambassador leader was awesome. He had lots of energy and was great as showing his passion for his school and showing it to other people. We took a big loop around campus, stopping inside one of the South Campus dorms and the brand new, huge, AMAZING new fitness center. Between a double level gym, too many raquetball courts to count, massive rooms full of workout equipment,and much more. I can already see myself spending lots of time here. It is the largest building of its kind on any college campus in the country. It has over 60,000 square feet of fitness, aquatic, meeting, and recreation space. That's massive. When walking through the Oval, a bunch of students kept yelling "O-H!" and impressively a good amount of the people in my tour group knew to yell back. Our student guide was really impressed too and loved our spirit. Other students were having what they called "High Five Friday" and were giving everyone high fives, smiling at people, giving out free soda, and just being nice and happy. It was pretty funny but I loved it. The tour also stopped at several other locations and toward the end of the hour and a half long tour, we went inside a classroom where our student guide talked to us about what classes are like.

The tour was a lot of fun and was a great experience, even though I'm already very familiar with the campus. After telling our amazing guide thanks, my parents and I went back into the Union to decide what to do next. We planned on walking along High Street, but before we left, we saw our guide again. He was very friendly and we thanked him again. So then we headed off down High Street. By this time it was between 4:30 and 5 pm and since it was Friday night, all of the bars and clubs were just starting to fill up. All throughout the day there had been just an exciting, fun atmosphere. As we were walking, a car pulled up out of the side street we needed to cross. The person in the passenger seat suddenly smiled and started waving at us. As we got closer, I realized it was my student guide from the tour. We just had time for a quick hello, but it was funny to see each other again. Goes to show how small this campus gets (and I also so someone I know from school here too).

We had to stop at Buckeye Donuts as well at Tommy's Pizza (both were delicious as always.) Then we walked over toward the Horseshoe (AKA Ohio Stadium). I was taking some pictures through the gate looking down the ramp that leads straight out to the field when several workers walked by and said they'd let us enter the stadium to get some better pictures. This was very nice of them. My mom was practically crying and jumping all around (she's a crazy Buckeye fan--in a good way, though). We walked down the ramp and out onto the field. It was so cool being able to stand in that amazing stadium, especially since it was so empty. It was a chilling and incredible experience I'll never forget. When we left we thanked the workers again.

Then we continues looping around campus and stopped near the Oval as the sun was setting. It had been a fun day. Eventually we left but drove down the Short North and through downtown Columbus before getting on the freeway to head home. This Exploration Day just reassured me even more that this is where I want to go to college.

I'll have several posts with pictures. They were taken both by me and my mom.

[Ride On_17]

The view from the top floor of the library will never get old.

Looking down from one of the glass-walled levels in the library. It almost looks like there's no wall at all.

The Oval.

My dad and I in the Oval:

In the first presentation:

In the engineering presentation:

In one of the South Campus dorms, with our student guide explaining to us the differences between South, North, and West campus residences.

Inside the fitness center, Carmen Ohio (the Alma Mater) is shown using license plates.

This only shows like 1/1000000 of what is inside the amazing facility.

There's a balcony off of the fitness center that has a great view of the Horseshoe.

[Ride On_17]

Hi, cardinal.

This Brutus statue in the Union also results in many people doing this...I've done it before but felt like doing it again.

Buckeye Donuts!

And Tommy's Pizza!

A zoomed picture of one of the flowers in Ohio Stadium's rotunda. Not known by many people, the colors of the flowers and their backgrounds would be determined by the winner of the inaugural game when the stadium opened, which was a game between Ohio State and...of course...Michigan. Well, Michigan won so the flowers were actually pained blue and gold. So if OSU would've won that game, they would have been pained scarlet and gray.

The rotunda:

[Ride On_17]

No mobs of people, for once.

Me standing by the field:

O-H with my mom:

Such an incredible experience.

Hopefully one day soon I'll be marching down this exact ramp as a member of TBDBITL.

A cool perspective of the rotunda:

This is the fitness center, RPAC (Recreation and Physical Activity Center):

The iconic Independence University Hall:

These gargoyles on one of the buildings are creepy but cool:

The building with the gargoyles is for geology classes:

Looking out over the South Oval from the parking garage before we left:

[jcgoble3]

That is so cool that you got to go out onto the field at the Horseshoe!

Glad you had fun!

[TheCrypt]

I always enjoy your trip reports. Thanks for sharing!

[coasterfanatic83]

I spend quite a bit of my time in the RPAC. It is without a doubt one of my favorite places on campus.

Just a note, the building that you called Independence Hall is actually University Hall. Independence is across the street from University