My Ohio State Life Hacks

Things I’ve discovered to make life better in college

Food:

The dining halls can get boring pretty quickly, so here are some of my favorite food items on campus that I recommend if you want to switch it up from plain old Traditions dining!

• Hibiscus Tea: They have iced tea at a lot of the cafes around campus, which some people don’t even realize. If you look at the flavors of the tea they’re all pretty good, but the berry hibiscus tea is my absolute favorite. You can add your own flavored syrups for something sweeter (I recommend raspberry), or just have it plain. I think it tastes sort of similar to a Starbucks refresher, and I don’t see many people getting it.
• Courtside Cafe: This entire place as a whole! Everything I’ve tried from here is so so good and I feel like a lot of people don’t know it exists. It’s in the RPAC, which can be a little far depending on where you live, but in my opinion, the food is definitely worth it. They have stir fry with rice and lo mein, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and sometimes even steak. My personal favorite thing to get is the sauteed garden vegetables with garden aioli and add grilled chicken. Sometimes I miss a good variety of vegetables in college, but Courtside Cafe has so many and they are delicious.
• Grain Bowls at Union Market: Another great option is the grain bowls at the Union Market if you want to diversify the vegetables you eat instead of getting steamed broccoli from Scott every day. You can get rice, quinoa, or lentils as a base, different protein options, and tons of different seasoned veggies! This is my favorite thing to get out of all of the restaurants in the Union and I definitely get it almost every time I eat there.
• Boba at Crane Cafe: Did you know that there is boba on campus? For the longest time, I did not. At Crane Cafe, you can get different boba drinks, or add boba to your favorite campus coffees and teas! It’s good if you’re looking to try something new and it’s pretty tasty.
• Oxley’s Sandwiches: I was originally going to write this just about the breakfast sandwiches, but I think it deserves to be expanded to all sandwiches at Oxley’s after having one of their lunch sandwiches. So so underrated and you can customize them to make them whatever you want. Also, they have a sauce for their sandwiches, the garlic parm, which is by far the best sauce they have on campus.
• Food Trucks (short rib and local): Every Wednesday of spring semester last year I got the short rib tacos for lunch or dinner. They are one of the best foods on campus, and I think I ate them too much because now I’m a little tired of them. Another great option new this year is the local food trucks. Yat’s and Pitabilities are really delicious, and there are other options too with a ton of variety.

Study Spots:

Finding the best place to study for you is the key to your success. What works for one person may not work for another, which is why it’s so important to figure out which environment you can work best in. Working at the desk in your bedroom or the third floor of Thompson might get boring after a while, so here are some alternative options to differentiate where you study!

• Empty Classrooms: Okay, this is definitely something a lot of people know but do not take advantage of, simply because they’re not too sure how to. If you look up “OSU room matrix” or something to that effect, you can see what rooms in different buildings are being used at what times. Being in an empty classroom by yourself or with a few friends to get homework done is so nice because you can spread yourself out, use large whiteboards/chalkboards, and really just have the space to think. Also, it helps to be in an academic setting such as a library, which may not work for everyone, so a classroom is another great option!
• Engineering Lounge: Did you know that every single engineering major has its own study lounge? I feel like some majors advertise it pretty well, but with others, you may not even know it exists. It’s a good place to go that’s a step more “social” than a library. You can collaborate with others in your major and talk while still being productive and I think it’s also a great place to meet other people in your major.
• Basement conference room of 18th: If a library setting is the place for you, but you want to switch it up and go somewhere that generally does not get super crowded, then I recommend the conference room in the basement of 18th Avenue Library. It’s to the right when you come down the stairs/off the elevator, and while there are generally a few people in it, I’ve never had an issue finding a spot. Another plus is there are outlets in the floor everywhere so you don’t have to worry about charging your devices. It’s a nice quiet place to get work done, and the walls are lined with large whiteboards.
• Traditions at Kennedy: A not-so-quiet place I like to sometimes get work done is Traditions at Kennedy. If you need a quiet atmosphere, this is not the place for you, but I enjoy studying here sometimes. You can get a good plate of food, and I find that the action station has different options, and the selection of fruit is pretty vast. The great hall almost feels like studying in the great hall in Harry Potter, and there are tons of other tables to study at as well. It’s also a great place to study with friends and get some homework done, all while enjoying some decent campus food.

Academic Resources:

Another key to success is utilizing the resources made specifically for students in mind. Whether you know these exist or not, they are a great resource to help you succeed and save money!

• Office Hours: I know office hours can be intimidating and scary, but they are genuinely so helpful with the right professor. You can go in with specific questions and receive answers and explanations geared toward your benefit. Sometimes professors or TAs will walk you through step-by-step how to do a homework problem and get the right answer. Another secret benefit of office hours is you build a connection with your professor or TA. By building this connection, your professor will get to know you, and if they have any future research or internship opportunities available in the future, they may highly consider you since you made that connection. Professors and TAs are required to have office hours, so you should take advantage of them!
• MSLC: OSU math classes can be extremely overwhelming and difficult, and the university knows that many students feel this way. The MSLC is a resource for all students to use in order to help them succeed in math. You can go in with a question or use it as a “study hall” and work through your homework and if any issues arise, ask one of the peer tutors for help. They provide assistance in math courses of all different levels, from precalc all the way up through upper-level math courses that every engineering major takes. Here is the website so you can look through it before you stop in: https://mslc.osu.edu/tutoring

Student Discounts:

Being a student can be exhausting, but there are a few benefits, such as student discounts!

• Spotify: This is my personal favorite. I am a music lover and use Spotify all the time, and as a student, you can get Spotify Premium for half off! At $4.99 a month, you can get Spotify Premium, which is bundled with Hulu and Showtime. It’s a great deal, and Spotify is one of my most used apps.
• Apple: Apple provides a pretty generous student discount, and any purchase through the discount gets you free Apple TV! There are also different discount deals throughout the year, so keep a lookout for some ways to save and get some new tech.
• https://activities.osu.edu/programs/dtix/discounts/: OSU provides student discounts on tickets to different events around Ohio and you can enter lotteries for different gift cards as well! A great resource that I honestly did not know about until recently.