Your Unofficial Guide to Success at OSU

It is officially back-to-school season here at Ohio State, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings! If you’re new here, we are The Society of Women Engineers, aka SWE. Our mission is to empower women to achieve their full potential as engineers and leaders, advocate for the success and inclusion of women in the engineering professions, and to promote diversity. Before we begin, meet the creatives behind this year’s blog and podcast!

Hey there! My name is Mallory and I’m a 4th year in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Creative Writing! I’m from London, OH (about 20 minutes southwest of Columbus). Outside of SWE, I’m also involved in IEEE and the crochet club. Some of my hobbies include music, reading, and writing!

Welcome SWEsters; my name is Emma Gast, and I am one of the blog/podcast chairs. I am a second year here, majoring in Food, Agricultural, Biological, and Ecological engineering with my specialization being in Food. Outside of SWE, I am also involved in the rock-climbing club. Some of my hobbies include hiking, climbing, cooking, and thrifting.

As I’m sure you might have figured out by now, Ohio State is a huge place. It is often said that OSU is a ‘city within a city’, which perfectly describes the magnitude of things you can do during your time here. Whether you are just starting as a freshman or starting your supersenior year, we hope that this article can be a bit of a guide to success for starting this new year!

Academic Advice

1. Treat your syllabi like a manual to your class. You may or may not have used syllabi in high school, but in college, this is your guide to succeeding in a class. It will contain information about your professor, how your class is graded, and typically every single assignment and exam you will have. Read through the entire document and note important info and deadlines.
2. Ask for help. Engineering is difficult. Nobody expects you to be able to fully understand the content of a class right from the get-go. Start going to office hours early and create a rapport with your professor. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, as that’s why your professors are there! Even if you don’t feel like asking your professor, go to tutoring, ask a friend, or do external research!
3. Try staying ahead in your classes. Whether you’re taking 12 credit hours or 18, you will get busy. Instead of letting everything pile up, try studying a little bit every day to avoid that sudden night before cramming session. Plan out your week ahead of time to ensure you have the time to complete everything you want to do while still maintaining a life.
4. Find good study spaces. Typically, it’s much easier to study and focus if you can find a space that’s clean and void of distractions. Whether that’s at home or on campus, find your space(s) that are dedicated solely to studying and doing homework so that it’s easier to get things done. If you need some ideas, check out the TikTok video we posted last year about some hidden study spaces on campus!
5. Take advantage of all the resources at your disposal. You’re paying for college, so why not utilize everything you can if you’re struggling? For general advice and coaching on gaining better study skills, visit the Dennis Learning Center. If you’re struggling with a math or statistics class, make an appointment with the Math and Statistics Learning Center (MSLC). For help with more specific engineering courses visit Academic Coaching in Engineering (ACE). Lastly, if you have a disability of any kind, visible or invisible, that requires accommodations for classes and/or exams, visit Student Life Disability Services (SLDS) to learn more about your options!

SWE Advice

1. Join the big-little program! Early in each semester, SWE will run a few events where you can get to know other people interested in the program and sign up to get a Big or Little! My SWE big during my freshman year was instrumental in my ability to succeed and is still one of my best friends to this day! It’s a great opportunity for both underclassmen and upperclassmen to get to know more people!
2. Partake in the OSU SWE affinity groups! Here at OSU, we have sub-groups for LGBTQIA+, HeforSWE, and Disability Inclusion communities. Whether or not you are a part of these communities, go to the events and learn more about what it means to be an ally and how to give back. Societal SWE has even more affinity groups if you’re interested in learning about a marginalized group beyond those three!
3. If you’re new to SWE, apply for the Early Leader Ambassador Program. This is an opportunity for first and second-year students focused around team and leadership skill building. You’ll get put in a team with other people to plan and host your own event! This is a great way to get early leadership experience and is a great gateway if you want to be a chair or an officer in the future.

Other Advice

1. Join clubs! There’s SWE, but Ohio State offers over 1,400 student clubs so there’s sure to be something out there for you! You could join a club based on your major so that you make some more friends that you can study with in your courses and meet people that understand your specific struggles. You could also join a club related to your interests or hobbies (or even related to a hobby you’ve always wanted to learn!)
2. Attend campus events. Especially here at the beginning of the semester, there are always so many events going on that are held by different organizations. Go to all the Welcome Week events and keep an eye on some of the social calendars at OSU for things you want to go to. There are almost always free games, free food, or even free merch for attending!
3. Take care of your mental and physical health. While school is important, it shouldn’t take away from your ability to take care of yourself. Engineering is often a degree that causes a lot of mental health problems for students due to the difficulty of the major. Nobody has the same experience and I promise there are people out there to help you. If you find yourself struggling, the College of Engineering has it’s own embedded clinicians that you can talk to.

Hopefully, these tips are a good starting point for a successful year! Continue keeping up with our blog as well as the podcast during the year for even more — everything from unconventional engineering paths to potentially even fun interviews…! We’ll be back soon and I hope you have a great start to the year!

- Mallory