What I Took from Orientation

I have always loved Ohio State.  Whether it be the academics, the athletics, or the countless traditions, I am always amazed by what this University can do.  The 2011 MAcc Orientation lived exactly up to these standards.

I'll be honest - I was a little bit skeptical of what I would gain from orientation.  I am a combined BSBA/MAcc student (a great program that Fisher offers, for any of you who may be accounting or finance undergrads at OSU right now!!) and thought I was pretty well versed in the ways of Ohio State.  After all, I've spent the last three years of my life on campus at Fisher and the last 18 years of my life in Columbus.

I was so wrong!

True, I may not have needed the facilities tour (which was still fun, and for those who do not do their undergraduate work at OSU will be extremely helpful!), but there was so much more for me to gain.  I think what impressed me the most was how interactive each session was, and how well I got to know some of my classmates before classes began.

Throughout orientation, I was given opportunities to see how diverse of a class I will be a part of.  This diversity is not only based on physical locations but extends to the way we each think and act.  I have classmates that will think completely differently than me, as this is really their first exposure to accounting!  Being able to see this as one complete MAcc class, rather than in bits and pieces once we meet each other a few people at a time in class, was incredibly interesting and really got me excited to work with everyone in the program.

We also got to meet all of the people at the University present to help us throughout the year.  Alisa downstairs in the Programs Office said she will help with anything from scheduling meeting rooms to Halloween costumes, Samantha (our advisor) will help us all find the courses best suited for what interests each one of us, and Dr. Dietrich (the department chair) will (attempt to) provide us comic relief if we're feeling stressed.  The best part of who I've just listed is that they're the tip of the iceberg.

Before signing out, I want to share one of the most rewarding portions of orientation.  Our class took a trip to Summit Vision, a high/low ropes course, for some team building.  We all walked away with much more than we thought we'd get though!  Throughout the day, we learned to communicate creatively, think diversely while working towards a common goal, and to really trust one another.  I think I can safely say too, that the high ropes course left us all extremely motivated and confident to begin classes.  Climbing over 35 feet in the air and jumping off a platform attached to nothing but a rope is not exactly in my comfort zone, nor was in the many of my classmates' comfort zone.  Yet so many of us did just this.  Each of us that jumped absolutely loved it.  I can't think of a better way to learn that stepping out of your comfort zone can be INCREDIBLY rewarding.

So - whether you're a diehard accountant looking to expand your expertise or a soil scientist interested in studying for a MAcc degree, the MAcc program at Fisher can help you step outside of what is comfortable to you and really develop you as a person.  I can't wait to keep stepping out of my comfort zone this year and sharing all my experiences.