Students come to Ohio State with different skill sets and dreams. They come equipped with a good dose of motivation, and from early on they develop their academic plans and decide when and what to take each quarter (or semester very soon!).
For most of us the number of credit hours rarely exceeds 20 and many are full time students with no part- or full-time jobs. Even then, classes sometimes feel like an excruciating (and unavoidable) hassle that get in the way of college fun. Do you often complain about your work load? Read on and this article might change your perspective.
Jaime Yamaguchi is not a typical student, but he certainly is an example of the results that can be achieved with a positive attitude, tons of motivation and tremendous self-discipline. Yamaguchi made the choice to excel, and while he might not be a unique case at Ohio State, his story is worth sharing. Here is what he had to say.
Number of credits
I’ve been taking 29 credit hours since Autumn 2007 – until Spring 2009 when I took 43 credits!
His reasons:
The reasons behind taking this amount of credits are many, but mainly my desire to excel and be different in a positive way. Likewise, I really enjoy the three majors I am pursuing and I want to finish them all. If it was up to me, I would also study Architecture and Aviation, but those might have to wait.
My interest in engineering was inspired by my grandfather, Jaime Torres, who once told me as a kid something I never forgot; he sat me down on his chair in his office at Conair and said to me “Algún día tú estarás sentado en este lugar” (Some day you will be sitting in this very same place).
Time Management:
To be able to do what I’m doing, time management is key. I learned to get good at it through trial and error. It sounds crazy but I balance my day among school, two part-time jobs, going to the gym five times per week, teaching Spanish to 12-15 students per week, and music practices for the two bands I play for.
The price you pay:
The toll is high. Sometimes I have to wake up at 3 a.m. to finish homework or any pending tasks. I also tend to go to bed at around 1 a.m. Combining those two, I only get two hours of sleep way too often (especially during finals’ week). Given my schedule I spend my whole day running around campus and Columbus, and sometimes I even forget to eat or have to eat lunch as I walk between classes. I have gotten used to going more than eight hours between meals.
As you can imagine, emotional fatigue also sets in. My parents live in Mexico and there are times that I do not talk to them for weeks due to my busy schedule. Similarly, my friends do not get the time they deserve.
For Jaime, a typical day in the spring looks like this:
9:30 a.m.: Systems II
10:30 a.m.: Electromagnetics II
11:30 a.m.: Orchestration II
12:30 p.m.: Jazz History
1:30 - 3:18 p.m.: History of Latin America
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Big Band Rehearsal
5 - 7:30 p.m.: Music Lessons
8 - 10 p.m.: Work out at the RPAC
10 p.m. - 1 a.m.: Homework and study |
