First Name?  Hannah

Hometown?  Overland Park, KS (Kansas City suburb area)

Classification?  Senior

Major?  Leisure Studies- Therapeutic Recreation

What is your favorite type of music?  Country Music

Sand or snow?  Sand- no question

Sports car or 4-wheel drive?  I guess a sports car- cars are not my thing

Sports or arts?  Sports!

Salad or steak?  Depending on the day- but usually a steak

Do you have your own computer at school?  Desktop or laptop?  I do have my own computer at school, but I probably use on campus computers more than I use my own computer. I probably check out a laptop from the library almost every day, but I do have my own desktop computer.

What one thing could you NOT survive without?

Do you have your own car?  Could you survive without it?  I do have my own car here at school, but I think I could probably survive without it. Freshman year, when I lived in the residence halls, I went weeks between times I drove my car.  Campus has everything you could ever need: food, banks, and even a post office, so I rarely take my car out.

Do you work during the school year?  How much?  Where?  I have never had a real job during the school year, but last semester I did an internship where I worked for ten hours a week at the Stillwater Domestic Violence Services. 

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?  Why/How?  My mom has been a major influence on my life.  Growing up, it was only just the two of us, and she taught me everything I know.  She has impacted my college experience by teaching me to always give 100% for every assignment, paper, and test, which has helped me stay motivated to do my best at college.

What activities are you involved in at school?  I am a member of the College of Education student council and an Ambassador to the COE.  I am part of the Leisure Majors Club.  I am also part of various active honors societies, like Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health honors society, Order of Omega (top 3% of Greek students honors society), Phi Kappa Phi (top 7% of OSU junior class), and Mortar Board.  I also serve as the Vice President of Finance for my sorority.

What did you actually do to prepare for college?  I talked to other people who were already in college about what to expect and tips to being successful.  I asked people everything from what to bring for my dorm room to when and where were the best places to study.  Talking to other people about their college experience taught me things to do correctly and things to avoid, which made the transition into college easier.

How much do you actually study?  I don't study near as much as people tell me I should, but since I learned how to study in high school I am very good at studying efficiently.  I probably study between 8-10 hours per week.

What do you do to get to know your professors?  Since my major has only two actual professors, it has been very easy to get to know them.  Going to office hours is a great way to get to know them.  Also, taking initiative to do things above and beyond the requirements makes them want to get to know you too.  My program offers an opportunity to teach aquatic therapy to disadvantaged populations in Stillwater as a class, but because my schedule was packed I decided to just do it as a volunteer opportunity.  Volunteering to do that, rather than just doing it for credit, showed my professors that I cared about my degree and that is how I really got to know them.

What's your favorite part of college?  My favorite part of college, and my best memories, have come from being a part of a  Greek organization.  My sorority has brought me so many friends and great opportunities, and my college experience would not have been the same without it.  Going Greek is not for everyone, but everyone fits in a Greek house somewhere, and it is not something you should veto right off.  At least get the information so you can make the most informed decision about whether or not it is for you.

What is your least favorite part of college?  My least favorite part of college is being completely responsible for myself.  In high school, if my car broke down or I got really sick, I would rely on my mom to make the proper appointments and take care of everything.  Now, if my car is having trouble, I have to find the place to get it fixed, find the rides to and from, and fix the problem myself.  It sounds silly, but there are so many little things you rely on other people for that all of a sudden you have to do yourself, and it is a tough transition.

What surprised you most about college?  What surprised me most is the opportunities they offer for you to succeed.  There are offices that offer free tutoring for most all classes taken your first 2 years, most freshman level classes offer review sessions before tests, and a lot of classes offer review sheets to tell you what will be on each test.  You always hear that in college the professors don't care if you succeed or not, but they really do offer a lot of opportunities for you to do well if you take advantage of them.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen?  Get involved! Your degree only takes up one line of a resume, and you have 4 (or maybe 5) years to fill up the rest of the lines with internships, experiences, memberships, and honors.  The more activities you get involved in right off, the easier it is to apply for more prestigious clubs and organizations later on.  It also allows you to meet a lot of people and make connections with other motivated, inspiring people like yourself. Also, the more applications and interviews you do, the better you get at them so applying for jobs gets that much easier after you graduate.

What do you plan to after graduation?  I am done with actual classes in December of 08, and I am planning to do a Therapeutic Recreation internship in the Spring of 09 in Denver, CO at the Craig Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Hospital.  In the Fall of 09 I hope to go to Occupational Therapy school (location unknown), and then I will hopefully be out in the workforce by 2011.