Welcome to OSU!

[mangopenguin]

Hello!

I just thought I would start a topic for those planning on attending Ohio State next year.

Visit weekend was pretty big and intense so it would be a good idea to see who has nailed down their plans and committed the next 5 years of their lives to the Buckeye State!

[polisci09]

Good idea! I'm curious to see how big our cohort will be.

[aria880]

I'm headed to OSU and pretty excited about it!

[polisci09]

What's your subfield aria?

[aria880]

IR. Yours?

[polisci09]

IR. Yours?

American.

[expensivemarket]

I've officially accepted OSU! My subfield is comparative.

[matthitt]

Hey everyone! Great to see this thread, as I officially accepted OSU's offer today. I'm way excited too. (My subfield is American)

BTW, I'm that dorky guy in the red sweater who was asking lots of questions at the morning session during recruitment weekend. If anyone is looking for a roommate, or has a tip on good apartments near campus, please let me know!

[polisci09]

from what i understand, grad students tend to avoid housing immediately surrounding campus (my host called it the UG ghetto).

[natofone]

Look into housing in one of the neighboring suburbs, like Worthington.

[mangopenguin]

We just got the e-mail!

22 total with 7 IR, 5 Comp, 1 Theorist, and 10 Americanists.

Awesome!

Also, I wanted to add that I just went to Columbus to look for an apartment.

Some important things to keep in mind:

Make sure it has off-street parking.

Air conditioning!

Ask about pas gas bills.

Check out neighborhoods before you go!!!

I found a great place for 750/month (I'm moving with someone) and if you are planning on a summer move, start looking soon!

[vacsoracsata]

Hey everyone! Thanks for starting this thread. I'll be joining you in September and I'm really looking forward to it. My subfield is Comparative, particularly postcommunist politics. I live abroad so I wasn't able to visit before I committed to OSU but I've heard so many wonderful things about the town, department and school that I'm pretty excited. I have a question for any of you who went to the recruitment weekend. What is the deal with the math workshop mentioned in that recent email? Do you get the impression that it's pretty important?

[polisci09]

What is the deal with the math workshop mentioned in that recent email? Do you get the impression that it's pretty important?

From what I understand, it's 2 weeks of intensive math training, designed to bring everyone up to speed (as much as possible) before methods classes start. More importantly, according to a few faculty I asked, is the opportunity for the entire first year cohort to meet each other.

[natofone]

You've heard wonderful things about Columbus, Ohio? Do you consider drunken fights, muggings, and riots after football games to be positive?

[vacsoracsata]

Thanks for the info polisci09 - I guess I'll meet you all at math camp!

Natofone, I'd be interested to hear if you've lived in Columbus and what your experiences were. I haven't been there since I was a kid but most of what I've heard has been quite positive. Admittedly, most of the people I've talked to about it have been at OSU or are distant relatives who live in Central Ohio...

[natofone]

I never lived in Columbus, but I grew up a little more than an hour away so I've been/stayed there dozens of times. Most of my classmates did their undergraduate degrees there so I'm pretty familiar with the city. You have to worry about two things: partying undergrads and crime. Getting jumped or robbed isn't uncommon. I've had multiple friends jumped at knife point (and ten times as many that haven't had problems). I suggest living in a suburb if possible. Worthington is relatively nice and not too far away. Columbus gets really shady really fast. I wouldn't sign a lease anywhere until talking with people about the specific areas that are dangerous and/or have drug activity. It will be hard to tell from online listings. The party nonsense gets annoying really fast. Try to avoid the crime ridden areas and the undergrads and you'll be fine.

[vacsoracsata]

Thanks for the tips, I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind.

[IcyBlue]

Hi all! I'm not a proper PoliSci kid, but I'll very likely have class with some of you, so I thought I'd pop in. (By virtue of being interdisciplinary-ish, I have no home, and so wander around, waving at everyone )

Have any of you received communication about orientation, etc? I apparently need paperwork to survive, so the all-online thing is making me nervous (that, and drooling over the course listings is way more interesting than studying for finals...)