Though there are a number of different campuses of The Ohio State University, the large campus that…read moremost people not familiar with ASU think about is the Columbus Campus. This campus offers a liberal arts college feeling with many with many buildings, students, staff, faculty, and resources. Similar to many other large campuses or schools across the country, it feels like it is always under construction as new buildings, athletic facilities, and residence halls are built each year. As Ohio State is one of the largest public universities in the country, there is something for everyone whether in-person or online.
At Ohio State, every student has the potential to feel connected with resources and it there is certainly always something happening whether at the Ohio Union, at the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC), or in the residence halls or any of the athletics facilities including the Horseshoe (Ohio Stadium). More than 14,000 students live on-campus, and the majority of about 67,000 Ohio State students take courses on the Columbus Campus. While campus resources are easily located in the Ohio Union and Lincoln Tower, many other buildings across the Columbus Campus have academic offices or other student services. The Ohio State staff, faculty, and partners certainly try to do everything they can to support all of the students to ensure they are set up to succeed at Ohio State.
Originally founded as only a fraction of the Columbus Campus of today in 1870, the campus has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Even a student who graduated just over 20 years ago, I am surprised in what the campus looks like today. In fact, I just visited campus for the first time in many years last month and barely recognize parts of campus. Even now, big construction projects include the Mirror Lake District Renovation, North Residential District Renewal, and multi-phase William Oxley Thompson Library Renovation. In fact, as of 2022, there were more than 1400 current construction projects in the works across all Ohio State campuses.
As the campus continues to grow, the number of buildings on campus continue to increase. In addition to more commonly visited areas like the Oval, the Ohio Union, and the RPAC, there is the Thompson Library and Ohio Stadium. There is also the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Orton Geological Museum, Mirror Lake, the Arne Slettebak Planetarium, Buckeye Grove, the Schottenstein Center, and so many other spots. My regular places to have visited when I was a student were Ramseyer Hall (where I took most of my classes), Taylor Tower, Mack Hall, and Bradley-Paterson residence halls.
At Ohio State, every student can drive their own experience as they engage in the events and resources on-campus while attending classes, getting an on-campus job, landing an internship or full-time job, joining clubs and organizations, attending many free events and activities, and so much more. The many student services offices at Ohio State are always there for students, and it's easy to find your way towards graduation and your future when taking advantage of these resources.
I look forward to seeing what comes next on such a large and lively campus such as Ohio State in the coming years!