Apparently over the course of one year I have turned myself into “the wise one�.

OK…Please, stop your laughing.

In all seriousness though, I’ve noticed that many freshmen and sophomores that live on my floor value my opinion and often seek my advice for their own lives.

Be it to settle disputes, offer insight into their personal lives, or simply direct them to the proper resources on campus, the topics that come about in the daily conversations with my fellow Buckeyes have given me somewhat of leverage and nobility in my community.

Because of their faith in me, I feel like I owe it to them to be more of a neighbor than I have in previous years. I find myself staying up later in the evening than usual in order to tap into their personal lives via discussion. And, I’ve noticed that I’m more prone to participating in campus programming and pick-up athletic games as well for the same reasoning.

The thing is, I really can’t think of any one reason for the change in my demeanor. Perhaps, it comes with age? - you know, as a byproduct of wanting to settle down and acquire more responsibility.

The one thing I do know, however, is that I’m definitely struggling in my “coursework� this year as compared to prior years, and I seem to be losing hours of productive time. Yet, at the same time, I’ve never felt more “intelligent� than as I do now. I feel I have a better grasp on interpersonal relationships, a greater working knowledge of my future occupation, and a decided career path I’d like to pursue (both professionally and personally).

So, although others may think of me as “The Great Sage�…or as they call me in Morrill Tower – Gramps – I think I’m just continuing to learn about life.