Reflecting on my first two semesters, the course that came as the greatest revelation to me was Introductory Linguistics, or LING200. I had never even thought of studying the field of linguistics until I'd heard about its utility in the realms of tech and artificial intelligence. As an engineering major, I thought that perhaps a linguistics minor could be an interesting element to my education, so I signed up to take LING200 as the first course required for the minor. Although I may not be pursuing a linguistics minor, I feel that this course provided me with unique perspectives, challenged my perceptions of language, and led to thought-provoking conversations. For instance, I had lived my whole life unaware of how I actually know how to speak English, when I haven't actually memorized every possible sentence. I now know that when we learn a native language, we learn words and rules that allow us to form phonemes, morphemes, words, and sentences. Plus, I now have a better understanding of linguistic variation, with new awareness of the myths and stigma surrounding non-standard dialects. For new students, I suggest that you explore an interest you have, starting out by looking at the list of university courses. The level of depth that you can get out of just an intro-level course can be immensely valuable, and can serve to pique your interest in studying those topics further. Also, it is imperative that you keep an open mind to the value you can receive from the courses required for your major. If you commit to engaging in classes despite your expectations, they might surprise you, and you might enjoy them!
It can be difficult to develop strong relationships with faculty members, but certainly rewarding. My greatest success in this endeavor has been with the principal investigator in my lab, who serves as a mentor for me. In my Engineering and the Grand Challenges course first semester, I got the chance to hear presentations from engineers of all disciplines regarding the work they have been a part of. After asking questions to one of these presenters after class, he invited me to meet his team in the lab that I soon joined. As a Freshman, I am learning more and more each week about the science relevant to the research we are doing, as I work alongside graduate students. All of this came about because I was simply engaged in a lecture, and showed curiosity and interest to somebody who values connecting with students, so I recommend that incoming students not be afraid to have conversations with faculty involved in their fields of interest, and perhaps take advantage of opportunities like undergraduate research! Also, teaching assistants and professors are often approachable, especially in office hours, and would probably like to get to know you as long as you are friendly and care about learning.
I love having other students around, as they can provide solidarity, motivation, inspiration, and also distraction. It has been helpful to have people to study with and also have fun with! It can be tricky finding people who you can talk to, however. For example, sometimes in class, people can be shy or appear closed-off, but remember: all you need is one friend in each class. As long as you're friendly, people worth connecting with will reciprocate. Next year's freshmen can make the most of these connections by scheduling time to study together. For me, sometimes the best way to learn or reinforce content is to practice or converse with a friend.
In retrospect, I was not very prepared for meeting assignment deadlines, especially when listed across different platforms. Missing or late homeworks can add up, so it is important to keep track of when things are due. I recommend that you use a single resource to write assignments out, such as a planner or Google Calendar, and then maintain some type of daily to-do list. Staying organized and disciplined will make a huge difference and prevent stress!