This is a picture during sunset, looking out over my community from my dormroom window.
Email: acanna@umd.edu
If I could describe this year using one word, I would use the word “growth.” I’ve grown a lot over these last eight to nine months, both academically and personally. I’ve learned things as simple as not putting reds in the wash with whites to learning a whole new field of interest. I’ve also learned how to reflect instead of react right away. This has been a tremendous help to me because I feel more grounded and it has allowed me to introduce mindfulness and become less anxious. To say the least, my freshman year college experience has been nothing shy of an amazing learning experience. The course that came as the biggest surprise was atmospheric and oceanic science. I originally took this class to satisfy a general education requirement; however, I quickly realized this was an interesting topic and decided to minor in it. At one point, I had even seriously considered switching my major to it. This class opened my eyes to a whole other world of interests that I now want a career in. Because of my experience with atmospheric and oceanic science, my suggestion for incoming students would be to take general education courses that are different and may push you outside of your current interests or comfort zones. By doing this, you give yourself an opportunity to find more interests and maybe even a possible career choice. One of the most important things when having success in a class is the relationships you have with your professors. The greatest success I’ve had with developing strong relationships with faculty was in my engineering class. The class was based on communication and discussing leadership strategies. When in class, many people did not participate. Therefore, when I came to class, I made sure to fully participate. The result was great conversations and intellectual discussions with the professor. After forming a relationship with my engineering professor, my advice for incoming freshmen is to make an effort. If you show your professors that you care and you want to develop a relationship with them, they’ll encourage it and make an effort as well. Along with forming relationships with professors, it’s imperative that you make friendships. Moving away from home and adjusting to living without my parents was difficult. Going through this, I’ve learned that having friends is a great way to cope with homesickness and stress. My friends have become my family here and have given me a support system to lean on. While I was lucky enough to find a group of amazing friends in my dorm, the greatest struggle when trying to pursue these relationships was the mental aspect of things. I would get so worried about whether they liked me or not that it became a struggle for me to form a connection that wasn’t forced. However, after realizing this group loved me for me, it became easy to be vulnerable and receive support. To make these connections, next year's freshmen should open their doors. As silly as it sounds, opening your dorm room door can offer a great way to meet people. My roommate and I did this for the first month or so and people were constantly walking by and popping in to introduce themselves. This was how I met a lot of my friends and support in the dorm. Everyone is going through the same thing: going to a new school with new people and trying to form new friendships. One thing I was not prepared for was the pace of the courses. Coming into college, no one tells you how fast the classes move. When I was in highschool, you had a couple of weeks to learn the information. On the other hand, in college, you have to learn the material by the next class. I recommend incoming freshmen doing the suggested homework. Teachers will tell you the homework isn’t required but doing it will help so much in understanding the information. As long as you do the assignments- whether required or suggested- you’ll have a much easier time learning the material and passing the class. My freshman year experience has been nothing less than an opportunity to grow. I’ve learned so much about who I am and what I want to do and I could not be more excited to see what this next year brings. From making a family of friends to building healthy relationships with professors I have learned that in order to grow, I need to step out of my comfort zone. I need to be open to subjects I didn’t think I’d ever be interested in and discover what brings me joy.