My freshman year experience has been unique to put it lightly. Starting college in a pandemic presents a new set of struggles and uncertainty. Hopefully hearing about my struggles and triumph will assist others in their college careers.
A lot of my classes seemed very monotonous, especially in my second semester. Being a bioengineering student with many STEM classes, my classes mainly functioned in the same format: watch the lecture by myself, complete some sort of assignment through a third party platform I paid for, complete a quiz to check what I learned, and then do an exam every three weeks. This is why ENGL 255 was such a breath of fresh air. The course, titled Science and Technology in Literature, was a gen ed that I picked up when the Intro to African American Studies course I wanted to take in my first semester was filled. I assumed that it would be about the technical aspects of technology in literature and how it compares to machines in real life. To my delight and surprise, it was a SciFi literature class where we talked about geeky weird books covering everything from alien invasions to hostile clones to dystopian worlds. The instructor always came to class excited to hear our thoughts about the readings we had and my classmates carried that same energy. While grades were important, the focus of that class was aimed at having a good time talking about weird books with people who wanted to hear your thoughts. Of course the class involved writing papers and I pulled an all nighter for the final paper but that stress was balanced out by how much I enjoyed our synchronous sessions. It ended up being one of the few classes I turned my camera on for because I wanted to connect as much as possible to the work we did. I tell this story to say that you should never discount any class, including gen eds. If it looks interesting, then take it.
Developing relationships with UMD personnel, faculty and students, was very difficult. With Zoom being a platform with an inherent awkwardness and disconnect between individuals, many of my courses and interactions carried that same uneasy feeling. One of the few connections I made with a faculty member was with my advisor through the department of bioengineering. It came about because I forgot to schedule my advising meeting and ended up missing my registration day. Luckily with the help of my advisor and the advising team, I was able to get my schedule done two days after I realized I had missed my date. The advising team was able to authorize my registration, but my advisor still wanted to meet with me just to check how my semester was going. This meeting turned into an hour long conversation about my interests, life, and other topics as well as my advisor’s path to getting in her current position. It left me feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle finals that semester. The next semester, we had the same type of conversation after finalizing my schedule. Finding a staff member that can serve as a net that one can express their concerns to is crucial to having a successful time at UMD and I was fortunate to find one in my first semester. My interactions with my fellow students was mostly through breakout rooms and group projects. This is not always the best avenue to make connections. This is why I was fortunate to be in the College Success Scholars Program. CSS is an organization that focuses on helping men of color at UMD through their studies. The organization also provides a brotherhood that produces a wealth of laughter, assistance, and other services. Everyone became so close to the point that when we all met in person for the first time nearly a year after we met online, it felt like a family reunion. The best way to meet friends who will keep you on the straight and narrow is through programs like these. Academic programs are usually only sought out by people who want to ensure their academic success.
As my freshman year comes to a close, the loneliness of the circumstances we faced jumps out as the most difficult aspect of the past year. With my senior year ending so abruptly, I lost contact with a lot of my friends over the first few months of the pandemic. Even the relationships with the close friends that I talked to over the entire pandemic seemed to wither a bit. The way I coped with this was setting up Discord calls or other get-togethers with some of my closest friends. We played Jackbox TV, Among US, or just watched Studio Ghibli movies almost every week so we could have something to look forward to at the end of the work week. Occasionally we even planned a (socially distanced) event where we’d go to D.C. or a park to hang out and see each other in person. The biggest takeaway from this is to value time with friends. They are the people who build you back up from the fatigue of studies and keep you ready for the next week.