I’ve learned a lot about my interests through the courses I have taken thus far at UMD. One of the most interesting classes I have taken is ANSC 101, or Principles of Animal Science lecture. While the course itself is not too difficult, it offered a breadth of knowledge into the agriculture field that I had not gotten before. From small animal veterinary medicine to equine veterinary medicine, this course gives a basic understanding and introduction into the world of agriculture and animal sciences. As a matter of fact, it was in this class that I learned about alternative career paths in the vast field of animal science besides becoming a veterinarian. In addition, this course taught me several active learning techniques. From infographics to venn diagrams, I learned how to apply the knowledge learned from this class in different ways, which will help me better learn material in future courses.
In many introductory STEM classes, the class sizes usually do not go below one hundred and fifty students so it can be difficult to develop relationships with professors. However, what I have found is that staying after class to ask questions as well as attending office hours can offer more individualized time to get to know the professors and have a more in depth discussion of the course material that reaches beyond the syllabus. For example, in my introductory general chemistry course in my first semester, I was one of the only students to attend office hours and was given the opportunity to discuss fascinating questions surrounding the molecular principles of many general chemistry topics while simultaneously learning about my professor’s research interests and history in academia.
Adjusting to university life can be difficult at times. However, everyone is in the same boat, which provided me comfort, especially during the beginning of the school year because it felt as though we were all adjusting together. It’s just a matter of finding time to really build connections and long lasting relationships with other students that was somewhat difficult. However, using the time in between study sessions and classes made it easier. For example, going to the gym with friends or studying together made it easier to develop connections with peers.
I think I was least prepared for learning how to find proper study spaces. At the beginning of the year, I tried to study in the nearby academic buildings, but on weekends, most of the academic buildings on campus are closed and the only place I had left to study was my dorm. However, I often felt my dorm was not very conducive to productive studying because it was a very small space so it often left me feeling claustrophobic after staying there for extended periods of time. In addition, the study lounges in my dorm building can be noisy as there are oftentimes several people trying to study there, but there are certain buildings open on weekends, such as Mckeldin. For future students, I recommend researching which academic buildings are open on weekends and finding time to go and see what buildings best create an environment for productive studying.