If there were one word, to sum up my first semester of classes here at UMD, it would be chaotic. Despite my numerous efforts to stay organized, there were so many unplanned things that I could never imagine happening. For example, the first week of school I got hit by an elevator door in front of an entire chem class waiting outside of it. I laughed it off grateful for memories to share with others, and be able to one day look back upon with smiling faces. With each person I meet, I experience and learn something new. Walking into lecture halls with over a hundred new faces was a daunting experience, especially after coming from such a small high school. I feared how I'd meet people and form connections with mentors and teachers. As time progressed, I noticed a pattern: almost every other freshman was in the same boat as I was. Nobody came into college perfectly established. In fact, the need to discover one's self and establish a new community allowed each person to showcase the greatest and most visible parts of their life, whether it be their academics, sports, culture, or many more. Going on the trips as a part of SGC played a major role in getting to know people and building connections. The lectures were entertaining and the enthusiasm made it much more enjoyable. Throughout the semester we covered a wide range of topics and went into depth with more theoretical content than I had expected. Doing so piqued my interests in the subject and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the topics as we moved forward in content throughout the year.
With the large variety of topics covered in this class and many of my other classes, I found it hard at times to keep up with the workload while learning to adjust to live alone and building a new community of people. The number of assignments that are given along with the need to keep up with new content does end up causing a lot of stress. The biggest advice I would give future SGC students and any freshman in navigating through new content is to visit office hours whether it be with the professor or any of the TAs. It’s also beneficial to start learning the content ahead of time, preferably during a break. Me personally, I will be using my winter break to begin going through the syllabus for my spring classes to make sure I don’t fall behind. As the semesters go by, classes become increasingly difficult and familiarizing myself with the content would ensure that I am more prepared for exams and can ask knowledgeable questions. One another thing to note is that there is no harm in asking questions about basic concepts because that is what will allow you to get a proper understanding of higher concepts that build from the ground up.
Overall, this past semester has been worthwhile and while it is a challenge, it is always good to look ahead. Despite the anxiousness and uncertainty in some situations, the community of people within classes, dorms, and clubs is beneficial in working through difficult times. Places like the Eppley Recreation Center and La Plata Beach also provide an outlet to let off steam with fun sports. Staying on top of all your work and making sure you do your best to not fall behind provides motivation and confidence that you have the ability to get through classes and extracurriculars with attainable standards. Most importantly, figure out what works best for you and plan your own schedule and study habits accordingly and make sure you leave time for yourself to enjoy your years in college.