Some courses this semester were quite different from my expectations, however the rest of the courses were similar to what I expected. My initial expectations from University classes were that there would be homework assignments every week, projects for some classes and tests in all classes. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that each class had their own structure. For example, in my CMLT270 class there are weekly readings, but there are only a couple of assignments that are graded in the entirety of the class and no finals or midterms. In BMGT289I, there are weekly assignments, but there are no tests or quizzes, which was very surprising to me. CMSC132 did have what I expected. There were quizzes every week, projects every other week, and midterms and finals. CMSC 250 was also similar, with a graded problem set every week and midterms and finals. I really enjoyed the lectures in all of my classes though, even topics I didn't find interesting like business and literature were made interesting by the professors. Also, this semester, I never really felt overwhelmed with work. Most weeks, I probably spent around 10 hours completing all of my assignments. My favorite class this semester was CMSC250, as I found the lecturer funny and the material interesting.
Something I didn't expect CPSG101 to cover was pseudoscience and other myths. I thought that the class would be completely focused on climate change and its effects because of the global change part of science and global change. I was pleasantly surprised when we covered eras within history like Triassic eras. Something else that I didn't expect to learn in CPSG101 was HTML. I thought it was a cool idea to be able to make our own portfolio in this class. I was surprised that we didn't really go over the climate and some more causes of climate change. The outside of classroom activities were more fun than I expected. For example, the Service Day activity was surprisingly fun, even though it did not initially seem to be that enjoyable. Also, we were able to be of service to the community, which is always a good thing. For the Natural Museum of American History field trip, I thought we would just individually go through the museum and try to answer the excursion report questions from what we saw. But, I really liked the presentations from Dr. Holtz and Dr. Merck because it gave a lot more information than what was provided in the museum.
University life was not that different from my high school life, except for the fact that I have a lot more freedom in university. When I first came to the university, I thought it would be a huge change from high school. But, I think because UMD is an in-state school, and because I am from Maryland, that made it very similar to high school. I have a lot of friends going to UMD, so my friend group is almost identical to what it was in high school. However, I think what really made the difference between high school and college is that I have much more freedom. My parents are no longer supervising me, so all the decisions I make have to be made with a lot of thought. I have full control over my schedule and I have to manage my time well to make sure I can complete all of my assignments, study for tests, and enjoy my personal life. Also, different from high school, it's easier to hang out with friends and study with them. It's more convenient to go to the gym with other people and play basketball or other sports with friends.
I would tell future SGC students to take advantage of any opportunities they see in college. Whether it be something academic or just making new friends. It’s important to be open-minded and embrace new experiences, people, and ideas. Make sure to manage your time effectively. Make a schedule with all of your classes, assignments, and other commitments you have. Take advantage of the resources on campus, such as libraries, academic support centers, counseling services, and career development offices. Those resources are really helpful if you're struggling at all. Make sure to get involved in campus. Join clubs, organizations, or sports teams that align with your interests. Involvement in extracurricular activities is a great way to meet new friends. Try to build relationships with your professors. Making connections is really important. Go to office hours if you need help and try to participate in class. Try to develop good study habits early on. You don't want to bomb a test before you realize you're not studying properly. Don't study the day before a test, try to spread out your studying, and you'll retain more information. Also, don't spend too much money.