So far, the university has been a lot like high school if not easier. So naturally, all the courses came as a surprise when they were easier than expected. PHYS161 and MATH246 are prime examples of classes I thought would be very difficult, but are proving not to be bad. The only course that did come as a surprise was ENAE202. This coding class surprised me with the C++ exam and final project expected. I wouldn't say any course provided a revelation to me yet, however I hope that in the near future with more coursework related to my major I will experience such revelations. I feel that if a student does want to experience revelations they can just take some general education courses and they may be surprise them.
I haven't had many interactions with faculty members during my freshman year mostly because I never had the need to go to office hours and such. The closest I got to having a mentoring relationship was during ENAE100. I had a semester long project for this class and my team and I had a faculty mentor, Dr. Winkelmann. He was a great help during the project and I developed enough of a relationship to be comfortable having him write recommendations for my internships. I hope in the future to develop more relationships similar to the one with Dr. Winkelmann or closer with faculty members at UMD.
My relationships with fellow students didn't really begin to take form until November of freshman year. My relationships with these students have enabled me to cope with the adjustment by having people I can distract myself with whether it be playing ping pong or walking to McDonald's together. The greatest obstacles pursuing these relationships is finding healthy ones. It takes time to find a good friend who will be there for you and who you can talk to whenever. I would advise next year's freshmen to take time in finding their friends and staying out of trouble. Always have your best interest in mind first.
Looking back at this year I was least prepared for the sleep management that comes with university academic life. Staying up late to do homework or even just messing around cost me when trying to get up in the morning. I would recommend that prospective students and incoming freshman get in the habit of having a schedule that is strict so they don't stay up past a certain time to get proper sleep. In all, I have loved my first year at college and would do everything I did in a heartbeat again. Absolutely no regrets, despite having some ups and downs.