As I wrap up my first semester in the Science and Global Change Scholars Program, I’ve been thinking a lot about how different the experience has been from what I expected. Coming in with an associate’s degree from community college, I assumed I already knew what “college” felt like. I was used to higher-level assignments, long readings, and strict deadlines. But being at the University of Maryland and in SGC has been a completely different kind of challenge and, honestly, a completely different kind of growth.
Since I completed my associate’s in teaching before coming here, I expected university classes to feel similar to what I’d already done. In some ways, they did: the work is challenging, professors expect independence, and you definitely have to advocate for yourself. But what caught me off guard was how wildly different professors can be in their approach to student success. Some professors make classes difficult just because they can. Some of them seem uninterested in whether students are learning, and the class ends up feeling like a constant uphill battle. When you're doing everything right and still feel discouraged, it’s genuinely frustrating and honestly one of the most annoying parts of this semester.
But then there are professors like Professor David Tilley, Dr. Merek, and Dr. Holtz who very clearly want you to succeed. They make the effort to help, they listen, and they try to actually teach. I’ve had so many conversations with Dr. Merek and Dr. Holtz about switching majors and figuring out what path I want to take. Even when they don’t have the answers, they still try to guide me and reassure me, and that support has meant more than I can explain. Because of them, I’ve learned how important it is to take something away from every single class, even the unpleasant ones.
This semester I lived in Cumberland Hall, which wasn’t where most of my Scholars friends were placed. I was worried at first that this would make it harder to make friends. But honestly, it turned out to be one of the best things about my first semester. I met people from other Scholars programs and people who weren’t in Scholars at all. It made my circle wider and helped me feel like I was really part of campus life rather than just part of one group.
College life ended up being so different from what I imagined in high school. I always thought the hardest part would be the academic workload, but I didn’t realize how much of a challenge it would be just to get up early and stay consistent. I knew 9 am classes would be rough, but experiencing them is a whole different thing.But there’s so much I’ve really enjoyed, too. I love the freedom to hang out with friends whenever, to study at random hours in random buildings, and to choose where I want to be instead of being stuck in one place. College gives you this mix of responsibility and independence, and while it can be overwhelming, it has also been incredibly rewarding.
If I could give one piece of advice to future SGC students, it would be to go into Scholars with an open mind. It might seem like just another required class at first, but if you really put in the effort, you’ll get so much more out of it. I met some of my closest friends through Scholars. The program is what you make it, and when you invest in it, you get community and opportunities you might not expect.
This semester wasn’t just about classes. I worked around 20 hours a week, which made balancing everything incredibly challenging. There were weeks when I felt overwhelmed or like I was barely holding everything together. But at the same time, having these different communities made my life so much more full. I’m proud of how I handled the transition. Some classes definitely beat me down a bit, but I kept showing up. I kept trying. And somewhere along the way, I grew. I met some of the most amazing people this semester. I learned more about who I am and what I want. I’m excited to come back in the spring and keep going!!