Coming into college, I knew that I would have access to more resources and a greater variety of classes than I could ever have in my high school. I think this is most clearly evident in a course I took this semester, spring 2021. After one semester of scholars, I realized that I enjoyed the teaching style and personality of Dr. Thomas Holtz, the SGC director. Because of this, I looked up what other classes he teaches and found myself taking GEOL204, a class with an absurdly long name, "Dinosaurs, Early Humans, Ancestors, and Evolution; The Fossil Record of Vanished Worlds of the Prehistoric Past". What the class is really about is the evolutionary history of life on earth and the biology and ecology of extinct organisms. Aside from being interesting, this class inspired me to pursue a minor in Paleobiology. Coincidentally, the academic advisor for the Paleobiology minor is Dr. John Merck, SGC's other director. Additionally, I took class with my friend this semester that I ended up really enjoying. PHIL203 is a philosophy class that focuses on the ethics and morality of killing people. Now that might seem a little morbid, but it really challenged me to think in new ways and gain a more nuanced worldview because every philosopher we read had a different take on the topic at hand. The university truly offers an amazing variety of classes. My advice to you is to pursue whatever interests you might have and branch out from your major; you can find some pretty cool classes.
Of course, classes aren't the only resource that the university offers. UMD's faculty is an amazing asset; you can make connections with professors and staff that could help you later on when you are trying to find research opportunities or get recommendations. I am a biology major, so last semester I took a biology course, "Ecology and Evolution". I put a ton of work into that class, especially on assignments where I could show off my creativity, hard work, and thoroughness. I must have spent 12 hours formatting an informational poster about the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, agonizing over every detail. In the end, it all paid off and I got an amazing grade in the class. My professor noticed and emailed me early this semester to see if I had any interest working in her lab. Unfortunately, the position was filled by the time I responded, but it felt good to know that my hard work did not go unnoticed. If you want to develop good relationships with faculty members, ones that can benefit you in the future, wow them with your work ethic, skill, and personality. However, to do this, you will REALLY have to apply yourself, which is no easy task.
College isn't just about schoolwork and academics. It's important to develop good friendships and bonds. The friends that I've made here have had a huge impact on my life; they help me take a break from school and unwind. Without them, the stress of college would have gotten to me already. Not only that, but the memories I've made with them will be with me for the rest of my life. Also, making friends with people within your major is very helpful if you're stuck on an assignment or don't understand something in class. Next semester, we'll be returning to in person classes, so I imagine that it will be pretty easy to meet and befriend people within your major. At the beginning of this year, my entire floor hung out and got food or played soccer. This helped me get a feel for the people I'd be living with and find friends. Next year, you'll also have a roommate and their will be more people living on your floor. It's important to be social, even if you aren't usually, and try new things to get out of your comfort zone.
It's hard to be 100% prepared for something like college, but there is one thing that really caught me off guard. Communication. Historically, I am terrible at responding to people on time and absolute garbage with emails. I miss emails, forget to check emails, put off sending emails, and the list goes on. Since email is very important for communicating to TAs and professors, you want to make sure that you check them every day and respond in a timely fashion. Set a reminder on your phone or figure out some system that works for you so that you remember. College may seem a bit intimidating and it might downright suck sometimes, but UMD is a great place to make connections and pursue opportunities; enjoy your time here and have fun.