Due to the extensive curricular options at UMD, my freshman year of college has provided me with a new perspective on what Academia can look like. I found my Comparative Literature course (CMLT270) from the fall semester to be the biggest revelation as to what college study can be. The entire course was focused on engaging with texts–not just novels, but epics to historical novels to poetry to academic theory articles to even films. Each class we had the opportunity to share our thoughts on the readings and then learn from our professor what the historical or literary context was on many of the challenging, mind-bending texts as they related to the topic of analyzing the Queer perspective in literature from a global lens. Beyond the weekly readings and discussions, we wrote two close reading essays which I enjoyed the challenge of. One lesson I learned is about the importance of adjusting your mindset due to your audience. I felt very proud of my first essay but my professor didn’t grade me as highly as some other students. So for the final paper, I altered my approach to really stay in line for what my professor was interested in seeing us demonstrate about our chosen texts. I also reached out to him directly for feedback on my essay so that I could fine tune it for the best result.
The underlying story of my freshman year however has been my undertaking of Organic Chemistry 1 and 2. It has been the greatest long-term academic challenge of my life as I tried to balance succeeding in chemistry, my other classes, improvement as a collegiate Quizbowl player, and trying to throw some fun in there as well. It has pushed me to evolve how I study and work on assignments, as I’ve had to adapt to meet the challenge of succeeding in such a novel and rigorous course. In high school I felt like I built close bonds with a dozen of my teachers across my four years, but I am still adjusting to how to succeed in this manner in such large classes at a large university. This process will be something I must improve upon coming into next semester, but as I become more acclimated to campus and its resources, I aspire to become more involved in this sense.
While there are thousands of other students, university life can feel quite isolating and overwhelming at times. I found that the best way to make connections with peers, as someone who doesn’t “go out”, has been to participate in clubs and activities on campus, which sets you up with a tight-knit group that is organized around a central activity and goal. Through the UMD Running Club, I’ve gotten to interact with so many amazing students, and have the opportunity to get involved with fun and productive events that go beyond myself.
Balancing studies, relationships, and personal time has been the greatest challenge of university life. I think students should come in to college with a plan on how they are going to prioritize these things, and also how to manage their time effectively. I’ve found it most helpful to remind myself of my goals so that I can work towards them collectively each and every day.