My first year at the University of Maryland is officially coming to an end and it has been an interesting year to say the least. Even though this year has been very different compared to upcoming ones, there are some things that I have learned and experienced that would definitely help incoming freshmen next fall.
During my first semester, my major classes included general biology, calculus 2, and general chemistry. The material for these classes was not particularly new to me as I had taken similar AP courses in high school and thus it was easier for me to understand in class. However, during my second semester at UMD, I took several classes in which the material was completely new to me, including statistics, psychology and organic chemistry. The difficulty of these classes surprised me and opened my eyes to how challenging college is going to be. Learning brand new material was extremely difficult, but at the same time extremely interesting and rewarding. I would suggest to any incoming freshman to challenge yourself with the courses you take. I chose these courses because they interested me, so I encourage everyone to take courses that interest you even if you have little or no background on the subject. Additionally, I urge freshman at UMD to explore testudo's schedule of classes and talk to academic and peer advisors to find the course that most interests and challenges you.
Throughout this academic year, I have had many great professors and teaching assistants. Developing a relationship with faculty is extremely important for both the student and teacher. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting online learning environment, it was hard for me to really get to know my professors and develop a relationship with them. Aside from this, it can be really intimidating to speak to a professor who is an expert in their field with multiple degrees. But, I think it is important to remember that professors want to help you. This year I was not really able to develop any relationships with my professors as most held pre-recorded lectures, which meant I was unable to even meet them. However, I was able to develop some good relationships with my teaching assistants (TAs) in several classes. I regularly emailed them and attended their office hours to chat about class and to ask any questions I had about course material. I think the best way to develop relationships is to ask questions, which means coming to class prepared. All of the professors I have had really enjoy answering questions because it means that students are engaging in class. I strongly urge freshmen to keep up with the class material and attend office hours to ask any questions you have in order to develop relationships with their professors.
In addition to relationships with faculty, I believe it is important to develop relationships with your peers in order to relieve come of the stress of college. Because of the pandemic, I couldn't do any activities with the friends I have made, but just talking to people who are going through the same thing as me has helped a lot. Additionally, I was able to make a study group with some of the kids in my organic chemistry class, which helped me not only both socially and academically. Making these connections was definitely not easy as I currently live at home and thus am isolated from most students. Additionally, I think it's hard to make that first step in getting to know someone. Even with these obstacles, I encourage freshmen to reach out and make connections with your peers. With these connections, I suggest you form study groups. A study group is extremely helpful for learning and reviewing class material. Also, as I mentioned before, study groups will help you grow socially and academically.
Circling back to academic life, I began university with the expectation that my classes would be very difficult. This, of course, was very true. However, the most difficult aspect of academic life for me was the amount of work I was given. Everyday I had at least one assignment to turn in and at the end of the week, I often had at least five more assignments due. I felt as if I was always working and could never catch a break. In retrospect, I think procrastinating assignments made the situation even worse. To avoid being overwhelmed by work, I urge any freshmen to not wait until the due date to complete an assignment. Personally, I often procrastinated assignments once I became behind in a class. This is why I would suggest that freshmen avoid becoming behind on class material. Once you become behind in a class, it is extremely hard to catch up. In addition to the amount of work, I did not expect the large number of questions I would have while completing an assignment. For several assignments, I have had to stop and email my TA for further instruction. I think that reaching out to your TA is the best option when you have a question regarding an assignment. Trying to figure out the solution by yourself is very difficult and can take an extremely long time, but emailing your TA takes minutes and he/she will provide you with a detailed response to help you answer the question. Thus, I urge freshmen to reach out to your TAs with any questions and leave yourself time to ask these questions if necessary. Overall, academic life is difficult, but it will push you to become a better student.
I had a very abnormal first year of college at the University of Maryland because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I believe that I have learned several things that could help upcoming students, including how to find courses that will surprise and amaze, how to develop relationships with faculty as well as peers, and how to deal with the challenges of academic life.