The summer following after ending High School, I already knew I was anticipating a lot from college. I felt very privileged to be in the university of my first choice, and at that point, things felt like everything I had envisioned the year prior was all coming together. I looked forward to the sense of independence, my self-development, meeting new friends, and practicing Architecture. In terms of academic rigor, I expected the lifestyle to be different, but similar to the style I experienced in my senior year (my senior year was made different such that it mimicked college rigor), so I already felt prepared.
It was not until I came into the first few weeks of the semester that I felt the difference in rigor and style. I found my way through continuous and quick-paced Math assignments, the independence to manage when I complete homework, and the massive class structures. One difference I first disliked was the student to faculty ratio. Before, it would be easier to create relations with staff, and now it requires students a little extra to reach out to professors. I eventually became used to the large population of students, and it taught me to prioritize my attention to what's important to me. The grading system was not too surprising, but I also had to adapt to more independent studying.
Coming into CPSG, I expected not much more than what was done this semester. I expected to see the same faces I would see in my floor and building, and I foresaw us going to environmental field trips. I also saw the class as an introduction course for what Science and Global Change would be. I initially thought, however, that we would jump straight into researching the consequences of global climate change and looking into the causes and science behind them, which may be something that will appear in the later course.
One benefit I was very satisfied to find was also the mass amount of opportunity in College Park. With all the sports clubs, access to facilities, and hundreds of clubs and organizations around, I knew I wanted to take advantage of all of them. While I have not tried joining too many clubs, I focused my time in a social organization, which gave me a community, making adapting to college life easier. Being a college student now, I had not expected myself to change personally in my character and values. I enjoy the different lifestyle of being unsheltered and more independent, and I expect myself to change even more as I continue through my college career.
If I had anything I would like to impart on new students, I would remind them to maintain a sense of balance while staying on track with your work. Becoming more independent right as we enter college allows more distractions to stray us. Many of us are paying thousands of dollars and even come from outside the state to get an education. While it is important to explore and live life for ourselves, it should not be taken for granted the cost of living and learning in the university.