Now that I am almost done with my freshman year of college, it is time to reflect. First I want to discuss the courses that surprised me the most in terms of the experience. I believe my ENES 100 (Engineering Design) class was the most eye opening as it showed me the depth of the facilities here at UMD that students have access to. When we were able to use tools, 3D printers, get access to the woodshop, and used other heavy duty materials, it showed me how much this school wants its students to put their knowledge to use in a more hands-on way which is something I really appreciated. This class came as a major requirement so that is how I got involved but for incoming students in my same position, they should take advantage of the school's resources as most of it is open to students for free. The greatest success I had in developing a relationship with some of my professors was by introducing myself and having quick conversations whether it be about a specific thing we were working on in class or if I was just inquiring about interesting out of class opportunities where they had knowledge. Sending emails also sets the tone that you want to be more involved as well. I think the greatest obstacles in achieving these relationships would be the large class sizes where it is hard to get those more personal interactions. Sometimes professors can be bad communicators as well over email. To overcome these challenges, being consistent in your efforts of reaching out or becoming more close to professors will show your diligence and shows you're not the type to give up. Adjusting to college has not been easy at all. With the prospects of meeting new people and making new friends, I was very eager to meet the people I could call friends for life. In all honesty, I am still looking. I know these types of relationships take time but it has still been hard and lonely at times. Connecting with people with the same values and interests as mine has been a challenge but I think the scholars program has definitely allowed me the opportunity to meet people I can call friends, but more so on a surface level relationship. Hopefully we can continue to get to know each other though and be able to connect on a deeper level. For incoming freshmen that are trying to pursue meaningful relationships, I just advise them to be patient and not fall into the wrong crowd. When people get desperate for friends, they can be blinded by the red flags that appear, which can ultimately end in unsettling consequences. Making the best of it will mean that you are open minded to their friendship and if they are genuinely interested in befriending you for all you are and can offer, then that is the best case scenario. Just remember to be cautious in the process. All in all, I believe I was unprepared for the level of difficulty some of my classes exhibited. My high school, in my opinion, didn’t give me the right math foundation that I needed to succeed here. To combat this challenge, I took advantage of the tutoring and study resources on campus that are mostly free. They have been a true help and I owe a lot of my success in classes to them. If incoming students come across these challenges academically or even challenges socially, the university provides all these accessible resources that are worthwhile. It shows that they really want us to succeed and since we pay good amounts of money to get an education here, we might as well take advantage of it.