I was initially anxious about college because I would be living out of state and away from my parents for the first time in my life. To be fair I didn't know what to really expect from college since I didn't have any siblings or older cousins with experiences who could tell me what college was like.
Academics
This semester, alongside CPSG100, I took 4 other classes (ECON181, CMSC132, BMGT289I, and INAG110S). With the exception of CMSC132, I picked those classes to fulfill my gen ed requirements. And for the most part, these classes were manageable, so I didn't find it too difficult to adjust to my new academic life.
Of the 4 non-colloquium classes I took, I would say INAG110S was the most like a high school class. My section was fairly small (around 20 people or so), like a high school class period. Apart from occasional reading questions, the biggest part of this class was the four speeches we had to present throughout the semester. I didn't really have to go out of my way to study, except for the midterm and the final. Though I never really had an issue with public speaking prior to taking this class, I believe that the class has given me a more systemic view of communication.
Next up would be BMGT289I, which concerned why businesses fail and why good managers make bad decisions. We had weekly content reflections and business simulations, and the occasional larger assignment such as our business book review. It's definitely the reason I think the defining trait of college classes is variability, since there were no tests and no final, though all of my other classes have a final of sorts.
ECON181 was an introductory economics course about valuation of the environment. We didn't have a lot of homework, and the majority of our grades were derived from test scores and our required topic analysis project, which I only recently realized while I was on ELMS. I was a bit surprised, but the professor for the course generally gave us quite a bit of time for our large assignments, so despite how much of our class depended on those single assignments, it was generally manageable.
Finally, if INAG110S was the most like a high school class, CMSC132 was the most like a college class. It discusses Java concepts such as data structures, algorithms, and more (a lot more). Unlike with my other classes, I took this class because it is a gateway requirement for the CS major, and I didn't take the exemption exam earlier this summer. This class is easily the hardest and most time-consuming class I took this semester, because of the constant projects and studying success in the class entails. While I did feel like giving up sometimes, I ultimately pulled through, and I hope that I can end the semester with a strong grade as I prepare to apply to enter the CS major.
Overall, I think college classes are slightly harder, more sharply focused, and much more variable than what I experienced during high school. I think I expected the difficulty spike, but I didn't expect the variability in class size and structure that really depends on who's running it. I also didn't expect the sudden increased focus on singular large assignments rather than multiple small assignments. At least that's what I've observed so far as a freshman.
Having taken a lot of science classes in my time, I wasn't sure what SGC would bring to the table that hadn't already been brought. I initially thought SGC would exclusively cover climate change-related topics, since "global change" is literally in the program's name, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I think I was initially unsure why we had to learn about science vs. psuedoscience, but now I realized that knowing what science is and is not has given me a new way to view the topic that I never really had prior to this year.
I don't doubt that SGC will eventually talk about modern climate change. So far the class hasn't really covered anything that I was very surprised by, since most of the topics we discussed in class have been related to either science or global change, and I'm pretty confident that everything will come together later.
As for the SGC out-of-class activities, I enjoyed them a lot as well. The Metro Hunt was the first time I had ever visited DC, and I had a lot of fun with my group exploring the various museums. I also participated in the CBF excursion earlier this semester, and I think the tour of the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, save for the composting toilets, went as smoothly as I expected it to. I had never heard of the CBF (or, frankly, anything about the environmental issues surrounding the Chesapeake Bay) prior to the excursion, but I enjoyed the opportunity to understand a local environmental problem and get to know what the CBF was doing for the community.
University Life
This semester, I lived on campus at Centreville Hall in a double. My roommate is an in state psychology major, but despite our different backgrounds, we get along and are able to share the room very well.
One large difference I immediately noticed between university and high school life is that you're alone a lot more. While I thought living in a double meant I would be interacting with more people, I realized that a lot more of my social life has been occurring online, and I have to go out of my way to have in-person interactions. This is probably because classes are a lot bigger and there's way more people, so it's more difficult to get to know people. For me being alone is even more common, since I stay over for weekends and none of my old friends attend UMD. However, I have been able to keep in touch with my friends through talking online.
As for the rest of university life, it was a bit difficult for me to adapt at first. I knew I would be becoming more independent, but I wasn't prepared for just how much stuff I had to do myself that I had never really thought of before when I was still living with my parents. For example, at my home, I didn't do laundry, so when I arrived at UMD, I didn't know how to do laundry at first and my parents had to teach me. I also didn't know how to navigate campus and often took longer, less efficient routes to class. However, as the semester draws to a close, I think I now know my way around campus better, and even if next semester brings me to different parts of campus, I'll master those in no time too.
My perspective on SGC and on college life is definitely shaped by me being from out of state, so any advice I give is also affected by that. But I have several tips for future students here:
- Don't be afraid of trying new things.
- Ask questions (and ask a lot!)
- There's a lot of people out there willing to help you, you just have to reach out.
Final Notes
While college was definitely a new experience for me, I don't regret it. I have met a lot of new people and learned a lot of new things, and I hope that in the future, I will continue to make my college experience an unforgettable part of my life.