Now that my first semester at the University of Maryland is coming to an end, college is not at ALL what I expected. In high school, I always romanticized college in a way; I knew that I was going to experience some highs and lows, but I was for it all. I never realized, though, that the highs were going to be the highest and the lows were going to be the lowest things I’ve ever experienced in my life thus far. From heading to DC with Science and Global Change scholars for our DC scavenger hunt to studying for chemistry until midnight, I can honestly say that college is full of uncertainty.
When applying to UMD, I was really worried about finding a community where I would fit in, but I shouldn’t have been too concerned about that because once I was accepted, I was invited to join Scholars. I was confused at first. I didn't know what the importance was of being a part of scholars specifically, but as soon as I figured out it was a living learning program, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. All I knew was that living learning programs were communities filled with other students focused on similar studies, living and, of course, learning together, so this was my chance to find like-minded peers. But I didn’t realize that the unique thing about scholars is their diversity due to the program itself having 13 different topics that students could choose from.
This allowed me to pick a certain topic that interested me the most, and that happened to be Science and Global Change! Because of my Biochemistry major and my Pre-Dentistry track, I didn’t think I would have time to enjoy topics centered around the Earth and the climate surrounding it. I didn't know how I was going to fit my interests of rocks and weather into my schedule because of how packed it already was but scholars set time for me to enjoy those specific interests of mine while being around others who also find interest in these topics.
Learning about the reasoning behind climate changes like global warming, rising sea levels, and ice melting, and how they would affect our future generations, helped me be more aware of the environment around me and how to help it. As well as learning about the foundations of scientific reasoning, these topics managed to reel in interest I didn’t know I was really passionate about. Even though Science and Global Change unlocked new passions of mine, it also allowed me to make friends that share these similar nerdy interests of mine and because were in the same scholars program, I’m encouraged to work with them in order to get important assignments done like excursions reports to the National Museum of Natural History and service projects like pulling weeds at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
These assignments encouraged me to reach out to more of my peers and build a community that I was at first worried about finding when committing to UMD. While Science and Global Change help me get into my interest more and find like minded people, the Cambridge Community itself allowed me to interact with more people with diverse interests while still feeling comfortable forming that community. I’ve interacted with scholars from all different programs, from Environment, Technology, and Economy to Arts, and even Civic Engagement for Social Good. Being a College Park Scholars means being in a community with diverse perspectives, interests, and personalities.
Balancing the academic aspect of a living learning program with the social aspect of a living learning program can present its challenges, though, as someone who is very social, I often enjoy socializing with other scholars in different programs way more than the academics of my program, even though I find the topics in Science and Global Change intriguing. Finding a balance between the academics and the social nature of living learning programs are key to thriving in the community itself, so even if I enjoy socializing with other programs the most important and essential part of being a College Park Scholar is focusing on all the assignments, lectures, quizzes, excursions, service projects, and even extra credit because ultimately College Park Scholars are the definition of scholarly! Last modified: 09 December 2025