The Topic: As you finish up your first semester at the University (and in SGC), it is a time to reflect on the difference between what you expected this to be like and how this experience actually played out. In what ways was life as a college student different than you expected? Specifically address:
Also, please feel free to address how the semester worked in relation to your non-academic life: the difficulties, the benefits, the disappointments, and the unexpected highlights (if any!) of the situation you found yourself in this year.
Overall, I feel that my time here at the University of Maryland has "met my expectations." While there have been many different things I was not expecting, I do not feel as though college as a whole is something that I have been surprised by. For example, I felt adequately prepared for the majority of my classes through my AP and IB coursework. The main struggle for me has not been the increase in content difficulty, but rather adjusting to the new ways in which content is presented. I was not used to the long lectures and heavy emphasis on tests, which required me to adjust my expectations for studying and grading quite a bit. However, this adjustment has been relatively easy, as the university, professors, and even my friends provide resources to help with this transition. Additionally, some of my classes, such as CPSG100, have been a bit easier in terms of these changing expectations.
While the content covered and structure of CPSG100 is much different then I was anticipating, I have still felt the course to be quite enjoyable. Only having one lecture a week is nice in terms of scheduling, but the nearly 2-hour-long lecture did take some getting used to. I was definitely expecting to be focusing more on climate change this semester, and less on the nature of science. However, several different lectures about the history of science and how it's used were very interesting to me. As someone who has considered careers that emphasize science communication, learning more about the mechanisms by which we communicate science was quite fascinating. Additionally, the activities outside of the classroom have been incredibly rewarding. I was apprehensive at first, but our time at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens really helped me feel more comfortable with the people in the program, including getting to make some new friends. For my excursion, I was able to go to the AMNH museum in NYC. Despite being a really long day, that trip was incredibly memorable to me. I loved my tour with Dr.Merck, especially because it felt as though I was back in my BSCI207 class. I also loved the chance to explore NYC, which was fun as someone who had only been once. I never expected to have such amazing opportunities from this program, and I am incredibly grateful for them.
In high school, I had a hard time truly visualizing what life in college would look like. I applied to many different schools with varying environments, and it was quite hard for me to picture what my life would look like in college as there were so many different possibilities. I live in Centreville, and I was honestly surprised by how quickly I was able to adjust to living in the dorms. Knowing my roommate beforehand definitely helped, and I think having lived with my siblings for so long also made the transition easier. I was already used to sharing spaces, so communal bathrooms and hearing people in the halls was not new to me. As someone who lives within driving distance, I still do like to go home and sleep in my own bed every once and a while. One thing that is very different from how I imagined it was just how much time I would be spending with others. Having my friends around essentially 24/7 is amazing, but has also forced me to learn new boundaries for myself. Learning when I need to go hang out with people while also figuring out when I need to just be by myself for a bit (even if it means missing out on something fun) has definitely been something I've struggled with a bit this first semester. I think that as this environment becomes more normal to me, I will be able to better manage my time and my social battery. My high-school self is probably shocked at just how much time I spend with others, considering how introverted I tended to be.
For any future SGC students, I have 3 pieces of advice. The first is one I've been told many times by my grandfather: you can't do everything. If you go to everything you're invited to, you won't have time for your work. Sometimes, you have to learn when to take a break and focus on school, even if it seems like nobody else is. They probably already did the work, and you just don't know it. The second is more specific for classes: go to lectures. Even the recorded ones with notes posted. For me, actually going to the lectures isn't just beneficial for all the learning reasons, but because it actually forces me to do the work. Additionally, it's how you build relationships with your classmates and professors. These people could very well be a recommendation, a coworker, or a lifelong friend. Just go to your classes (it isn't really that hard). Lastly, for SGC specifically: take advantage of all the resources SGC (and scholars as a whole) provides. I actually started checking the weekly email and found scholarships and internships I could apply for nearly every week. The CCC became one of my favorite study spots for my friends and I. Scholars is a program designed not just to advance your learning, but to give you more support entering your first few semesters of college. It would be a waste not to use it.
While it may not have been exactly what I was expecting, UMD, scholars, and SGC itself have all been very positive and rewarding experiences for me so far. I'm excited to see what the future holds, and hope that everything continues to go as well as it has so far.