The Topic: You are now completing your first academic year and one way or another have learned much. In some ways, your life here may have gone according to plan and in other ways, it will have been full of surprises. Your assignment now is to create a “time capsule” in the form of an essay letting next year’s incoming students know what to expect. Specifically address:
The courses I have found to be the most different from what I am used to have been the classes I have taken for supporting courses. In my first semester, I took GEOL200, which was about natural disasters. I initially found the course quite interesting, but was definitely surprised by the technical content we were taught and then expected to know as the semester moved along. I definitely realized how complicated some types of research and analysis are, and it really opened my eyes to the effort ones need to put in in order to succeed in any STEM field at this higher level. This semester, I am taking HISP200, which I like to call a “philosophy of architecture” class. It has definitely pushed me to think outside of the box, or sometimes just leave the box entirely. This dive into the straight humanities has definitely been interesting for me as someone who is either very STEM or very arts-focused. I have definitely found the class to be a bit tedious, but I have also really enjoyed some of the content we have covered (particularly in the second-half of the semester) and have found myself thinking about the things we discussed in class outside of lecture. Both of these classes were ones I took just because they fulfilled scholar requirements and worked with my schedule. Sometimes, the most convenient option ends up being a class that teaches you something about yourself that you didn't know about. For the coming semesters, I have spent some time thinking about the things outside of my major I am interested in, looked through the course catalogs, and made a list of classes I want to take. Adding minors is one way to get involved with some classes outside of your major or program, which is what I am doing with astronomy. If you have the time in your schedule, take electives that you're interested in! I love dance, and since I have time, I’m taking a dance class next semester (DANC158). Take advantage of the immense resources for education on campus, and just look for what you're interested in, what fulfills GenEd and program requirements, and what fits your schedule! That’s how you end up in some really “out there” classes that end up becoming the ones that shape you as a person.
I think the best way to develop relationships with your professors is what everyone tells you to do, which is to go to office hours. I developed a good relationship with my biology professor last semester, Dr. Carleton, by attending office hours, as well as by actively participating in class. You don’t need to be a “teacher’s pet”—just participate! My communications class this semester has developed a good relationship with our professors and each other because we all talk and participate! Additionally, don’t neglect the TA’s and GSS leaders! They have been some of the most helpful people for me this semester, so developing relationships with them is also important. By being a good student, reaching out, participating, and showing face a couple of times during office hours, you can develop good relationships with faculty and fellow students alike!
My friends have truly been the most important resource for me here at the UMD. Having people who are going through the same adjustment, working through the same struggles, fears, and pressures, and who most importantly, talk about these things, is how I’ve been able to manage this major life transition. I think the greatest obstacles in developing these relationships is time management and communication. It can be hard to make time for everyone and everything, so learning when to take a break from studying and hang out vs. when you need to lock in, when to go to a club sport or a GSS session, etc. has been a learning experience. Additionally, just learning how people communicate has led to some disagreements and misunderstandings. Working through these things just requires a bit of time and patience, as well as an ability to admit to messing up and then working on it. Everyone’s struggling together, so an understanding ear and an effort to improve has allowed my friends and I to become even closer, and develop a strong support network for each other. Talk to people, be understanding, own up to mistakes, and become better! Get involved, give yourself a chance to make friends, and soon you will be surrounded by friends for life!
I think I was least prepared for the “intensity” of everything. I was prepared in an academic sense for my classes, I know how to be independent, I was prepared to participate in things and manage my own life, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much stuff requires 110% of your effort. From classes to clubs to friendships to social activities and on, everything is always “go go go!” While I truly enjoy that aspect of college now, it was definitely overwhelming at first. I honestly don’t think there’s a good way to avoid being “overinvolved” at first. You should be getting too involved. I think giving yourself a bit of grace that first semester, making time for yourself, and learning when to step back is how you figure out how to manage “college life.” It’s a learning curve, but everyone goes through it, so just know that soon the overwhelming sense of having “too much going on” will become easier to manage, and you will learn to enjoy being busy. It’s much more fun to have too much to do than not enough once you learn how to balance it all.
Also, just know that nobody’s CANVAS is set up the same, and class registration is going to suck. That’s just a fact of college.