The two classes that differed the most from my expectations were my biology class and my chemistry class. I took AP Biology in high school in 2020 but decided not to take the AP Exam due to the challenges I had with my mental health at the time. Because of this, I did not have the credit necessary to skip the introductory biology courses offered at UMD. I had expected BSCI160 to be fairly similar to the AP class I took, but it ended up teaching me a lot more than what I learned in high school. In addition, I enjoyed BSCI160 as my favorite class this semester. Beginning my first semester at college I was aware that I may experience classes where I did not get grades as high as I was used to in high school. Still, I was caught a bit off guard at how difficult my General Chemistry Lecture and Lab were. The Lab was especially challenging compared to the Lab activities I did in high school. Fortunately, I am doing relatively well so far and will be paying special attention to chemistry as I study for my finals. I was incredibly nervous about taking my first midterm exams as I was not exactly sure what to expect or how to study. Throughout my first month of college life, I was forced to adapt and try new methods until I figured out how to manage my time, study, and live independently. My Midterm exams all went relatively well with the exception of my last chemistry midterm where I received a C-. I hope to replace that C- with the grade I get on the final and hopefully receive an A or B in the class. Academically, the most recent thing that has surprised me about college classes is that my final exam for BSCI160 will be both open note and “open internet”. I was not expecting to be allowed to use Google for a college exam. On the other hand, this will not prevent me from studying for the exam as if we weren't allowed notes because it is unlikely that I will not have enough time to google every answer.
My Scholars Colloquium class was one of my favorite classes this semester. The required reading books were intriguing and I enjoyed the topics we discussed in class. I wasn’t expecting to learn so much about logical fallacies and the different ways our brains perceive information. I enjoyed learning about how our previously held beliefs can influence the way we perceive information. One thing that we did not learn about that I had been expecting us to discuss, was the different systems that keep earth’s climate balanced and how climate change is affecting them. We also didn’t go over the carbon cycle which is something that I was anticipating we would learn about. The excursions I participated in outside of the classroom were as fun as I had anticipated them to be. I enjoyed visiting the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center where I learned a lot about our local ecosystem and watershed.
In High School, I was apprehensive about the Idea of living on a college campus. I was nervous about living independently and not being able to see my parents every day. Luckily, After the first few weeks of school, I had established a routine that helped me keep tidy and manage my time. Dining on campus was fun at first, but after eating the same food for a whole semester, I am glad to be going home where I can eat something else. My advice to incoming SGC freshmen would be to give themselves time to adjust. Things will not be perfect right away, but I found that after the first few months, I had gotten pretty used to living and studying on campus.