This semester (spring 2021), the course that was the greatest revelation/surprise for me was my ANSC101 class. I took that class because I was considering double majoring in animal science and I was considering becoming a veterinarian as a possible career path. I'm so glad I took the class and didn't just jump straight into animal science because I found out that even though I have a great interest in animals, it is more of a hobby for me. Additionally, I also took NEUR200 this semester. This class rekindled my love for psychology and made me remember why I decided to become a psych major in the first place. I discovered ANSC101 by reaching out to the AGNR faculty from their website. They are super helpful and pointed me in the right directions and gave me their insight on becoming a vet. (Dr. Balcom is amazing!) I think incoming students--especially in their early years--should keep in mind that things are flexible and try out new classes that they find interesting. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to faculty. I personally still struggle with this, but I have yet to talk to a faculty member that gave me a negative experience.
Continuing on the topic of developing mentoring relationships with faculty, I would say that this semester has really changed things up. I'm not sure if I am well equipped to give advice since I opted to stay at home due to COVID. Personally, I wish I could have talked to my professors in person; but given this year's circumstances, I found that I should take advantage of professors that specifically ask about your wellbeing and ask you to attend office hours. What I mean by this is that some professors will put wellness questions on their quizzes. It was easier for me to reach out to these professors via email or zoom call. I took advantage of their interest in me, and in return, was able to build a relationship with them. Other professors highly recommend attending review sessions with them, or may even give out extra credit for consistently using office hours. I tried these out at the beginning of the semester and tried to continue going to the ones I liked. There are usually a lot less people in these sessions, which allows you to get a more personal connection with the professor. Other than that, I would say that being an active participant in class makes you memorable in the professors' perspectives. Consistently responding in zoom chats and asking questions is a great way to make yourself stand out.
This past year has been pretty crazy. Regarding student-to-student relationships, I must say that I have a very limited experience. Online learning and not being on campus makes it pretty hard to make friends. For me, I tried to take advantage of group projects, which are often given in class. I would take the initiative to reach out, exchange numbers, plan a time for a group call, and plan to work on a project together. There are often little bits of time when you drift off from the project topic and start relating to each others' struggles. Even if you only read their texts and never see their face, a short conversation can tell you a lot about others. I found that online learning actually united a lot of our group projects because my partners and I could relate. We all found it hard to do "zoom school" and more readily empathized with each other. I would say that next year's freshmen will probably have a lot easier time connecting with their peers purely because there are way more opportunities to come across students on campus. I suppose my advice would be to realize that everyone is just as unsure as you are; you're all in the same boat, so don't be afraid to reach out.
What aspects of university academic life were I, in retrospect, least prepared for? I would say work independence. In high school, you do class work in class and sometimes even homework. The majority of your day is spent in class. In college, you listen to lectures in class. All work is independent. I found it extremely hard to motivate myself at times. I was not, and still am not, used to balancing free time with working. I say that as I currently am late with turning in this very essay because I did not properly manage my time. The best advice that I could give on this is to not fall behind in the beginning of the semester. You will end up playing catch-up for the rest of the semester and that is extremely taxing. Also, make sure you know your limits. Last semester I took 14 credits and felt bored. This semester I took 17 credits and was overloaded. I was too stubborn to drop classes this semester, however, that cost me the grades in 3 different courses and resulted in me playing catch-up for chem the entire semester. Don't be afraid to make changes. It's okay to drop classes. Everyone has strengths in different areas and you know yourself best.