This first year as a UMD freshman has taught me in many ways that go past the scope of academics. Each person that I have met has given me a new perspective and many stories and insights have been added to my mental arsenal. I look forward to continuing this reflective journey, for now here is what I have experienced.
Many of the courses I have taken here at the University have been full of interesting and applicable content. A few that immediately come to mind are BSCI151 (Human Biological Diversity), ENSP102 (Intro to Environmental Policy) and CHEM135 (Chemistry for Engineers). The first two are supporting courses for scholars and they were quite alluring to me. As someone who isn't pursuing law or biology as their main study focus, I found many pieces of content that are now permanently ingrained in my brain as useful trivia. I found these particularly surprising because I went in with mild intrigue in the topic, but I also thought I wouldn't be interested as I learned. The chemistry class also surprised me because the way it was structured made it so that every unit can be tied back to real life engineering scenarios. Due to this, I had many "Oh so that's how that works" moments. If I could go into these classes again, I'd have a much more open mind and be ready to add to my knowledge. If I had to give advice, I would encourage individuals to take an elective/gen-ed that piques their interest rather than taking one that is only piquing their GPA.
The faculty at UMD is full of many personable and exceedingly intelligent individuals. It is important to utilize this resource and make sure to have people know who you are. In my second semester I found much more success with this prospect. I went to many more office hours and introduced myself to multiple professors. There was even a guest speaker in one my classes who I pursued a conversation with because I found their work fascinating. The reason I found more success in my second semester is because I was originally scared to take the leap. There was a disconnect, as I felt like I had nothing interesting to say and they were a professor while I was merely a college student. What I am realizing now, and encouraging other incoming students to realize, is that they are human just as we are. Just as I stated earlier, so many of the faculty members are especially personable and relatable. I look forward to meeting my professors in the upcoming semester and what perspectives they have that I can gain from.
The new people that I have met here at UMD, are undoubtably my favorite part of my experience so far. There are already a few select individuals whom I see every day which I would love to ensure as lifelong friends. These people make everyday exciting, full of laughter and have really made it so easy to fit in. The greatest obstacle in actually meeting people is just again, taking that leap. Make at least one buddy in every class, and don't be afraid to introduce yourself because you never know who has the same interests as you or even the same sense of humor. It is also important to use these friendships to have fun and even do better in school. For example, instead of studying alone maybe you can ask for another brain or two from the people you met your class. In addition, you now have many oppurtunites to explore new hobbies and spend time outside your dorm doing something with others. I knew meeting new people was going to be the highlight of my year, and that has fully matched my expectation.
There are a few facets to living, working and simply existing at a university that I wasn't fully prepared for. The main thing was time management. Unlike high school, each day is typically made of up different classes and activities at different time intervals. Making a weekly routine actually meant making multiple varying routines. Originally it was a challenge, but with the help of mental planning, calendars and organization it ended up being fun in a way. Having each day look slightly different takes away from the potential insanity that follows monotony. With each semester changing my schedule entirely, new routines will have to be made and I for one am excited to adapt.