Life as a college student was both different and as expected. There were many things that I knew about college when coming to the University of Maryland as my sister went here. However, when it came to curriculum and academic wise, as well as personal life, it was a lot different than I expected.
CPSG100 was a very intriguing class when I first got into it. As mentioned, my sister came to UMD and is SGC alumni. She mentioned to me a bit about what the class entailed, but never the format of it. I expected it to be a very lecture filled class, heavy on reading. This however was not the case where it turned out to be an interactive class mixed with both lectures and discussion in class. I thought CPSG100 would be a pretty lenient class when it came to work as It was a 1 credit course, however I was incorrect with this. Although it is not a lot of work, if not managed, it can stack up to be a lot, especially with other classes. Grading wise, I thought it would be a class where as long as I put in the work, I would be fine which it proves to be so. This was the same with my other classes in that I did not know that there was discussion and lecture periods that were separate. I originally thought most classes were back to back with a discussion/lecture type learning style, however I was very wrong. Although it was different, I like having separate times to learn and then discuss. It makes retaining content a lot easier.
CPSG100 was a class in which I expected to learn a lot about climate change. This seems to be the opposite in that we are learning about our ecological history. We haven’t even defined the word Climate yet! I expected it to be a lot more learning about the environment as it pertains to todays; however, it is understandable that we must learn the beginnings to learn how climate change is effective today. I have enjoyed the outside activities such as going to the Smithsonian museum. It gives everyone a chance to meet new people and reach out to others in their cohort, especially since we will all be together for the next two years.
I currently live in Centreville Hall and I have loved and enjoyed my time there. I love how easily accessible everything is from my dorm from classes, to the diner, to the local shopping centers. I enjoy being on campus and not having to lose time by commuting every day. In High school, I expected college life on campus to be more freedom filled which is absolutely is. I feel like I have more time to myself to do things I like such as going out or simply going to the library and getting work done. I enjoy having spaces to learn where it is quiet such as the lounges or library. During high school, I only had my room to do work which was not very effective as I would fall asleep on my bed. Now, I have a place where I can socialize while also getting work done and being productive.
Some advice I have for future SGC students is to make friends with those in your hall and in your cohort. Scholars is the easiest way to meet new people and to get involved at UMD. There are programs such as Scholars in Action where you can make friends and get involved in the community. Scholars as a whole is a great program to be involved in and they’re lucky to be in it and should get the most out of it. Another word of advice it one that is always told, do not procrastinate on assignments. Whether it be SGC related or other classes, procrastination is your worst enemy and the more you do it, the more stressed you will be.