The first semester as a student at the University of Maryland was an unforgettable experience. As an aerospace engineering student, the classes I took were similar to what I expected them to be. This semester I had only STEM classes as I was unable to fit any General Education courses, so I’m looking forward to taking more non-STEM classes next semester.
For the most part, I think that the way each class is structured is fairly near my expectations coming into university. For my non-major required courses, Calculus II and General Chemistry for Engineers, they each followed the same format with three midterms, homework, quizzes, and a final. However, I was told before coming here that these classes were “weed-out classes,” and while at the time I didn’t really know what that meant, I now really do understand that those classes are designed to challenge students with their difficulty levels and the amount of time the course requires. Despite this, I do feel that AP classes in high school did help set me up to learn how to study for major exams and take notes. With these classes, one piece of advice I have is to learn the importance of actively seeking out help and really using the resources around you. Study groups, office hours, and group chats all really do help for your difficult classes. For my core engineering classes, I felt that it was very immersive and put us head first into the world of engineering. I like that we get to build and watch our creations at work.
In terms of CPSG100, some things we covered in class that I didn’t expect coming in were learning about logical fallacies and conspiracy theories/hoaxes. I had originally thought that this class would only talk about the “hard core” science with global warming and climate change. However, upon learning about it and reading the writings of Sagan I now see how the understanding of logical fallacies aids our understanding of science. I had thought we would explore more research papers, but instead, we learned about research in the form of books which to me was unexpected, but I did like the almost narrative nature the information and data was displayed. The excursions were like I thought it would be like. I enjoyed the classic Metro Scavenger Hunt and it was a bonding experience, merging groups and travelling around the city. I also really liked our Service Day. I found the work to be relaxing and fun and really enjoyed looking at the lotuses at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
University life here at UMD was kind of what I expected during high school. I was a bit nervous living in the dorms, especially because I felt a bit left out being placed in a single room while all my friends had gotten roommates, and because of the shared spaces with virtual strangers. However, I found that I really liked having my own space and that it was easy to become friendly and familiar with other residents in my hall. As a high school student, my college friends would tell me that I would get sick of dining hall food, but for the most part I feel as though UMD does a really good job with the variety of the foods they provide for us and its quality. As someone who’s not too outgoing, another thing I was nervous about coming into university was making friends. I was told that when classes start and when you join clubs you will easily make new friends, however even as classes had begun and I joined a few classes, despite the effort I was putting in to keep in contact, I felt as if I wasn’t making lasting friendships and was rather just making acquaintances. This was rather discouraging because I felt that everyone around me had already formed their friend groups. Luckily enough, a few weeks in, I was able to branch out and find people in my classes that have become my good friends. Some more advice I would give to future Science and Global Change students to ease them into college life is that you’re not going to find your people immediately. It’ll take time for you to meet people that you will actually become close with, and that’s totally okay. Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you don’t have any friends in the first few weeks of classes. Also, I’d advise you to take advantage of the campus and its location. UMD is a beautiful campus with a lot of great spots to take walks, study, or just hang out. Not only that, but it’s in such a prime location, with the very scenic Lake Artemisa, and a Metro station right here allowing for the entirety of the Washington DC area at your fingertips. Taking a trip over the weekend with some classmates is a great way to bond with them and create fun memories.
For the academic side, advice I’d give to incoming students would be to talk to upperclassmen in your major. A lot of them are very knowledgeable and will give you a lot of advice on what they did/wish they would’ve done as freshmen to succeed. I’ve found that there’s a lot to learn and that these upperclassmen are willing to teach you if you take initiative. I would also join at least one professional society for your major to interact with other students who’ve landed jobs and internships to see how they did it.
All in all, this first semester at UMD was a great experience and I’m looking forward to next semester!