First Semester at the University of Maryland Reflection
During my first semester at the University of Maryland College Park, I had many experiences that I was not expecting when coming to college. There were differences in terms of the nature of the classes I took, the information we covered in CPSG, and life as a university student; however, some activities did live up to my expectations. All of these aspects of the university allowed me to have a reflective and memorable first semester.
My first set of college classes were interesting. I enjoyed all my classes and liked the teachers I had. They had different teaching styles, which was something that I was used to from high school. Their styles caused the course structure to fluctuate from class to class. Some of these courses were very participation heavy such as my global literature class, my communications class, intro to business course, and SGC course. Other classes only had lectures such as my math and economics course. The lack of participation was surprising as I am used to engaging with other students. I was aware that I was going to be in large lecture halls, but having limited participation came as a shock. I was also surprised that certain classes involved heavy reading. My global literature, economics, and SGC class required reading, which I did not mind. I was simply not used to the amount of reading I was assigned. I also noticed how certain teachers assigned more work than others. This was something I was used to as all teachers vary in how they teach their material. I thought each teacher assigned the appropriate amount of work for their class. Lastly, I did not know we were going to use online platforms such as Connect and ALEKS to complete assignments, so this was interesting as well.
When specifically focusing on College Park Scholars – Science and Global Change, there were aspects of the course that I was not expecting. For example, I was surprised by us delving deep into the foundation of science. I found this very rewarding as we learned about the contents of a scientific research paper, the different types of fallacies, pseudoscience and more. I was also very surprised by the process of creating our own webpage, but I am glad that we learned this because it is an important skill to have. I am excited to learn more about climate change as we focused more on scientific concepts this semester. I am intrigued to study our contribution to climate change, how it is affecting us, and actions we can take to mitigate the problems. The outside-of-class activities have been fun as well. I loved the excursions we went on which include going to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the National Mall in D.C. and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, NY. I was pleasantly surprised by these trips and how helpful they were towards my education, understanding of the program, and getting to know my peers. I also think the homework assigned outside of class was the perfect amount to prepare us for the colloquium each week.
Life as a University Student has probably been the largest adjustment. I am not used to living by myself, so having this level of independence takes a while to get used to. I was not prepared for walking on campus. This came as a shock during the first few weeks of school, but it eventually became normal to go on 25 minute walks to class. I am also living on campus, so dorm life has been an interesting experience as well. The different qualities of living in a dorm were what I expected. Also, living with a roommate was not as bad as I thought it would be. I have gotten along with my roommate very well, which has allowed me to make many friends. Eating at the dining hall was an unexpected difference from life outside of college. I would not have thought that eating would be significantly different, but eating at a dining hall is not the same as eating at home. All these aspects about on campus living have taken the most time to adapt to but have been very exciting.
If I were to give future SCG students advice I would tell them that it is not worth stressing over an assignment to the extent where they feel very anxious. Stress will not help with getting anything done and it is very unhealthy. I would also recommend making sure that they stay on top of exercising. I am aware that we receive a lot of schoolwork and walk on campus frequently, but it is very helpful to go to the gym. It is a healthy habit and helps to clear the mind. I would also highly recommend taking advantage of office hours and review sessions. I have gone to guided study sessions (GSS) many times and found them to be very helpful. If living on campus, I would suggest making efforts to get to know people, especially on your floor. College is a brand-new community and a great place to make new friends. Getting involved in outside activities helps with this as well. I did not participate in many clubs my first semester to help adjust to college, but I want to join more activities. New students should stay positive and understand that it is okay for things to not go perfectly because it is a learning experience.
Overall, I had a great first semester. I learned many things about college and living by myself. I was able to make some great friends this semester and have new and exciting experiences. I hope to use what I have learned so far at school to have a great spring semester.