Highschool to College:
The transition from high school to college can be a lot for students. Change can be challenging for some. Lots of students move far away from home, having to restart friendships while getting to know a new environment. All students have to get comfortable with time management and the different set up for classes. College is a big difference from high school, but if you are willing to be adaptable and prepare the transition may be much easier. This is my freshman time capsule to help you out with this new change.
Courses in college are much different from high school. First, you have to pick all of your classes, while making sure you are reaching your requirements for your major. There are also genEd classes that everyone must take to fulfill graduation requirements. The gene courses can feel like a waste of time, but UMD wants all students to be well-rounded and not box themselves into their major. There are much more options to choose from when picking your classes. Some are very entreating. My first semester, I took HIST134 which is a history class about spies, assassins, and witches. Most high school classes are very generalized like US history, however in college due to the thousands of courses you can get exactly what you want out of a course. I think it is best if you take genes with a topic that interest you or something new you would like to learn. Having a dreadful class all semester can make your grade drop for that class. Many professors have large classes (100+ students) which can be intimidating. It is important that you go to office hours and pay attention in class as you won't get as much attention like high school where the classes are smaller. Office hours are meant for the students, so utilize them to get as much help that you need. This is also a great opportunity to meet your professor. Also, some professors only have exams as grades or exams and homework. This is different from high school because there are lots of assignments. In college it is bittersweet, you might not have that many assignments, but you also will not have too much to pull your grade up if you do fail an exam or paper. That is why it is important to look over the syllabubs and determine how much work is given and how the professor grades. Therefore, it is vital to do your research before starting college. Find out what major you want, the courses needed for the major, the genEd's you are going to take, and also what professors you want to take for the classes.
Relationships are important in every part of your life. However, in college you might not have the previous relationships you had. This is the opportunity to make new friends and relationships that will help you later in life and keep you sane from all the stressful events college comes with. In high school it is easy to make friends and to keep them. You see these people everyday, you don't have to put any effort to see them. In college it is much different. First you could be starting somewhere new with no friends, second your old friends may have all different classes than you. This is now the time you have to put in effort to go see your friends, or plan out a schedule to hang out. College schedules are very busy so keeping a schedule can help you stay organized when you have free time. Also, college can be very stressful (especially around finals time) so having friends around can be a good distraction or even study partners. If you are starting somewhere new, a good way to make friends is joining clubs. In clubs you can find people who enjoy the same activities and make valuable friendships at the same time. There are a bunch of clubs to join and a club for everything you can think of (even a squirrel watching club). However, friendships are not the only relationships important in college. This is a big step in your professional life too. Gaining strong relationships with faculty can help you in your future. If you are looking for internships or even a job, that relationship can help you. Professors and staff have lots of connections, so putting yourself out there and gaining these relationships can benefit you personally. Professors and staff are human too, do not be intimidated to talk to them. Make conversation, tell them your interest, go to the office hours to make that relationship. In the end all connections you have with other can benefit you so make friends.
Being prepared will help you tremendously. Some things I was not prepared for was the showers (which suck depending on where you live), the amount of walking, and workload. During the tours they never show the showers, maybe for good reason. They are small and barley get hot (warm on good days). If you love hot showers you will not get them here (maybe if your the first to shower all day). So I would prepare for warm/could showers and not expect too much moving room. However, that is not as important as being prepared for walking. This campus is very big and your classes could be north then south then back to north. This is where time management comes in, being late to class isn't the end of the world but you do not want it to happen continuously. If you have the funds buy a scooter, or use the school scooter (they cost $1 a min) there are also shuttles and buses that can take you around campus. Lastly, the most important thing to be prepared for is the workload of classes. Some classes have no work that is graded, but this does not mean you do not study the material that is given to you. It is very easy to fall behind and you won't have anyone pushing you to go to class. It is now your responsibility to stay on top of your work and understand the material given.
I hope my time capsule gave you some insight and can help you better prepare :)