This semester was a very unconventional semester for me. Most of my expectations were altered going into this semester because of the new online format. However, my expectations for in-person classes seemed to be captured in their new online versions as well. Besides missing the obvious human connection aspect, which I was, of course, disappointed with, the structure, delivery, and content of the courses were not too surprising. There were a few things that stood out to me. I was not expecting the level of interaction with the instructors to be a high as it was especially with the online format. I may have just been lucky with my instructors, but I felt that we always had the opportunity to engage with them in every class. Going into college I was imagining giant lecture halls and I would just be another student rolled through and given a grade. The level of communication the professors and T.As provided students with this semester I thought was phenomenal. The structure of my courses was well planned out and for the most part, was just how I imagined they would turn out. I went into these classes expecting they all to rely heavily on exams, and for my major classes, I was right about this. With more than half your grade in those classes relying on your exam score it was very stressful. The professor did, however, provide tons of resources to prepare for these exams helping me deal with stress and anxiety. Overall, I think the classes were more or less what I expected with most of them exceeding those expectations especially for online versions of the courses.
During the scholars colloquium course, we went into much more detail about the topics than I thought we would. I thought I would just be hearing the same old basic information about climate change again. I think the combination of readings, panapto lectures, and zoom calls were a big help in providing information in a variety of ways. I was not expecting to go into detail about the geological history of Earth, which I ended up finding to be very interesting. When we started to discuss scientific papers and research I thought we were going to continue using and talking about them. I was disappointed in the fact we lost the opportunity to go on in-person field trips, but some of the virtual alternatives were interesting and a good substitute. I look forward to when we meet in person, hopefully, next fall, for what the possible trips and service experiences will be. I felt that this course provides a good foundation for a degree in the sciences.
While I was expecting much more freedom when I went to college this was put on hold when everything was shifted online. My initial vision was to go to classes and do my work during the day and then relax and hang out with roommates in the evenings. What ended up happening is that this vision was essentially just shipped online just like the rest of my college experience. I spent my day in zoom calls and uploading pictures of homework and then would get on a call with friends in the evening. While I do miss spending a year of college on campus, I am glad I put myself in a position to still enjoy the online experience even does not match up to an in-person campus experience. Compared to high school the experience was much more work, but on the other hand, it felt more professional than high school. Professors had a higher standard of the expected work but so did students for the work they were turning in. I had experienced a glimpse of this in high school through Advanced Placement classes, but the work level, in my opinion, was still much less than at the college level. If you challenged yourself in high school, I feel that you will be well prepared for the workload and not become overwhelmed as easily as some claim you will when starting university.
For up-and-coming SGC students, I would tell them that they should understand the time and effort that professors put into their classes. From just one semester at the University of Maryland, I saw the dedication they put in to helping their students and providing them with the resources they would need to succeed. Make sure you get to know your professors so they know you care and are putting effort into your coursework. Secondly, put yourself onto a schedule and try to stick with it the best you can. I know you will fall off it at some point because nobody is perfect. What will separate you from others is how fast you can put yourself back on that schedule and back on track to succeed.