The change from high school to college was a drastic one, not only was it a rapid change in academic rigor, but it was also a whole new lifestyle that I had to adapt to. Nothing that I had done in high school would have fully prepared me for the experiences that I would go through in college. Specifically speaking, the academic rigor is like no other. While in high school there are various homework assignments, classworks, group projects, and other miscellaneous items to buffer test grades, college is not the same. In a majority of my classes, exams are weighted the highest, with the occasional group project thrown into the mix. As a student that was never a good exam taker, this was a huge change that I had to adapt to in college. While I struggled in the first semester, I was able to improve and do better in my classes in the second semester.
Speaking of classes, I believe that the course that was the hardest for me throughout freshman year as a mechanical engineering major was CHEM135. Originally I was a bioengineering major, however, this class was the class that made me want to switch to mechanical engineering. It made me realize that chemistry was not my strong suit and I did not want to be doing it in the future. I struggled through this class and even after countless days and weeks studying for exams, my grades remained the same. I changed my study habits and reached out for help, but something in my brain did not understand chemistry. While this was a bad class for me, it made me realize what I actually wanted to do in the future and helped me explore different study habits.
In terms of reaching out for help, I can not count the multiple times that I emailed my professors or TAs for clarity and understanding. Reaching out is actually the number one thing that I recommend students do if they are struggling with a topic or simply just need to talk. Developing these relationships helps tremendously with class performance and overall communication skills. I think the best way to find these relationships is through office hours. Professors and TAs host these every week for a reason; they want us to come and ask for help. I know there have been countless times in which I have emailed my ENME272 TA for homework clarity when I just could not figure something out. My main tip to future students is to not be scared to simply shoot a message or talk to a professor after class. They are there for us to call for help.
I wouldn't be telling the full story about how I transitioned to college if I had not mentioned the huge role my friends played. Although I did not make friends with people on my floor much, I made friends with people on other floors, which turned out to be one of the greatest choices ever. I am able to call them if I need help within a time span or if I simply want to hang out for a little while, I can with a click of the elevator button. Throughout semester two, I became busier as I joined more extracurriculars and was able to see my original friends less, which turned out to be an obstacle I never would have imagined, however, a way I was able to ensure that I stayed in contact was to make a planned hangout every few days. This way I was able to balance my new extracurriculars with the friends I made from week one.
The part of university academic life that I was the least prepared for may have been finding a balance. While in high school I balanced school, a job, internship, clubs, and friends, college is so much more different. In college, you have to figure out your own structure, and it varies from day to day because class times are not consistent. Trying to balance classes, the loads of homework, extracurriculars, and even eating, is a huge task at times. My go to tip for future students is to utilize google calendar as much as possible. Record every single event on there, and before making any plans, make sure to check that the time slot is free in google calendar to avoid overlapping. Another main tip I recommend after various hours of studying is to stop studying when your mind becomes unfocused. Although this may sound like general advice or whatnot, the only time you are wasting is your own when you keep studying when you're burnt out. Make sure to give your mind a break when needed.
I wish all the best of luck to the next freshman class. The University of Maryland is a wonderful college and I hope that they make the best of it. Attend everything, go to random events, say hi to new people, and never stop exploring this huge campus. So many new things await.