Uma Trivedi's "Expectations vs. Reality" Reflection Essay
My first semester at University of Maryland, College Park was both overwhelming and exciting. Initially, my knowledge of class sizes, format and expectations was shaped by what my family and friends told me or what I've seen from shadowing other schools or students. However, after starting school I learned how different my experiences were compared to other peoples. Lucky for me, the majority of my classes were very interesting which made it a lot easier for me to learn and absorb information. I had a good balance between difficult classes with large workloads and easier classes with smaller workloads. This helped me manage my stress levels and gave me time to socialize and make new friends.
My classes were structured very differently than what I imagined. Surprisingly, they were very similar to my high school classes aside from the grading rubric. In highschool I was more used to a grading scale that had more completion points rather than accuracy. However, in college almost all of my assignments were graded on accuracy, which was made very clear in the beginning of the semester. This caused me to spend more time studying and use my critical thinking skills to answer questions or write papers. I was pleased with the structure of my classes, I liked how I knew what big assignments were coming up and how much each assignment affected my grade. This taught me how to prioritize my work and manage my time.
I did not expect to have a lot of "take home" exams, which were online and almost always open book. I expected these exams to be easier, however, after my first round of midterms I realized the "take home" exams required a lot more critical thinking and time. This resulted in me shifting my priorities again so I could give myself more time to study and organize myself without feeling too overwhelmed. I also did not expect my lab courses to be so long with heavy workloads. After my first three hour biology lab I realized I needed to change my usual routine so I had time to get the majority of my work done before my lab, since I wouldn't have time after. Lucky for me, I had two sophomores in my lab group who gave me simple tips on the first year of college.
CPSG100 reminded me a lot of my high school AP Environmental Science class, which I did not expect. It was a very good surprise because most of the class was reviewed from what I learned so it allowed me to elaborate on the information more and come to a deeper understanding of climate change, the environment, and extinction.
On the other hand, the class provided me with the theoretical aspects of science which was very interesting to me. I didn't expect so many out-of-class opportunities other than the service trip, so that provided a couple challenges when planning because I have a job off campus on the weekends. I also had a lot of prior commitments before I started the semester so I had trouble scheduling the scholars events. Another unexpected aspect of CPSG100 was the amount of in-class assignments and the structure of them. I knew we were going to have class assignments but I didn't think they were gonna be with a group. However, I was pleased to find out that the assignments were fairly simple and were directly related to the lecture from class that day. This was both a challenge and a good opportunity for growth because I learned to interact with peers that I didn't know and got to know more people from the Science and Global Change Scholars program.
At first I imagined university life as very social, with lots of responsibility and less classes. Most of those assumptions were right. I have a lot more responsibilities, especially being a student that lives off campus and I have less classes. However, my university life is not as social as I want it to be. Having less classes is very nice, however I have to do almost three times the amount of work I did in highschool. In highschool, I did most of my homework assignments in class or within an hour. However in college, it takes me hours to complete one assignment for one class, and the majority of my classes have 2-3 assignments. I also have a lot more freedom, for example, I can skip some classes with no penalty or stay up late doing nothing when I should be studying. These challenge my time management skills, discipline and organization which can be a very valuable experience for my growth.
For future SGC students my advice would be to practice your time management skills, avoid procrastination and stay disciplined and on top of your workload. University life, especially the beginning, can be very overwhelming but also exciting as it is a time for you to grow as a person and officially start your life. Staying organized, building a routine, and asking for assistance when you need it will help you thrive in college. In conclusion, my experience as a university student has been full of both expected and unexpected challenges which have helped shape my understanding of school and student life.
Last modified: 09 December 2024