Unlike in highschool, college courses have exceedingly different formats in which the information is presented. Classes are no longer rigid with clear instructions, regular quizzes, and several assignments a week. Some classes have all of the information online through textbooks, recorded lectures, and slides. Others don’t present information anywhere but in the lecture. This has been a very new experience to adjust to, I was initially frustrated by how differently I would be learning in every class. But after coming up with unique strategies for each topic, I realized the format offers more flexibility as I can learn at my own pace. The syllabus also allows me to do this as I can see what is happening in lecture that day to prepare ahead of time and know what I need to be prepared for. For my different classes, I’ve learned how each class will be organized, the best way to study, and what to prioritize based on how many or how few grades are available in that class. Whereas in highschool we had several grades a week, in some classes I only have 4 grades for the semester meaning each one has to be taken very seriously. I’ve learned that doing poorly on one assignment can majorly impact my grade making time management and scheduling very important skills. I also now have much more responsibility over deadlines as professors will not be checking in often to assure we are keeping up with them. Thus it’s been necessary to utilize different apps to carefully create weekly and monthly schedules to stay on top of things.
Somehow it feels less competitive than the environment I was in for high school. My school was very competitive so it felt like a constant pressure to be taking harder classes and involving myself in more extracurriculars than my peers. Here, everybody has their own unique classes and hobbies so I don’t have to feel incentivized to push myself harder than anyone else around me. That has been a big relief. Even non-academic activities feel less intimidating outside of that environment and I have found myself getting involved in activities I never would have expected. I’ve never once in my life been athletic in any capacity but I put together an intramural soccer team for the Spring semester (some four months in advance) and I have had a lot of fun putting together practices so I can learn a new skill surrounded by friends. Although I was anxious about it at the start, worried about holding my team of experienced players back, I found it just motivated me to work harder to support my friends.
Within the SGC program, I was surprised with many of the topics we focused on. I expected the class to be focused on policy and activism though those may be more relevant in later semesters. I didn’t realize that science itself would be a large focus with lectures on pseudoscience, logical fallacies, and evaluating scientific claims. But every lecture was very interesting and introduced skills that can be applied to everyday problems. I was also surprised by the use of HTML in the class. Coding always seemed like a very daunting field to me so I never saw myself getting into it, but it was really enjoyable to troubleshoot and create a site that was actually put up online. During the process, I explored different techniques and stylistic options to create my portfolio which added another engaging element to the assignments. The excursions were also very enjoyable as I got to make friends in SGC and later go on trips to museums and New York with them.
I would tell someone joining SGC to make friends in the program early since they will have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them. It makes the excursions less intimidating and will help you to feel more engaged in the program. If you have a friend with you, it’s easier to grow your circle by trying different experiences that would be daunting alone. I would also tell them to stay on top of SGC work cause although it isn’t a tough workload, if you get behind it will make things worse. Creating the website, for example, is not something that should be put off as the skills used for that will be relevant for the rest of the semester and beyond.
Other than academic life, I’ve slowly gotten used to creating my own routines. As I lost the structure I had living at home, it’s been necessary to create new ways to get into a rhythm that motivates me and manages my time. Detailed schedules have helped me to balance time for myself outside of assignments and studying. On weekends I make sure to go home so I can see my family and dogs. Although I have become very comfortable in my dorm and at school, it feels like a break to be able to relax in my home.
[A FINAL NOTE: We do recognize the end of the semester is often a time when many high point value projects become due in all your courses, but we really hope that you will put serious thought and reflection into this essay. We (and hopefully you) can use this essay in future years to look back at your time in Scholars to reflect on how that experienced affected your future experiences at the University of Maryland.]