Transitioning from high school to college was drastic. I went from 30 person classes to 300 person classes. I was afraid of not being able to keep up and staying engaged in such a big university. However, University of Maryland's immersive curriculum does an excellent job of teaching students how to engage in their education. My favorite class in my freshman year was Introduction to Engineering Design (ENES100). I am a bioengineering major, so I have very little experience with technical skills in the field, such as coding, CAD, construction, etc. This class was fully hands-on and required me to work in a team to design and construct an autonomous vehicle from scratch. This was not like anything I had ever done before, and I was surprised to see how much more I can learn by working hands-on in comparison to a lecture-based class. I was required to take this class due to my major, but UMD offers many hands-on courses, even as general education requirements, that offer a similar learning experience.
As I previously mentioned, the classes in college are massive, which makes it difficult to connect with professors and build a relationship with them. I found the best way to do this was to simply have conversations with your professors, whether that be in class or at office hours. Your professors want to converse with you and learn more about you than just your academic career. Try to have simpler, light-hearted conversations with them occasionally, such as your favorite TV shows or genres of music. This will help you later on when you need a professor's help with something, especially letters of recommendation. I personally developed a strong connection with my Biology Lab for Engineers professor, who wrote me a letter of recommendation for the internship I am working on this summer.
In addition to academics at UMD, a major part of my experience was the social aspect. I came to UMD knowing a decent amount of students since I am from the area, but I still managed to meet a ton of new people and build strong relationships. Having a group of people going through the exact same thing as you is definitely beneficial when trying to adjust to such a dramatic lifestyle change. My friends and I study, hangout, and eat together, which helps make such a large campus feel smaller and more intimate. There are still many obstacles associated with pursuing these relationships, however. When there is tension within your friend group, it is hard to get away and have alone time since we all practically live together. The best thing to do in this situation is to communicate with your friends and let them know what you need to do, whether that be have an honest conversation or take a break from one another. Overall, building strong relationships in college is crucial to the experience and will enhance your freshman year overall. I actually met one of my best friends through Scholars! Take advantage of every opportunity you have to meet new people because you never know when you will find the right group for you. I also recommend joining clubs and teams to build an even closer connection with people that share the same interests as you.
The part of university life I was least prepared for was figuring out how to take care of myself. From loads of schoolwork to intense exams to an active social life, it was challenging to manage. I had to establish a new system where I had to take time out of the day for myself and do the things I truly enjoy. This helped me stay in control and not be overwhelmed. I wanted to be a part of everything, such as clubs, social events, etc., but it was difficult to achieve everything. I began by choosing the things I was predominantly interested in and focused on those. As I adjusted, I was able to do multiple things at once until I eventually accomplished all my personal goals. The best way is to take things slow. With that being said, you should still approach all the opportunities thrown at you to truly find your niche. There really is no way to prepare for this in high school, since most of this is taught through actually having these experiences. However, be sure to have an open mind when coming to college and the determination to accomplish your interests.