The course that prompted my most significant revelation so far is my differential equations course, not because of the material, but because of the professor. It has led me to realize that my success in learning is genuinely dependent on myself and only myself. During my college preparation, my family told me that my success is determined solely by my actions and effort. I knew this already, so I shrugged it off with a simple 'yeah, I know'. This class made me realize how true that statement is. My professor has a heavy Greek accent, explains nothing, and uses notes from another professor in his lectures. To put it simply, I learn in a completely opposite way to how he teaches. Despite these difficulties, I remain successful and continue to have a positive experience. This is because this revelation has forced me to learn how I study most effectively.
Difficult professors are not a unique experience; everybody will face this challenge at some point in college. To succeed in the face of adversity, I recommend adopting these strategies. Reach out; whether that be to your professor, TA, or peers, don't hesitate to contact someone if you are struggling. There are many resources on campus, including tutoring, study groups, and academic peer coaching, at your disposal. Don't be afraid to experiment. When learning how to learn effectively, the worst thing you can do is stick with one thing. Keep trying new things until you find something that works for you. Studying in various locations, with different people, and through diverse methods is how you discover what works for you.
Using strategies such as reaching out is a good way to build relationships with faculty members. I have had the greatest success in building a relationship with my communications professor from the fall semester, Dr. Sefton. There were only twenty-five people in her class, which was much smaller than the 100-200 I was used to in my other introductory courses. This provided a unique opportunity to get to know my college professor, as opposed to seeing them speaking into a microphone 50 feet away from me. This small size also created a sense of family within the class. Everyone knew each other's names, and we could all talk freely with each other. This is what led me to have such success in developing a relationship with Dr. Sefton. To achieve the same goal, I would recommend not being afraid to sit in the front and ask questions—something I initially avoided in the first semester. I would also recommend searching for courses with small class sizes. This makes it much easier to connect with the professor.
More important than relationships with faculty are your relationships with fellow students. To be blunt, having friends is the most important aspect of college. College is not like high school in the sense that you go to school and then go home. You are always at school. This is a more noticeable change than you would think. You are no longer home, you are always at school, and you have to do everything for yourself. Having friends is an incredible way to escape this. Having a good group of friends helps you find support in the chaos that is college. Personally, it was nice to have people around me going through the same struggles, knowing we can make it through together. The greatest obstacle in forming these connections is taking the first step and putting yourself out there. Many people get to college and don't expand beyond the few friends who came with them from high school. This can work if you already know many people, but it is almost always better to make new connections, especially near the beginning of the year.
At the beginning of the year, I felt well prepared for college. In most aspects, I was, or I adapted very quickly. The one aspect I was least prepared for was being away from home. If I'm being honest, I missed home. Even though I only live an hour away, I still missed it. This alleviated over time, but has not entirely gone away. In my opinion, there's no real way to prepare for this other than knowing it's going to happen and that you will push through. It's easier to push through if you live close to campus, but you will still experience it.
During my time here so far, I've had my ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing. I have had a wonderful experience at the University of Maryland, and I look forward to enjoying the rest of my time here.