I did not know what to expect at the start of the semester. I had some experience with college classes through community college, but I didn’t know how taking a full schedule of college classes would be. I was initially concerned about my classes because I was registered to take six, totaling fifteen credits. I expected to be in the books 24/7 and have my grades tank. In the classroom, I expected to learn a lot independently, with only the basics of topics being covered. This, however, was not the case. I did have a lot of work and spent a lot of time studying, but it was manageable. My classes were clear in delivering material and deadlines, gave good study resources, and were well structured. The only exception to this was my intro physics class. Apart from physics, my expectations were exceeded by all my professors.
The first-semester scholars colloquium, CPSG100, is an informationally dense class. It covered a wide range of topics, from the basics of science to climate change evidence and how to use HTML code. One thing we went over in the class that I was surprised to find out was the introduction to the scientific method. Going into the class, I thought it was expected that we would know the scientific method, given it was a science-based class. I was thankful it was covered because I learned I knew less than I thought. In addition to a deeper understanding of the basic scientific method, I learned about many fallacies that come along with it. I was even guilty of some of these fallacies, like cherry-picking and appealing to ignorance.
One topic I wished we had covered more was the effects of pre-industrial climate change on human society. Our last lecture of the semester was on this topic, which was the most interesting. I had never thought that pre-industrial climate change was severe enough to affect society and cause major conflicts, but it was. We discussed how the ever-changing climate caused drought and food shortages, leading to war and the fall of civilizations.
One aspect of this class I thoroughly enjoyed was the out-of-class activities. Service day was an excellent opportunity to give back to my new community and meet some classmates. The metro scavenger hunt was a fun experience and a good way to get acquainted with the DC metro system. The last out-of-classroom event I participated in was the trip to New York City. This was my favorite by far. I had never been to New York, so I looked forward to this trip. This trip was a very long day. We left at six in the morning and got back at midnight. This gave us time to go to the American Museum of Natural History, the trip's primary purpose, and explore the area around Times Square.
My high school vision of college life was much different than the reality. In high school, I envisioned always being busy with little downtime. I was always doing something, whether studying, attending classes, or doing stuff with friends. This is somewhat the case, but I have much more free time than I imagined. This is good because it allows me to do my laundry and eat my meals. Another aspect of college life that’s different than my high school vision is the mundane activities. Doing laundry, eating meals, and other stuff like that takes a decent chunk of my day that I didn’t have to account for as much at home. I have to plan my day more meticulously to get all of these done and leave time for things out of my control, such as the dryers being full and taking a long time to find a seat in the dining hall.
There is some advice I would like to give to incoming freshmen scholars that I wish I knew and truly believed. First of all, it will be okay. I was a little nervous going into college. The longest I had been away from home until that point was only a week, and now I would be away for at least a month. Looking back, I had a great time, met new people, and was okay. It sucked for a few days, but it was okay. Another thing I would suggest is to find a spot outside your room to study. Personally, when I am in my room, I have a hard time focusing and studying. Having a roommate can also make studying hard because they also have stuff to do, and if you get easily distracted, roommates only make it worse.
College has been a wonderful experience so far. I have learned a lot about my major and about myself. Being away from home has been challenging, but I am figuring it out. I am happy with my choice to go to the University of Maryland