With the first semester concluding, finally, I deeply appreciate the reflective assignment to almost regroup with myself (Thank you SGC!) Overall, the change from High School to University has been nothing short of academically strange. From excelling with little to no effort in many of my classes, to rigorous studying and extra guidance from mentees and teaching assistants, the definition of academics has been completely redefined for me. Coming into college I knew the course load would not be the same, but I was in for an extreme shock as a former procrastinator now once reformed. To get into detail, my CHEM 135 was an academic sucker punch to not only my mental health but my GPA as well. It was extremely shocking, all around, to find the level of homework required and the sheer volume required for not only chem, but all of my STEM courses. I knew there would be a greater volume of assignments, but I most certainly was surprised by the absolute flood that greeted me my first week of university. I would also say the overall structure of the course was shocking as well, where one person could absolutely bomb majority of their homework, but if they passed all exams, could leave a class with over a B? The reversal from equal weighting in high school, to a reformed structure like college, was definitely a pleasant shock to have.
Personally, I had generally no expectations about what we would cover in SGC, however to place something that I did not fully expect was service day. The day overall was genuinely surprising and allowed for almost an appetizer into the class of SGC itself, as we incorporated both service and learning into a bite-sized package that caught my academic taste buds by surprise. Alongside this, the covering of general earth sciences such as historic climate and extinction events I fully expected us to touch upon. Another shock to my academic taste buds was the covering of scientific fallacies and the presentation of the modern hypo-deductive method as the science world currently stands. It was a wonderful insight into how the human mind works not only against itself, but against others in the generation of false ideas and how pseudoscience can extremely impact a community, society, and government. Regarding our assignments and events outside of class, I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of learning and creating my own website and style sheet. I was genuinely so excited and proud of my creation I added it onto my LinkedIn profile! Our excursions I feel were also a wonderful way to get us outside of the classroom, but also assign relevant and fun essays that could then again be inserted into html. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with how SGC went the first semester, and I am extremely excited to see where we go in a few months!
Choosing the university of Maryland was by far the best decision I have ever made regarding my academic life, social life, and mental health. It has been relatively rough as a commuter student, with an hour long commute on average, but overall I am very satisfied with how life has become as a University student. Having near total freedom to establish myself as a new adult, and almost no restrictions regarding my time, I have never been more academically satisfied. While I always imagined I would be a student on campus, being on my own from home, I am still extremely satisfied with my academic choices. I feel majority of my satisfaction lies in my ability to solely take courses I find extreme interest in, as majority of them are major requirements or apart of my SGC credit requirements. Having this luxury has made learning feel so freeing, and has genuinely allowed me to spread my wings as a student. While I most certainly need to refine a studying pattern, I feel for my first major step towards my career, my first semester has only made me more excited for the second.
To all of my future SGC peers, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! The number one downfall to certain exams and assignments I have had was that I waited until the very last moment to even review what the assignment covered. I am more than humble enough to admit I coded some websites as late as 3am because I chose TikTok over my grades (bad idea). I also recommend finding yourself like-minded peers, as having friends in majority of my courses, has made studying and learning so much easier on myself. I also recommend creating your professional profiles ASAP. If you are in an extremely competitive field, or any stem major for that matter, the best foot to your future you can put forward is through creating meaningful connections with your professors and professionals in your field. Create that linkedin, go to those office hours, and talk to those TAs because it can genuinely make your college life a much more peaceful transition.
I would like to thank Dr. Merck and Dr. Holtz for what I feel was an extremely informative, fun, and unique introduction into life as a SGC Terp. I am beyond excited to create more memories, learn valuable information on the world around me, and continue as a flourishing Terp!