Semester Reflections

Semester 2

Freshmen Time Capsule 

Because I went to a small high school, I was anticipating a difficult transition starting my UMD courses. I knew my freshman year would consist of general education courses with large lectures. To me, this meant struggling because the professor would have no idea who I was, unlike how easy it was to get help in highschool because all the teachers knew everyone personally and were invested in everyone's success. To avoid this, I began my first semester sitting in the front row of each lecture hall. At first it seemed like the only benefit was that it made me more inclined to pay attention. In the last month of my calculus class, the professor came up to the front row and asked us to introduce ourselves because she had seen us sitting there every day and heard us answering her questions. It was a simple gesture from her but it was really exciting to feel noticed by a professor in a lecture hall with so many students. Aside from that, sitting in the front row of my lecture halls has only brought positive effects, including keeping me motivated to go to class and enhancing my understanding of the material. It is something I would recommend to any new college student or any current student who feels like they are slipping through the cracks of their lectures, making them feel less motivated. It feels impossible to make relationships with your professors in a school so big, but doing this and making other efforts like attending office hours or getting advice from TAs will pay off. 

It can be very intimidating to make friends in a big school and sometimes it doesn't come naturally. Oftentimes you have to put yourself out there, and it may be uncomfortable at first but once you do, you realize that there are so many new people to meet that share the same interests as you. UMD provides so many clubs and organizations that can help anyone find their people as long as they make the effort to join. I was lucky enough to make great friends with my roommate, whom I met on a UMD class of 2027 Instagram page. We had many similar interests and were able to go out and meet more people to become friends with. She is not in the Arts Scholars, but we bonded over being creative and have since completed several projects together. Making new friends is part of the whole college experience. As someone who is from Maryland, I was insistent on making friends with new people and not allowing myself to stay isolated with the people who came to UMD from my hometown. College is an extremely scary transition for some. Living in what sometimes feels like a prison cell and constantly seeing unfamiliar faces is scary and lonely. Making friends is a remedy for all of this.

The Art Scholars program fosters community and artistic engagement with different events that they put on. Through the program, I was given different opportunities to explore things on campus that I never would've done on my own, like The Gordon W. Prange Collection in Hornbake Library or live performances in The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Doing things like Arts Fest at the end of the year helps every student come together and appreciate the talent and hard work of their classmates. 

My understanding and appreciation of art has been carried into college by being in the Art Scholars program. I have always had an immense appreciation for art, throughout high school I was insistent on taking art classes even though they did not relate to my intended major in college and barely fit into my schedule. The art classes allowed me to express myself in a way that was not possible in my other classes, and this remains true for Art Scholars in college. It allows me to express myself which is great for my mental health. Even though it does not relate to my major at all, it is still so important to me. 

During the semester, I enjoyed workshops the most. First-semester colloquium was not my favorite. The TA groups felt too forced and structured which inhibited many from feeling open to expressing themselves- through art or even just to make friends. Workshops felt much more natural. Because of this, I was able to bond with others in my group and learn so much from the workshop leader. I felt more communication and support from my workshop which helped me feel more comfortable and successful in the class overall. Not only this, the feeling of comfort helped me create things that I was proud of. For incoming Art Scholars who may feel the same way during the first semester, I would advise them to keep pushing through it even when it feels uncomfortable and stressful. Second-semester workshops will be different and remind them why they decided to join Arts Scholars.