Semester Reflections

Semester 2

After completing my first year at the University of Maryland as an Art Scholars student, I recognize that I have not only grown as an artist, but as a complete person as well. I truly feel like after these last couple of months. The days of high school and feeling like I am a high schooler are officially over for me. I am a young adult in college, and my first successful year is over, solidifying that fact. 

Before entering University, I acknowledged that communicating with my teachers was a struggle for me. If I had an issue in class of whether I understood the content or if I needed additional help because of my own personal life getting in the way of my academic life, I kept silent and wouldn’t acknowledge this with any of my teachers in high school. If I did so, it would happen after forcing myself and tossing and turning about the idea within my head. This was not the case in my first year of University. I’ve completely forfeited the idea of being scared and intimidated by my professors, especially when they offer help openly. From this, I have created very amicable bonds with a lot of my professors, especially ones who are in the BSOS department. I have completely thrown away my past ways of being reserved and have embraced communication without a doubt, even if pushing myself to communicate was difficult. This change has been worth it and very helpful.

Although in the first semester I made friends and established a positive support system at College Park, I would have to say I didn’t really have many friends in Art Scholars. I am unsure why, though. I tried to make friends and establish relationships in Art Scholars, but for some reason at the beginning of the semester, I couldn’t really find anyone who could match with me the way I would’ve liked. However, I can happily say that I have finally found, met, and become friends with multiple people in Art Scholars who share the same passions and emphasis on Art as I do, and collaborating with them has been a great thing. Without friends, however, I know that my time in College would be incredibly different and less exciting for me, especially with how my friends have helped me adjust to my time at Uni. One thing I would tell future freshmen going into UMD would be that they should be unafraid of judgment when meeting anyone in Arts Scholars, because you never know who you may find and relate with. I learned that lesson a little late, but I’m still glad I learned it.

The Art Scholars community, as I have surprisingly recently learned, is filled with so many talented people within the community. Their talent only emphasizes and makes me want to match their talent by making things to the best of my ability. After Maryland Day, I’ve made sure to have time for creativity and my art, and the best thing about having that time is that at the end of whatever I am creating, I have friends within the Art Scholars community that I can show my art to. Feedback is given, compliments are given, and general comments are given, and it is very amazing. It makes me feel like I'm in some legendary art community like 1920s Harlem, and there is always someone ready who is willing to view your art. Now all I have to do is find someone or a group of people to do music with, and I’d be set!

And of course, how could I forget to talk about my workshop classes? A to Zine was probably the most relaxed, fun class I have had so far in college, and I enjoyed it. Making zines was probably the last thing I thought I would be doing in University, but it has truly inspired me in what I would like to do with my art. I loved the idea of making a Zine as a form of activism, and since I’m going to have to do a capstone project in regard of a societal problem, I have a lot of ideas floating in my head for what I will do thanks to A to Zine. I also would like to express my enjoyment of the field trip I took this semester, which was the Jazz concert of Linda Han Oh, which was a very cool experience. I loved the feeling of watching a jazz group and feeling like I was watching Charles Mingus. It is probably the closest to high art I’ll ever consume. I want to make Art people can enjoy actively, and these experiences have inspired me to make music for my capstone project next semester.

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