My First Semester at UMD

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
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<p>I found a post similar to this when I was applying to college, so I thought I might make my own to give other people some perspective.
Just some background: I’m a computer engineering major who has just finished his first semester.</p>

<p>Dorm Life. I love my dorm, and I’ve made so many new friends in it. When I moved in, I unpacked pretty quickly and my roommate wasn’t here yet, so I just wandered the halls talking to people. This was a great way to make friends, as everyone is coming for the first time, and they all want to make friends. Don’t be scared to start conversation with anyone; this is everyone’s first time in college and they all want to make friends too. Later in the semester, it’s good to be able to recognize and say hi to everyone in your dorm when you pass by them in the hall or on campus</p>

<pre><code>During the first few weeks, my RA kept telling us to keep our door open to meet new people, which is great. I know by keeping my door open, some people walked in and started talking, and I would do the same to others.
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<p>Every floor has a lounge which has a lot of open space, tables, sofas and other stuff such as a microwave, tv or ping pong table. The lounge is definitely always a social area, you can always find people in there hanging out, talking, watching tv, playing cards, or just doing homework by themselves. Everyone knows the people on the floor pretty well, so it’s not weird if you’re just on a sofa doing homework by yourself. </p>

<p>Classes: I’m a freshman in computer engineering, so I took the standard classes like cmsc131, phys161, engl101, enes100, and gems100. I have to say I didn’t believe that college classes could be that much harder than high school classes, but you have to believe what everyone tells you. You definitely have to put in a lot of extra effort in college, and it takes more self-effort to motivate yourself to study/read the book.</p>

<p>However, the difference in college is that you can choose what class you want to be in, so you can choose to be classes with friends which can be very helpful when studying together or asking a question on something on homework. Everyone in your dorm will also be freshmen too, so it’ll be easy to just go down the hall and find someone in your class and ask them a question.</p>

<p>If you’re curious, I did get straight A’s in all my classes but I definitely took a lighter courseload than some people, and I never skipped a class, and studied a lot, to make sure I understood the material. </p>

<p>My only regret is that I only joined academically related clubs like engineering societies and stuff, but I’m still keeping really busy and having a lot of fun without clubs. I’m going to join clubs next semester, because some of them sound interesting, but I will have to portion time to fit them in.</p>

<p>In conclusion, college has been the best 4 months I’ve had so far in life. I don’t think I ever came home except when required for Thanksgiving, because honestly, your friends are so close! You can always find someone to go eat dinner with at the diner, or go study with at the library, walk with you to a building, watch a movie in their room, or just go out on route 1 to eat dinner. I can’t wait to go back to College Park next week, and I believe I definitely made the right decision in choosing UMCP!</p>

<p>If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer, and as I'm sure the many other freshman and upper classmen students/parents here!</p>

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<p>This is a great post. Sounds like you found a good match and adjusted well to college life. My D is waiting to hear if she has been accepted to UMD. She is also considering Penn State. Did you get any merit award? I think that will be a big factor in the decision since we are OOS. Also, have you ventured off campus in DC and how safe do you feel in the surrounding area? Thanks for the info. and best of luck to you.</p>

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<p>Fortunately, I did get some merit aid as an in-stater, enough to make a small dent :slight_smile: I think that merit award is based highly on numbers, so a good GPA and SAT score will do you well. For full banneker key, you’ll need the rest of your app to look stellar as well.</p>

<p>Route 1 is definitely a bit sketchy, but once you go inside the stores, they are very warm and comforting. Always just use common sense and you’ll be fine. I always go with friends/not alone, especially at night. And, I use the shuttle bus frequently which stops at Route 1.</p>

<p>Been to DC a few times. Fare is a bit expensive, but the metro system shouldn’t be too hard to navigate, and it seems safe. Along the mall and the smithsonian museums of D.C. are generally safe, because there are a lot of people touring and security watching.</p>

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<p>I’m glad to hear that your experience at UMD has started out so well! This is my last semester as a “Terp Mom”…hard to believe, 6 years later…!</p>

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<p>I just finished up my first semester at UMD too! It went well. I went into DC several times over the semester. I really love having access to such a great city. Unfortunately, I did not get any merit award. I heard that the average weighted GPA of students who received merit was 4.5, and my GPA in high school was below that. I am so glad I decided to go in-state at UMD, though. Even without scholarships, this the opportunities make the cost worthwhile.</p>