FALL 2020
Semester Reflection
What does leadership mean to you? Has that understanding changed over the course of this semester? If so, how?
Leadership to me means having a clear direction and vision of what you want to accomplish and being able to show people the steps needed to get there. Prior to this course, leadership was a concept I only associated with people who had official roles and authority to be “leaders”. However, my understanding has changed to recognize leadership as an ability that anyone can have. Leadership requires self-awareness and a clear vision of your goals before being able to motivate and lead others. After this course, I learned that leadership potential is something that takes personal development and does not come with a job title.
How does the structure, delivery, and required graded items compare to what you expected of university courses (ie: other than Colloquium)?
The structure, delivery, and required graded items match my expectations of university courses. Many of my classes were online this semester, so that did not match my expectations, but it was also due to the unexpected pandemic. However, all other aspects of the courses I took were as demanding as I anticipated. Taking AP level courses throughout high school prepared me for a high workload, so my high school to college transition in terms of homework was not drastic. One thing that surprised me was the size of many of my classes. My parents described many of their freshman year GenEd courses being large, lecture hall classes, but almost all of my classes were small and more personal.
Organizationally, we divide knowledge into disciplines represented by departments, but actual “wild” knowledge doesn’t acknowledge these divisions. From your experience so far, what courses from different departments show the most interesting, surprising, and revealing intellectual connections?
One pair of classes that had revealing intellectual connections was CPPL100 and SPAN301. SPAN301 is an advanced spanish grammar and composition class, so while the actual curriculum was not similar, the discussions we had to practice new concepts overlapped with the current event discussions in CPPL100. One topic that we frequently discussed was the 2020 Presidential Election, which was also a reflection topic in colloquium.
CPLL100: What have we covered in colloquium that you didn’t expect? What did we not explore (at least not yet) that you were expecting? How do outside-of-classroom activities compare to what you thought it would be like?
I did not expect the curriculum of the colloquium to be what it was. I expected the class would cover information about leadership styles and theoretical information, but that was discussed in PLCY201. I enjoyed the readings and activities we did, such as the poverty simulation, because they were insightful. I did not expect the class to be as relaxed as it was, but I enjoyed having the chance to discuss current events and learn other peoples’ perspectives on situations. I thought the class would be working on developing leadership skills, such as communication and consist of presentations, but I was much happier with the actual information covered in colloquium.
Life as a University Student: whether you live in the Cambridge Community, elsewhere on campus, or at home, how does University life compare to your high-school vision of it?
University life does not match my high school vision. Living at home makes it difficult to experience freshman college life because it can be isolating. Initially, I had planned to live on campus, even though I knew that with COVID-19 restrictions, it would not be the same as my high school vision. However, the decision to stay home further moved my first semester experience away from my expectations. I am excited to live on campus starting fall 2021 and regain some of the experiences I missed my freshman year, but I still enjoyed as much of the university life as I could while living at home.
How might this assessment change as you move into your second semester and sophomore year?
This assessment will change drastically when I move into my second semester and sophomore year because I hope to be on campus and involved with more groups and activities. Even though I will not be living on campus until the beginning of my sophomore year, I plan on applying for many learning opportunities, such as the QUEST program and the Language House, and joining other extracurricular groups next semester, so I can socialize more and build a community. For the fall 2020 semester, I was focused mainly on my academics and adjusting to the new classes and dynamics, but I am excited to start branching out and I believe that will help gain a better idea of university life at Maryland.
We all, students and faculty, knew that the COVID-19 crisis would throw a wrench into our plans, but no one had a crystal ball. How has the COVID-19 crisis and the university’s response to it either fit your expectations or contrasted with them?
The COVID-19 crisis and the university’s response to it surprised me. A month before the start of the semester, especially around move-in time, I saw many schools that were quickly experiencing outbreaks and were choosing all-online delivery methods, so I expected that a large school like UMD would experience similar issues. Those expectations were one of my main reasons for choosing to live at home rather than risk being a part of an outbreak on campus. However, I was surprised by the university’s ability to maintain COVID-19 restrictions, despite the large population of people on campus.
Finally, although your social and intellectual lives are now firmly rooted in the university, one doesn’t sever one’s old connections immediately. In what way are you still informed and motivated by your high school community and life?
Living at home, I still interact with my high school friends who either chose to live at home as well, or those who are still in high school. Through those connections, I am informed about my high school community and how my high school responded to the COVID-19 crisis. I can stay informed about my high school community through social media by following people that still attend the school and I can see what actions are being taken in response to the pandemic, as well as how students have adjusted to the new learning environment. It is motivating to see how people in my high school community are continuing to make the best out of the unexpected situation and it is helpful to recognize that I am not alone in the struggle.