University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Attending college has been one of the best experiences I have had in my life so far. One of the most important things I have learned at UMD is that you don't attend college just to gain knowledge but you also go to college to learn how to apply that knowledge in your daily life. I have leraned how to think as an innovator and inventor. I have learned to experiment and try new things. UMD instills in its student the confidence needed to take chances. The second important thing I have learned at UMD is the reasoning skills. At college, I have learned how to read and analyze data and situations. As an engineer I study models, and with the aid of reasoning skills I've learned to create and analyze models. I've learned to find & create solutions to tough problems. Lastly at UMD I have learned to communicate effectively. UMD allows its students to talk and share their ideas and point of views freely at all forums. This culture of freedom of speech & expression at UMD germinates the ability to communicate effectively in all its students.

Show up and distinguish yourself. In college I have learned not to be a lazy shit. So many students go to college, get a degree, and then whine when no one will hire a college graduate. It's not the 1900s any more where a college degree immediately elevates you above the common folk. College gives you what you put into it. If you show up and distinguish yourself college will be a catalyst for success. If you treat college like an extended vacation college will simply be another space in the education section of your resume. For the price it costs me to go to the University of Maryland College Park I could go to Disney World everyday for four years. I do not treat college like an amusement park; I show up and distinguish myself. The most valuable thing I’ve learned in college is to treat college for what it is. College is a captain’s sword given to those who have shown promise. It is a symbol of greater existence, but without a sharpened edge the new leader is left wielding a blunt piece of metal.

This school teaches students to excel in a number of areas such as social, academic and athletic.

So far I have gotten much stress out of my college experience. Final exams, psycho roomates, finding money to pay for tuition, books and real food! After Graduating from Maryland I plant to go to veterinary school. In the end all of my hard work will have been worth it knowing that I will be doing what I truly want to do. Dr. White sounds very nice and i'm sure my dog will thank me. By graduating college I will be able to better myself and family with a rewarding career and peace of mind to go with it.

I agree that life is about the journey rather than the final destination. When rushing the days to get to a final point, it’s impossible to enjoy the most important part of life; the process it takes to get there. When it comes to college, everyone is ultimately there to get their degrees and then jobs in the real world when those four years end. College is also about gaining life experiences. These experiences include taking courses in huge lecture halls, getting a job or an internship, going out on a Tuesday night, or talking to the random person waiting next to you in line at the dining hall. For most, as it was for myself, college was the first time that I was living on my own without any parents. I had to budget my time and be the guide to my own successes. The “journey” as an undergraduate is the time when a person can learn who they are and grow, while depending solely on them. How you choose to spend that time and whom you choose to spend it with is what makes the journey. Without these experiences what destination is there even to get to?

I have gotten thus far a good education and a well rounded view on many outside issues. I also have had my eyes opened to many different cultures and religions.

If I learned anything in college, it's that every person is responsible for their own success and failures. Unlike high school , where students were still sheltered by their parents and their teachers, in college, it's just you. Professors will not be there to baby you and make sure you attend class or do your homework. Parents won't be there to make sure you eat right or do your homework. You make the choices of what you do or don't do, and you take full responsibility for the consequences, just like in the job world. I learned this the hard way by making bad choices my freshmen year, and I reaped what I sowed Likewise, as I began to learn responsibility andtime-management, I saw a difference in the outcomes. College has not only prepared me academically for the world out there, but taught me lessons of character as well.

In today's time, many students strive to complete a college education and thus universities have been processing an increasing number of applications from all over the world. With this in mind, the University of Maryland has become packed with many students with different goals. This became overwhelming when I attended my first semester. Having only lived in Towson, Maryland, I grew up with the same friends and acquaintances from Towson High. Most people picked popular majors such as biology and engineering. I felt a pressure to conform as I still had no idea of what career I wanted, so I enrolled into the engineering department. But, upon completing one semester there, I met many people not only from the biology and engineering departments but also people who pursued language, music, and the arts. Unlike high school, you're allowed to explore in college. But with the increasing demand of a college education, the atmostphere of college has become more competitive. At the university, meeting people with goals different from mine has taught me that college is not only about standing out, but also learning how to live and discovering more of myself as I explore my curiosities and opportunies.

I am at the beginning of my college journey. I am not the typical college student. I am thirty years old and a single mother. I chose to do things in my life in a different order than most people would recommend. The college experience, therefore, has so much more value to me compared to the typical student. It stands to reason that things mean a lot more to you if you have to wait twelve years to get them. I am referring of course to the opportunity to attend college and finally obtain a degree. Additionally, I don't just have my own life to improve. My son's future depends on me succeeding in this endeavor also. I have to lead him by example to pursue goals in his life. He stands to benefit so much from my experience. At this point in my college journey, I have regained a childlike excitement and enthusiasm for life. I have gained new friends and their invaluable points of view. Most importantly, I have gained the feeling of accomplishment that makes one feel almost invincible in the face of adversity. College has reminded me of who I really am.

I believe that college of any sort is the key to our future. Not only is it going to provide a much more professional job for me someday, but also great memories I will have for the rest of my life. Although I am only a Freshman, I have gotten so much out of college already! It challenges me everyday, to learn, to communicate, and to listen. I feel that in college, every where you look, your surrounded my motivated, driven people who will do whatever it takes to make their future the best it can be. It is an amazing feeling to go to school and be surrounded by people with this mindset. In college it is as if you feed off of everyone else, and better eachother. I really believe that these nest few years are going to determine the rest of my life. I can't wait!