University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

My college experience has given me a profound, positive change on the perspective I have of my life and of myself. After completion of my freshmen year at the University of Maryland I have discerned how very fortunate I am to be given the opportunity to further my academic career. As the first generation of my family to attend college, I feel that I not only have my own aspirations to fulfill but also those that my relatives have wished to see a reality. Attending the University has been an invaluable experience because it has humbled me and made me appreciate the hard work required for people's hopes and dreams to be realized. Though I may not be as economically fortunate as many of my other classmates, I recognize that I am a wealthy individual when measured by the enduring support of the University faculty and the pride I have in myself for my accomplishments in life so far.

Education is important and all, but i think the most important thing that one can garner from the school is the ability to deal and learn from others. In life, you'll be running into all sorts of individuals, and not all of them will be as similar to you as you would like. By learning how to interact with varying personalities, it becomes easier to cooperate with them and complete projects, reach compromises and function in society. Few things ruin goals like people not being able to work together. In our day and age, the workplace has become even more diverse and complex. Being able to function in such an environment is an essential skill for anyone. By applying the skills and knowledge learned from education as well as the social skills obtained from college living at school, graduates from Universities and College can learn to function effectively and easily

What I value the most out of my college experience besides the knowledge I acquired in the field of education and Spanish, comes from the material we studied in various courses, and the experience of interacting with the professors and the students. In both departments, the importance of diversity is strongly emphasized. In addition, I was a member of the Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education, an organization lead by Dr. Christopher Lester, and where I had the opportunity of seeing how young minority high school students from underprivileged backgrounds flourished academically and socially. Throughout the two years I spent at the University of Maryland I learned how the youth of America is trying to overcome the racial barriers. Working together with the high school students and seeing the enormous positive results demonstrated that with love, respect for everyone, and perseverance, these teenagers learn to trust in others, and most importantly, in themselves. When we finished the academic year, their GPA had tremendously increased and they were all looking forward to attend college. I am very proud having been part of this community and their success. This experience has given me a very positive outlook for the American society.

So far, I have learned that the best way to succeed in college is to form groups or to participate in group studies in order to study for exams. As a science major, I have to memorize a lot of material and being able to study with other students helps you learn new information and share the information that you have mastered with other students. The best part about these goups is that they become your closest friends on campus, so not only do I register for some of the same classes as them, but I also go out with them. I go to the movies and out to lunch/dinner with them when we have finished racking our brains from studying for an organic chemistry exam. I never knew how much fun it was to talk about schoolwork outside of my classes until I added Biology as a second major.

I have gained a sense of "me" since I have been at college. I learned alot about myself: my likes and dislikes, my learning style, my ability to time manage, the things I enjoy to do socially. In addition to this, I have been taught by amazing individuals who excel in their respective fields. Through my education at the University of Maryland, I was given the opportunity to work as a paid intern in a microbiology laboratory for the United States Federal Government. I gained education and also friendships that I will cherish always. I have been exposed to people who are different than me in every sense of the word and have learned how to interact with them. College is an invaluable experience both academically and socially, and the skills I have gained will help to propel me into the future.

A bachelors degree was not the only thing I got from my college experience from UMCP. I received an education that was well rounded. Graduating from the special education program, I was well trained both with book knowledge, as well as hands on training. I also made friendships that have lasted well past the ten years since graduation. I will always look back at my college experience at UMCP as being four wonderful years, that can never be replaced in my life or in my heart.

Attending college has been one of the most valuable experiences I have been able to experience in my life. My college experience gave me an opportunity to become a professional and to have a career in what I always had dreamt of. Teaching was my life long dream, and I am able to live my dream everyday because of the opportunity I was given. College also allowed me to learn how to face challenges. Being from a minority group, sometimes people find themselves stuck in a certain stereotype, and going to college gave me the opportunity to prove to myself that I am more than just a label. I was able to become a successful latina professional and are now able to encourage my students to have bigger dreams and to always strive to be the best they can be. Lastly and most importantly, my college experience gave me an even greater desire to continue my education. Going through this experience was not easy to accomplish, but because of its challenges and rewards, I decided that I need to pursue a higher education and want to challenge myself to continue to achieve and to continue to dream!

College was not just about my academic and professional development. The four years that I spent as an undergraduate at Maryland allowed me to develop and become a compassionate, accepting and contributing member of society. I lived in on-campus housing that exposed me to cooperative living. Intereacting with peers from different backgrounds and family situations was eye-opening and exhilirating at the same time. As a white catholic, taking part in my first sedar was an experience I will never forget. I went on to become a leader in the student community and learned how to contribute to a team environment. The volume and frequency of these experiences could only have been reached through attending a diverse college or univerity and I am thankful that I made the decision to continue my education as a student and as a person.

My college experience has opened a whole new world of possibilities. Unlike high school, most of the other students at college desire to learn as much as I do. College has taught me to become more openminded in all aspects of my life. The diversity of people at college teach me that I can get along with anyone, and not just people who are similiar to me. Although they may have different views and beliefs, I can accept that and not let their opinions come between us. Most of the teachers love their jobs which makes the experience more enjoyable. They want me to learn, and not only about school, but also about life and how to become a better person. They teach us these valuable lessons because they care about us and want us to care about others. College has also taught me to be more independent. I have to get to my classes on time, be aware of assignments, and talk to teachers when I need something. I am responsible for my own behavior, unlike high school where parents can be involved. It has been very valuable to attend college and I will continue to do so.

I began my academic career at the University of Maryland after being extremely successful in high school. I did everything but sports in high school: National Honor Society, Newspaper, Foreign Language Club... I took Calculus and AP Physics! I did everything except narrow down what I actually want to do. I began taking Engineering classes, then Psychology & Neuroscience, and now have moved on to Biology. I've also taken plenty of art, music and language classes. I still don't quite know what I want to do after college, but I've narrowed the selection, and I know plenty of jobs I don't want to have. My college experience has taught me that no matter how intelligent you are, you cannot succeed unless you work hard. In high school, I worked hard, but in comparison, college work is more challenging and independent. In high school, classes were picked for you, in college, you have to narrow it down and figure out what you want to do. The combination of working hard and deciding, on your own, what to do with your life is very difficult, and I believe that this struggle is what will help me after graduation.