University of Maryland-College Park Top Questions

Attending the University of Maryland has been a valuable experience to me because I feel that I have learned a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life. Being able to choose from so many classes and major fields of study was a little overwhelming at first but once I started taking my required courses I was able to figure out where my true interests lie and what career I want to have after college. I have gained a lot of knowledge that has given me a broader perspective on life and allowed me to look at things in a different way. I have also gained a lot of great friends that I would not have met if I had not gone to UMD. The clubs and groups on campus offer a way to meet people who share the same interests as you and to have a good time, while the academics challenge you intellectually. My experience at the University of Maryland has been wonderful and I will always look back on my time there as one of the best times of my life.

I have already gotten so many things out of my college experience and I am not even half way finished my degree. I've learned to live on my own, provide for myself away from my parents, make crucial decisions, speak up for myself, and get out of my comfort zone. I've also learned a lot about myself, my views on things, and have gotten a more clear direction on what I want to do with my life (but still figuring things out along the way). Being in such a diverse community, I've learned to accept everyone for exactly who they are and to not see differences in people. I've made lifelong friends, and strengthened bonds I had previous to college. I don't think a value can be placed on attending college. You get so much more than just a diploma, you get life lessons, friendships, connections, direction, and just an overall strengthened perception on life. I can't believe how much I've already learned and I can't wait to look back in another couple years to see what else I've obtained.

So far in my college experience, I have learned two skills or attributes. I have learned to be proactive in my assignments and endeavors and to endure through the the stress of working and going to school full-time. I value attending college because the experience has helped me learn of many untapped skills and it has enhanced my strengths. College has provided me with the wonderful opporunities of networking, great memories, lasting friendships, and the sense of being able to accomplish a long term goal. Mostly importantly, it has exposed me to vast knowledge that I can use to improve the world, and the my local community and to hopefully start a legacy for my kids to follow. Up to this point, I value college because through the diverse student body and intense work, I am being prepared for the real world.

From attending University of Maryland I received a sense of motivation, responsibility and pride in my work and the choices that I make. The school is an environment that allows everyone to have fun, even the teachers emphasize that, but there is always a a constant push to excel academically and to learn the material. Motiviation, responsibility and pride are important because it helps prepare me for the real world and not enter it with my head down afraid. UMDCP wants their students to excel and to grow into responsible adults in order to contribute to society as well as to the UMD community. There is always a feeling of coming back to UMCP and returning the favor here at UMCP (because you are grateful for the education and help). UMCP is a fun, hardworking and gregarious community and I would recommend it to any other student thinking about college. GO TERPS!!!!!

My college experience has taught me who I am. College presents the opportunity to be independent. Your parents, your siblings, are no longer around to form who you are. You're on your own. You set your own expectations. This experience has been very valuable to me because I have learned my expectations. I still want to succeed and do my best, and now I know that it's because I want to, not because I don't want to let people [i.e. my parents] down. I do it for me.

Since starting college, I have learned so much and met so many people from a variety of backgrounds. I enjoy going to class and hearing about new ideas and concepts that I did not know before. The opportunity to experience something unfamiliar, to be introduced to ideas that were once foreign to me is one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of my attendance at my college. I was never truly enthused to go to school when I was younger, but now I enjoy each day that I spend with my professors in this learning environment. Access to this has broadened my view of the world, and opened me to whole new ways of thinking and perceiving what is happening around me. This is, perhaps, the most valuable part of my experience thus far.

My overall college experience has changed my world in so many ways. I graduated from a very small private school. When I stepped foot onto the college campus for the first time, it introduced me to a bigger, more exciting world. One aspect that I very much appreciate from my college experience relates to my exposure to other cultures, of which I had very little prior. It was not until I attended the University of Maryland that I saw so many cultures together. Some of my classes discussed cultural differences, which sparked a newly found interst in learning about them, their people and customs. I found that all fascinating. The University of Maryland also offers a vast number of social clubs where I can delve further into my cultural intersts, including learning about my own background. While money is tight and I may complain about that, my overall experience with the college cannot be valued monetarily. Rather, I will be able to take something lasting from my experiences there that goes beyond a simple check.

My college experience at the University of Maryland, College Park has been life-changing. From the bright intellectuals from the ongoing networks in the Maryland community, to the CIVICUS volunteers in Somerset Hall, and to the incredibly involved, never slumbering campus, the University of Maryland has opened that door of opportunity to mutually impact the lives of every student. Exclusively for myself, I’ve sat in on emotion fed lectures delivered with such astonishing information. I’ve reaped the true feeling of hard work of through successes, as well as the indignation towards any and all forms of procrastination. Lastly, through the will of God, I ran into on-campus students claiming to be Christians, or better yet, Disciples of Christ. Meeting this small body of students not only altered my future college ambitions, but they have inspired me to take my talents, character, and academic poise and collaborate it with the sincerity of my heart. My life will never be the same again after attending the University of Maryland and that is why my education here is so valuable. From the people I know now to the knowledge I’ve attained, nothing can take that away.

I have learned that there are so many different types of people in this world. At the University of Maryland, there are people of various backgrounds. The diversity at the University of Maryland has opened my eyes to the world and its people. Attending the University of Maryland is valuable because the knowledge I will acquire from my school I plan to spread all over the world.

My college experience has been valuable to me because it gives me a chance to better my skills and talents under the guidance of very intelligent professors and staff members.

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.

Choosing to go to the University of Maryland over the other dozen schools I applied to was the best decision of my life. I have learned so much and acheived more in two years than I could have ever dreamed. On a personal note, I have become much more accepting and culturally-aware because of UMD. While I grew up in big and diverse Houston, Texas, things are a bit more prejudice and hostile in the South when it comes to differences. UMD, with its diverse campus and loving atmosphere, has taught me to be more open and to look beyond someone's outward appearance. Academically, UMD has given me the best experience possible. Being a journalism student, experience is vital, and UMD has pushed me to get things done. I have held two amazing and prestigious internships, I am the Editor-in-Chief of two magazines, I covered President Obama's State of the Union address from the press gallery and my stories have been published in over 50 news outlets. I am so proud of who I've become, but if I wasn't at UMD, I don't know if I'd say the same thing.

My first year of college taught me a lot. Because of the freedom, I was not performing as well. I always took my time for granted and procrastinated a lot. My grades showed the reflection of my attitude and it was already too late when I realized that I needed to step up and do better. Second semester, I tried harder and did more than what I did the first semester. My grades slowly started to improve and at the end of the semester, I was actually proud of my grades because it reflected my changed attitude. They always say, "you learn from your mistakes." I truly recognized the meaning behind this quote and will never take my college education for granted again.

What i have gotten out of college was the way to manage buiseness and to be smarter with the choices i make in life. i belive college has been valuable to attend because i will be able to some day start a buiseness and be able to make enough money to support my family. I also want to be able to be the first kid in my family to graduate college and be successful.

My college experience has taught me more about my own unique individuality than any other facility could offer. College for me has been about learning my strengths and weaknesses, what I am good at, what I like to learn, and what drives me to succeed. Being around other motivated students has shown me that my drive to succeed is beyond what I give myself credit for, and when I apply myself, I am able to achieve great success. I have had a glimpse at the pressure and stress of real life. I realize that every minute is completely up to me how I want to spend my time. I make sure to use every minute towards educated myself, growing spiritually and helping others through volunteer work, and as result I feel confident and grounded about the unknown life that lies ahead after graduation. It has been valuable to attend college because it has given me the inner strength to feel confident in a world that can seem so intimidating. College has been the first arena that has let me be completely myself and as result, I have flourished.

By going to college I have gain many things I have grown as an individual and really find my passions and what I really want to do with my self and career. College was a milestone and help me understand responsibilities and how to mange my time better between work and school and social time. I think that if I would have gone straight to Maryland university with out first going to PGCC it would have been much harder for me because know I feel am ready. I know what I want and I can focuses and my goals for my future. It also made me understand that I really want to go to school and finish school.

While I could say that my education has been the most valuable aspect of my college experience thus far, I would be lying. While taking classes have been extremely caluable, I think the most important thing I learned is that things are not always easy and you have to be proactive in order to get what you want. I entered Maryland as an out-of-state New Yorker not knowing one person. I was a little nervous, not for the workload, but for being so far away from home and not having a familiar face to talk too. Of course, I was placed in a sophomore dorm, with a roommate who embodied just about every horror story out there, and on top of that, I had no friends. It was nothing like what I expected from my freshman year. Instead of sulking in self-pity and being miserable, I stuck it out for a month, transferred into a freshman dorm, and made life-long friends by the end of the semester. Having this experience was valuable because it showed me that nothing is really as bad as it seems, and that being proactive can really get you places.

I think maryland has offered me such diverse array of opportunities. Being pre-med and a Biology major, you rarely get the chance to step outside of your comfort zone of taking all Science courses and competing for the highest grades, all the time. With my advisor, I was able to fit in a study abroad for a Fall Semester in Barcelona, Spain. Further, I have been able to participate in a cappella, start my own non-profit organization on campus, tutor kids, and work as a UNIV100 Teaching Assistant. I have made friends to last a lifetime. Some have the same interests as me, while others do not, but in the end, we share the common trait of being prideful students of University of Maryland. I would have never traded this experience for anything else in the world.

My college experience has been one that I will never forget. In every class I have learned so much about myself and about many things that can help in the job market. I understand that education is the number one thing that employers look for other than experience and I'm achieving one of the requirements now for a successful career. My college experience has put me in contact with many types of students with the same goals as me from all different backgrounds and nationalities as well. Their perspectives on certain issues in my classes has opened my eyes to some of the current worldly issues which, in turn, doubles my education. The people in my classes help to enhance my college experience by giving me new opinions and new ways to look at things. The experience has helped me to become more open-minded in the world today. My college experience has been valuable because I am now ready to tackle the world with the knowledge that I've acquired. I am more confident in my abilities and it makes me want to learn more.

College is a great place to mingle with people from entirely different back ground from yours and i have gotten meaningful friendships from attending one. I have also gotten a great sense of coordination and timing. Time is everything. I plan my time very wisely that even my mum calls me "action lady" because i have no time to waste and anyhting that needs to be done is done properly.

Before I moved away to college I was very afraid about what I would expect. However, I can safely say that college so far has been such a rewarding experience. Besides learning about genetics and musicology, I also learned about myself. I now have realized many things I didn't notice before and it was helpful. I realized that I am an independent person that could take care of herself and is capable of making correct decisions. I also learned how to open and not be as shy around people. Highschool was very different and therefore, I could not make friends that easily but I've learned to accept differences in people. College is full of surprises and a lot of freedom but the best thing to watch is how you become a better person. I would have never thought twice about attending college because besides obtaining a degree, you also learn about life and open yourself to a tremendous amount of opportunities.

When I attend college, I was attending and online school. My personality would be considered not a social butterfly, thats why I chose AIU Online, but when I started attending the school was great and I was learning, but if I could go back I would want to attend an on campus school. I did get valuable information, but it would have been more valuable if I was being pushed more frequently to do my reading assignments. Attending a school would have been more time efficient and valuable to my career as I am trying to attend a Pharmacy school. The support from an actually face to face meeting than a chat over the computer is more rewarding to me.

I am self confident from what I learned during my college years. I can always go back and check my old notes that helps in the real world. I can interact better with people around me in the professional field.

Out of college I have gained friendships that will last, learned a lot about my field of study (education) and also about myself. I transferred schools and I think that picking the right school is important. I think my story proves that you don't always have to make the right choice the first time when picking colleges, and sometimes it takes some time to adjust to surroundings in order to have a good learning enviroment.

I have been fortunate to have met a tremendous amount of great people, a diverse group of people, consisting of both classmates and teachers. I have built long term relationsips with my peers. as well as faculty members. I have been exposed to a vast amount of knowledge and wisdom that I am able to carry with me in my journey. I have learned about different cultures. I have aslo been able to find comfort in a time of need through attending UMD. College has helped me to realize that i need to be more independent and not allow myself to be subjected to anything, that i can truly do what i want to do and achieve my goals both personally and professionally. Personally, i believe attending college has been valuable for ME, because i soaked up every bit of opportunity that presented itself. It has been an outlet for me, a place to escape to from the stress at home, and it has truly made me into a better, stronger individual with a firm grip on reality. If i didn't attend college, i would have regreted it forever and would feel like i have not fulfilled my life.

College has truely enhanced my well being. Since Freshman Year, I have been involved on campus doing various volunteer work, along with becoming apart of executive boards on various campus student-run organizations. While attending college, I have not only become more knowledgable academically, but I have came out of my shell and have shown my ture colors as a good leadership candidate. As a Univeristy of Maryland undergraduate student, I am double majoring in Finance and Economics and I am also minoring in Leadership Studies. As a admitted student in the Robert. H. Smoth School of Business, I will graduate with highly accredited univsity that is well known in the business community. College enhances you academically AND builds/shapes you as a person to reach your full potential.

College has helped me believe in myself. In high school, I took the most challenging classes and was surrounded by a lot of very intelligent people. Although they were my classmates, I chose to be friends with people not in my classes. Because I associated with people less intelligent than myself and those in my classes, my classmates were often condescending toward me. Their attitudes made me believe what they did, that I was not as smart as them. I stopped applying myself and was the class clown. When I began attending The University of Maryland, I was no longer surrounded by the same peers. I started working harder than ever and realized my true potential. I earned the highest GPA I have ever had. Because of my academic performance I now realize I can do whatever I put my mind to. College has given confidence that I did not have before.

My college experience thus far has been the most enlightening and motivational period of my life. I was born with collapsed arches and the bones in my feet and ankle do not conjoin at the correct angle. Growing up, I was unable to run and play sports because I would experience swelling, tendonitis, and shin splints. I shied away from sports and athletic activities through high school because of a knee injury caused by my misalignment. After my injury, I took up dance which strengthened the muscles around the knee. I took a more advanced study of dance in college and met teachers that helped me understand my feet and "grow" arches using the principles of Bartenieff Fundamentals. I was able to change my quality of life completely. I can play volleyball and not have to worry if I will be able to walk the next day. I think if my teachers and doctors had known this years ago when I was younger, I would have done so much more. I hope to be able to give that to somebody someday. To help other people, especially younger people, understand their movement habits, learn, and adapt.

Only two years into my four years at Maryland, I've gained so many friends. These include not only my peers, but also professors. All of these people have helped me grow into the person I am now and will be, and have taught me something new about the world, life, or myself. Networking is important when starting a career. Being such a large school, UMD has given me a great opportunity to get the connections I need to do what I want after graduation. The professors are helpful and I have learned a great deal from them about my field. They helped me figure out what I want to do and how to get there. UMD is a perfect fit for me: I can be focused on my academics and learn what will be important to me, while still gaining friends and having some fun in the process. I have never been happier than I am right now. Being at this school has taught me that I can be this happy with my life and that I do have a very promising future.

My college experience has been very different than most people's. I joined BFA Dance Performance conservatory programs for 2 years and then made the decision to transfer to UMD and forego my all-dance education. Here at UMD, I truly felt as though all the voids in my life were being fulfilled. I could express myself outside of the dance studio, and found a great writer, a strong political thinker, and a passionate linguist. So many new opportunities were afforded to me. UMD has opened my eyes to valuable ways of thinking, countless different types of people, and more than that, has enriched my life and educational career beyond words. For the first time I have learned educational skills that will help me to be a more independent thinker and a more passionate citizen of my community. I am now able to have a well-balanced and well-versed diet in education and of subjects that range from every department. I feel very lucky to be able to attend a school that has not only educated me within the walls of the classrooms, but that has also enhanced my life with skills that will translate into the outside world.

Wisdom is needed for all living things as water and sun are needed for any plant to grow properly. And the Engineering field is needed to provide and open opportunities to expand our horizon and dwell in beautiful planet while offering what it deserves. To make this come true, one must attend and value education. I always dream to be an engineer, I like to work as a team as well as think independently. I am always open to new ideas and ready to learn new concepts. This field will also open a way to work in a much diversified environment. Moreover, the University of Maryland has given me a chance to work with people who have many different backgrounds and have brilliant ideas. My long term goal as an engineer is to get back to my community and inspire the high school and college students to be innovators. I would also like to teach a part time and engage on a research to contribute to new discoveries while improving my engineering profession. In my college experience, I have seen the possibility and portion of my future, and I do hope it will eventually blossom into a thoroughly blessed harvest.

Out of my college experience I have learned that you have to do your homework. In high school it was just a nuisance but in college they don’t care if you do it but if you don’t, that test that’s coming up is going to be a little tricky. Attending college also helped me learn how to manage my time so I could get all of my work done. That is a very valuable thing to learn and I’m glad I learned it in the beginning or else I probably wouldn’t have gotten the grade that I wanted. I’m really glad I chose to go to college. It’s such a different experience because here people actually want to learn and I am being pushed to achieve more.

I have always been interested in buildings, ranging from Toronto's CN Tower or New York's Brooklyn Bridge. I wish for the skills to design and build their 21st century equivalents, but not in the form of skyscrapers or bridges, rather irrigation systems and roads. Most third world countries, particularly those in Africa, suffer from primitive to non-existent resources to care properly for their citizens. Civil engineering not only will allow me to study design and structure, but also to improve other people's lives, and I will expect my low-tech, innovative engineering designs for third-world countries to serve an important purpose. I could design simple irrigation and drinking water systems that a primitive village could support and maintain. Because of a severe lack of paving, I could design cheap and convenient public roads to accommodate the many who travel on foot, on carts, and on beasts of burden. Attending college will provide a basis of knowledge, discovering the impacts of engineering designs on a global setting. UMD engineering helps students with their future goals, and offers many chances to strengthen real life skills such as developing professional contacts and working in a multi-disciplinary team.

Out of my college experience thus far the most important thing that I've learned is to be yourself. Many times in college you meet people and things that will attempt to bring you out of character. But I learned that regardless remain true to you. College is not only a time to further your education but it is also a time for you to find out who YOU really are. Not what mama says, not what daddy told you. Its your opportunity to find out your likes and dislikes, to become your own person. It is this reason that has made college such a valuable part in my life. I am so glad I attended because everyday I am becoming a better person than I was the day before and I am truly grateful for such an opportunity. I do not take it lightly or for granted.

My college experience has been life-altering because of the hardships I had to face. When I first started my freshman year of college, I thought I was not going to be able to do it. With a major of biochemistry, all of my classes were extremely difficult, and I just felt lost at a huge campus. My luck was absolutely horrible the first semester, and at times, I realized that I was not the same girl I was a mere 2 months ago. Dr. Peel eached out to me, while I was struggling through this hard time. After every meeting with him, I would become more motivated to strive in my classes, and he literally saved my college career. At first, I thought that I was going to fail my first semester classes, but ended up with a 3.3 ! However, then second semester came around and I was diagnosed with mono, which was another detrimental effect to my grades, but I still pulled my grades up to a 3.1. Through this tough experience I learned that I can overcome anything, and I would like to continue my learning experience at the wonderful UMD.

College has been a great experience for me to really change myself. I've been able to grow as a person and learn new things. I've been able to come out of my shell more and become much more extroverted, meeting new people. It's been an incredible experience. I've also been able to get the satisfaction of being a first-generation college student in my family, and making it this far and doing so well so far has made my family incredibly proud. It's been very valuable to attend because I know that by going, I'm setting myself up for a better future so that I can bring up my future family with a better life than I had. Isn't that what we all want for our kids? To have lives 50 times better than we had?

I truly enjoyed my college experience. I learned so much about myself through meeting new people and taking new and interesting classes. I also learned about myself when things weren't going well, like when I had to learn in my first two years how to be a successful college student. There were ample opportunities to get into some of the more social aspects of college, like the partying and drinking, but these were activities that I chose not to get involved in. I learned to balance my grades and my schedule, since I was working 2 jobs while taking classes full-time. I learned to take responsibility for myself and for my goals. I believe that I gained a great deal of self-respect, and it was earned rather than expected. College was an experience that changed my life, and has allowed me to help others. I am a high school counselor now, and I help students figure out the college process on a daily basis. I feel that I have a lot to pass on to my students. A scholarship will help me complete a program in College Counseling, which will make me a better counselor.

What I have gotten out of my college experience more than anything else is the experience to grow as an individual. More than learning and taking exams I was able to learn from my experiences of being around such differring personalities and people. Being an RA allowed me to understand students needs a long with their problems while they were going through college. Being a captain of a Indian Dance team allowed me to learn to balance school and an extra cirrcular activity. This is why it has been valuable to attend. A long with the tangibles such as a grade point average and a degree I was able to learn from mistakes and experiences and most importnat the people around me which has made my college experience valuable.

College is the period in a person's life that consists of the most change and independence. Prior to entering college, I had become too accustomed to my seemingly perfect false-sense of reality. I was completely ignorant of the real world and its hardships. My parents had sheltered me in a protective shell that is similar to a semi-impermeable membrane; the good was embraced while the bad was filtered out. I was never exposed to any sense of independence or a feeling of vulnerability or being lost in the world. After school, I would go home unaware of all the dangers that lurk in the crevices of the real world. However, once college began, I have never felt so insignificant, vulnerable, or lost in my life. I truly felt like a fish in the ocean. With no friends to turn to for help or parents to cook me dinner when I arrive home after an arduous night of studying, I needed to become independent. I now understand and have experienced some of the hardships of life, but it has allowed me to fully appreciate everything to come my way: every opportunity, experience, friend, and moment in life.

My first year of college to be honest was not what i expected. I have not really found my niche or any people that I feel comfortable with. I think this might be due to the fact that my school is so huge, maybe I should have found a smaller school, but all in all I am trying to make the best of it. I am determined that I will find my place.

My college experience has taught me how to be a man and take full responsibility for my actions. During the process you learn how to take care of yourself as individual. You also discover who you are and who you want to be in the future. The college experience has showed me the steps that I need to take in order to succeed. The journey will be long and rough, but the end result is worthwhile.