SPHS Alumni Reflect On First Semester Of College

Posted Thursday, February 7, 2019 12:46 pm

By Madi Mason
Student Intern

With the first semester of college behind them, Severna Park High School’s graduating class of 2018 has encountered everything from their first meal in a college cafeteria to their first week of finals. Whether they stayed in state or moved across the country, new faces and experiences were around every corner.

Despite being nervous about starting college, many freshmen walked away from their first semester ready to go back. Kelli Kazmarek, a freshman at La Salle University, had a great start to the year despite the workload being harder than predicted. “Even though I spent a lot of time on school work, I was more nervous about making friends at school. I was not expecting to be able to make new relationships so fast, but it ended up working out very well,” Kazmarek said after explaining the difficult workload.

Meg Young, a freshman at Towson University, also had an easier time meeting people than she had expected. “If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to stop worrying about making friends because everyone is in the same boat as you are,” she said. “You can say hi to anyone and they won’t ignore you or turn away because they all want to make friends too.”

Every student’s experience with being away from home for the first time is unique but a common part of college life is missing home. University of Maryland freshman Tacy Surrett explained how she missed seeing the students and some teachers from SPHS. “I wish I could go back and pick people from Severna Park to bring along with me,” Surrett said. “As for home, I really missed my sister and my cats.”

Now that these freshmen are able to look back on their time at Severna Park High School, they offer advice to the soon to be graduating class of 2019. Kazmarek believes it’s important to “focus on your time management in high school so that it’s easier in college” and it’s always better to start assignments earlier than later instead of waiting till the last minute.

Young said, “I know this sounds cliché, but I promise everything is going to work out in the end” and she wants the seniors of SPHS to remember not to stress over the little things.

Looking back on the highs and lows of the semester brought to light the best and worst parts of college for these freshmen. But as their nerves washed away, these freshmen were able to make the most of their first semester in college and familiarize themselves with their new home. The second semester of college looks bright for the class of 2018 and they head into the new year with excitement.