From glow-in-the dark ultimate frisbee at midnight to live bands playing on the quad, Wilde Lake teachers have experienced all college has to offer. The Paw Print has interviewed four teachers, each with a different college experience and advice for students.
Ms. Shin, French and Spanish teacher went to four different colleges, majoring in Russian studies, and even spending ten weeks in St. Petersburg, Russia while it was still communist. Her experience overall was a positive one, but she said, “I would have benefited from not going to college immediately and instead taking a year off to have a job and learn about the real world.”
“College is completely different,” said Ms. Shin. “I didn’t have much freedom in high school. I went from no freedom to a lot of freedom. It was a tough transition. There are so many people and you have to be comfortable seeking people out to ask questions, which was hard for me because I was shy, but it is a good skill to learn and have.”
Ms. Shin spent her time in college learning and experiencing new things. She offers basic advice for college success. “Don’t procrastinate,” said Ms. Shin. “Ask for help when you need it. And make sure you attend your classes.”
English teacher Ms. Sheinhorn believes that college is about experiencing many things. She said that the most challenging thing for first year college students is balancing the amount of time they have and understanding the way scheduling works. She advised that students try everything and change it up every year.
Ms. Sheinhorn went to school at University of Maryland College Park. She started as an Architecture major, switched to Graphic Design, then eventually changed again to English Education. She lived in a girls-only dorm her freshman year, a co-ed dorm in her second, then an apartment, and finally a sorority, with each having its own vastly different experience.
Ms. Sheinhorn offers practical advice: “Don’t take 8 AM classes that you won’t want to attend. And make sure you are doing everything for a class, especially if it’s a lecture, there may be a discussion section,” she said.
Math teacher Mr. Faries graduated from Towson, with a degree in Mathematics and a concentration in Secondary Education.
“If I could do anything differently, I would work on my time management skills and take advantage of the opportunities colleges give,” said Mr. Faries. “Take academics seriously, but also enjoy all the things that college life has to offer.”
Media specialist Ms. Bailey graduated from Western Maryland College, now known as McDaniel College. She got a degree in Psychology with a certification to teach.
The first couple years for her were difficult because she was getting a handle on how challenging the work was. “It made a difference to ask for help from someone [her] own age.”
In her free time, she created a club called the Peace and Justice Coalition that focused on awareness for different actions and crimes around the world. They brought many speakers to their school, one of whom was a Holocaust survivor. For Ms. Bailey, this was one of the defining aspects of her college experience.
Even though every teacher has a different college experience, they can all agree on one lesson they learned: To take advantage of the opportunities they are given. “Keep your mind open to opportunities, you never know what is around the corner for you,” said Ms. Bailey.
