The following is North alumna Vidushi Vashist’s response to our questions about her college decision process, the student life and culture at UMD, and more.

Vashist graduated from North in 2019. She is a part of UMD’s class of 2023.

I decided to attend UMD because it has an excellent computer science program and because I was looking for an out-of-state experience. I’ve found that the program was worth the extra money for being out-of-state. Visiting campus helped to skew me towards UMD as well because I love how connected the campus is. 

I’m really glad I chose to come to UMD. I love how basically everything is walking distance and just how welcoming everyone is on campus. 

After a few weeks I did start to feel homesick. One good thing about UMD is that it’s not too far from home, so my parents have come to visit me before, and I can go home for a weekend if I want. I mostly miss my friends from home and, of course, home-cooked meals.

Photo Credit: umdrightnow.umd.edu

My favorite thing about UMD is how beautiful the campus is and how welcoming everyone on campus is. 

Since everything is within walking distance, I have to do a lot of walking. I get at least four miles in every day (but it’s a great way to get some exercise).

The culture is very inclusive and diverse. You can find people from all over the country here. I have friends from Florida and California here (and of course tons of people from New Jersey).