For most college students, move-in day is coming up fast. Mine is only 16 days from now (yes, I have been counting down) and this year, I'm going to be a sophomore. While college may not be new and exciting like it was last year, there are many things to look forward to as a sophomore college student.
1. You're not the baby of the school anymore (and it's kind of a mystery to others what you are)
One of the great things about college is that it's often hard to distinguish the ages and grade levels of your fellow students. When you're walking down the hallway on your way to class, most won't know whether you're a sophomore, junior, or senior. There is one thing you will have escaped though, and that's the freshman vibe. Especially in the first few weeks, or even months, of school, you'll see many freshman looking lost, asking for directions, and being incredibly nervous in their new environment. You have an opportunity to help them now; if they ask you where a class is and you happen to know, just tell them. Remember, you were in their shoes last year.
2. Roommates, dorms, and other residential life stuff
Last year, I had two different roommates because my first one and I didn't get along. I know people who chose to suffer through their roommate situation, rather than create drama by requesting to move. This year is a chance to start over; of course, some will still be taking the risk of being paired with a random roommate, but most will not. Most will now be rooming with a very close friend and others, like myself, have decided the single-room life is best. No matter what you've decided, it's a fresh start and a chance to forget any of the rooming drama of last year.
The dorms are also much nicer. This may not be true everywhere, but on my campus, most of the freshman students are confined to one building. This year, we get to spread out and live in the best buildings on campus: the ones with air conditioning and better parking.
As a sophomore in college, you already know the residential life rules; you know when quiet hours are, how to request a janitor to fix damages, and other little things like that. You also get the chance to surround yourself with other upperclassmen who, for the most part, no longer feel the need to scream and run down the hall at 3 o'clock in the morning on a Tuesday.
3. Picking classes, dorms, and rooms
As a freshman, you are usually the last one to pick classes or where you want to live the next year. As a sophomore, you are now typically the second-to-last ones to do this. It's still not a great position to be in, but you're clearly moving up in the college world!
4. The freedom of being at school
Chances are you pretty much know your way around campus by now and feel comfortable there. Chances are your parents aren't going to feel the need to check in on you quite as often. As sophomores we've found our freedom, our home away from home. For most of us, it's where our jobs our, our best friends are, and it’s where we have our normal routine. It's where our lives are and as much as we'll miss our families, it's going to be very nice to get back to it.
