Lessons Learned In My Second Year Of College | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Lessons Learned In My Second Year Of College

A year later: more knowledge, more experience and a somewhat better grasp on this whole college thing.

76
Lessons Learned In My Second Year Of College
Tori Hossenlopp

Your freshman year of college is a time for self-discovery, messing up, trying to get your life together and attempting to tackle this whole college thing. Well, your second year of college is all of that but a little bit easier. You finally have a better grasp on scheduling classes, knowing where to sit in the dining hall, and what not to eat while you're there. However, sometimes you are still finding yourself, you might make a mistake or two, and getting your life together may often seem like a joke. Nevertheless, year two is an adventure that embodies many lessons in which I will now stop rambling and share with you.

1. Having a quarter-life crisis is not as rare as you think.

Many sophomores take this year to rediscover their passion or to completely change it. Choosing another major is okay (hopefully you attend a liberal arts institution). Doubting your chosen major is also okay. The expectations placed on millennials to know exactly what we want to do with the rest of our lives is unreasonable and unrealistic. Additionally, many professors will encourage you to reflect upon your first two years and depending on this, will incite you to change or keep your chosen field of study. If I have learned anything about deciding where my life is headed, it is that not knowing is okay.

N.B. To the psychology majors and scholars reading this, I know "mid-life crises" are a myth, however, there are many times in college when we sit down and reevaluate our chosen fields of study and future careers. I simply used the idiom for writing purposes only.

2. The food does not get better.

Most uncertain aspects of college grow on you after awhile. Unfortunately, dining hall food is not one of those things. However now you are more sure of what is okay to eat and what is not okay to eat. You most likely have a personal menu and plan already laid out in your head as you walk through the doors. If they do not have anything in the hot-line, you always have a back-up plan. You can usually point out the freshman because they are wandering around aimlessly with little direction as to how to survive in a unfortunate circumstance such as this. To be honest I still look lost in the dining hall sometimes. However, I have learned to express my frustration while eating cereal, a safe go-to meal.

3. Naps.

Naps are life. I have learned to value naps. If you learn nothing else from this article, remember to nap and love naps and breathe naps and just when in doubt nap.

4. Take a lot of pictures.

I know it is an overused cliche, but these four years are ones that you will not forget. So take pictures, write in a journal, document every moment.

5. Don't wish it away.

Yeah we all have our moments that we do not want to be at school any more and just wish we could go home. But we should really learn to treasure the four years that we have getting to study what we love, make memories with friends, do stupid things and not have to adult for just a little while longer.

6. Procrastinating is a horrible and beautiful thing.

Make sure that you do well under pressure and avoid all-nighters. Remember naps? Sleep is important too. SLEEP DAMN IT. You need it. If you have no choice but to have a late night, nap the next day. Procrastinate in a healthy environment that encourages sleep and eating a lot of food.

7. Appreciate your professors.

Listen to what they have to say and absorb as much as you can. They have so much intellect and experience to offer us, you just need to reach out and take it.

8. When you are home, hug your dog and never let him/her go.

You don't realize how much you love and treasure your little furry creatures until you leave home to go back to school. Sometimes your pets will seem cooler than people, it's probably because they are.

9. Do not be afraid to mess up.

We all make mistakes. [Insert Hannah Montana Lyric here]. Now is this time to break hearts, fall in love with the wrong people, fail a test, fight with your best friend and change your major fifty times. Fearlessly make mistakes.

10. Learn to love yourself.

Yes I know, another cliche. But it is SO important to be okay with who you are. Once you accept the the beautiful and horrible things about yourself, life is so much easier and fun. So don't forget to keep on keeping on and stay true to you.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

441399
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

14635
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

40609
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

7 Types Of Students You Will Meet In College

You wish you could be #5, but you know you're probably a #6.

20661
cool group of lazy college students in class
StableDiffusion

There are thousands of universities around the world, and each school boasts its own traditions and slogans. Some schools pride themselves on sports, while others emphasize their research facilities. While there is a myriad of differences among each and every school, there will always these seven types of students in class.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Rhyme Without Reason Greek Life Function Ideas

When you have no ideas for what to wear to this date function

321025
A dog and a frog
Healthy Pets

I am going to a rhyme without reason date function and I have looked at so many different rhyming words and I figured there need to be a new list of words. At these functions, there are usually at least two rockers and boxers and an umpteenth amount of dogs and frogs. I have come up with a list of creative and unique ideas for these functions.

If you like what you see, get a shopping cart going with these costumes.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments