Dear “sophomores,”

Congratulations! You made it successfully through your first year of college. Summer will be over soon, and you will be taking on your second year before you know it. If you’re returning to PC in the fall, get ready to embrace change. If you don’t, life will leave you in the dust and it will suck. A lot of crazy things are about to happen. You’re about to experience your freshman year all over again, except this time you know a little bit more about what you’re getting into. This move-in day, there will be less nerves and more excitement. But let me tell you something: it won’t be what you’re expecting. At all.

Just when you thought you had the hang of things, you’re about to get thrown through (another) loop. You’re moving into a new room — maybe you have a new roommate. Some of your closest friends either graduated or are moving on to another school. It sounds silly now. You might think things like that aren’t so important. I thought the same way. I thought I would be coming back to the same place and things would be the same way, minus a few unimportant details. Boy, was I wrong.

Within the first month of school, my friend group had fallen apart. When we left for the summer, everything having to do with PC felt frozen in time, like nothing would happen until we came back. I was so excited for a new year with new experiences that I forgot about the inevitable: people leave, people change. Breakups happen. Friends get in fights — sometimes they don’t make up. School always sucks, no matter what else is happening. Worst of all, you lose your freshman charm. When you graduate to sophomore-hood, you might be replaced with a new, more interesting freshman. That was one of the hardest parts of sophomore year for me. All of a sudden, I was old news to some people. Watching a new group of people do the same things I did in the exact same places, even with some of the same people… it was rough. I began to realize that what I felt my freshman year — the total excitement for everything, the utter splendor of growing up and being on my own — it wasn’t something unique. It was hard to watch these strangers feel my feelings and do the things that I thought were mine. I felt old and insignificant. Honestly, though, if you find yourself in that position, don’t get upset. I did, and it didn’t help anyone. Your true friends will still be your friends, no matter what new people join your group.

To my (former) freshman friends reading this: I’m not saying you won’t be friends with freshmen. Look at us, for example. Some of you are closer to me than anyone else. You absolutely will be friends with this year’s freshmen. I’m just saying that it will be hard to deal with sometimes. When you all came along at the beginning of last year, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of you being here. Be patient with your freshmen.

I don’t mean to scare you, or sound like a know-it-all or a crotchety old lady. I just want you, my babies, to have a great sophomore year. I felt like the best way to communicate that was to write this to you. I don’t want you to make my mistakes. I want you to have a pain-free year. I know that’s not realistic, but it’s what I want for you. I thought if I told you some of the things I wish I had known going into my sophomore year of college then it might make things better for some of you. Just remember, life will be what you make it. Ultimately, I know every one of you will have an amazing year. You will meet some of your new best friends. You will get Littles. You might even find a soulmate.

Just, please, don’t go in blind like I did. Be ready for change and don’t be bitter about the changes that do happen. Be optimistic and try your best at everything.

Good luck, my little Hose!

Your friendly neighborhood junior