Junior year of college ain't no joke. Or at least, that is what I have been told. As a rising junior myself, I have been preparing myself for this fateful year since last semester. Apparently it is just like high school and this is when crunch time really starts. However, I have noticed something else that starts around junior year: the glo up.

For those of you who don't know, if someone "glo's up," that means they have increased their style, they have become more attractive, or they have become more confident. All of these things factor in to what it means to "glo up."

Attending Howard University, I am constantly surrounded by my beautiful black kings and queens. With all of these beautiful people around me 24/7, you think it would be hard to tell when someone glos up. However, I have a theory on why junior year starts the glo up.

Freshman year is a big adjustment period for everyone. For a lot of people, this is their first time experiencing true freedom and being away from home. You meet so many people your freshman year and you learn a lot of things about yourself that you didn't even know. But at the same time, this is also you at your absolute worst. Personally, I did not expect everyone to be dressed like it was New York Fashion Week every single day. So if you're like me, you looked like a bum your freshman year. The summer also plays a big part in your progression. You come home and since this is your first time being home, you have to do hoodrat things with your friends. Hit the town, go to parties, and just relax.

Sophomore year is a little different. You don't have the excuse of being new to this college thing anymore so you can't be nearly as buck wild. You become used to the runway that is the cafeteria and you spent your summer money on stepping that wardrobe up. Hopefully, your grades are looking good and you're doing everything you need to stay on track.

Now we get to the summer after sophomore year. In your mind, you are already a junior. The minute that last final was over, you told everyone you were a junior at (your school name here). This summer right here is crucial to the junior year glo up. You have learned a lot from your two years in college and your first year home. This summer is not the summer to do hoodrat things with your friends. Sure, you can still have fun with them and hang out, but that should not be the only thing you are doing.

Almost every former junior I know had either a summer job or an internship the summer after their sophomore year. It's great to have some type of work experience on your resume, as you will want that when applying to jobs in the future. This goes to the confidence aspect of the glo up. Getting that job or internship and feeling accomplished helps build that confidence.

If you get a job over the summer, then you will probably have a little money in your pocket. It is good to save a lot of that money for the future simply because you never know what will happen after college. But you don't have to save all of it. Use the money you don't save to step your wardrobe up. Maybe there's a fresh new pair of Jordans dropping that you just have to add to your collection or a new shirt that would be perfect for you. Whatever it may be, treat yo self a little bit. You've been working hard, you deserve it.

Now the last one is a little hard to explain, but somehow, someway, before junior year starts, you will find yourself more attractive. I noticed so many juniors had just become more beautiful out of nowhere. At first, I really had no idea why it had happened to so many of them. Then I really started to think. Confidence is attractive. People who exude confidence tend to be seen as more attractive. So maybe it's the fact that these juniors got jobs and dressed nicer that led to their increase in confidence as well as attractiveness. Blend that with the upperclassmen mentality and being on the brink of true adulthood and you have a junior who has certainly "glo'd up" from their freshman year.