The first week of classes has come and gone for many college students across the country. For freshmen or transfer students, it is the dawn of a new experience, a new adventure, a fresh start. So many of them are getting lost on their way to classes, buildings, and dining halls. No matter how well they may think they know a campus, their first weeks at school can best be described as "complete bewilderment."
But what about the sophomores, who in comparison to their first-year counterparts are seasoned veterans of the college lifestyle? They obviously know where most everything is on campus by now. They've ate at all the dining halls, had classes in most of the buildings, and can pinpoint their way to the student center in a flash. Now, the experience is vastly different.
Here are some thoughts shared by all second-year college students in the first week of a new school year.
1. The fresh, new fall semester is going to inspire me to step up and get perfect grades.
But it's going to be a dogfight in year two. Especially if a beast such as Calculus is involved.
2. You can instantly pick out a freshman from a mile away.
To be honest, it is a little fun being able to pick on the large groups who always ask where the English hall or the soccer stadium is.
3. But on the other hand, you may feel a little forgotten in comparison to your younger counterparts.
Your school's brochures, guidebooks, and fancy website pictures are probably all geared towards freshmen. In fact, few universities have specific pages geared towards the second-year experience. Everyone expects you to have found your way and determined which direction you will be taking in your life. The novelty and intrigue of being a newbie has worn off.
4. You'll be completely surprised that some of your friends from last year didn't return.
This will definitely happen to everyone. I had a couple of friends who I was expecting to see when I returned to campus last week. One told me that she had transferred the day before I returned, and I just found out another friend had transferred via his Facebook only a couple of days ago. Both instances caught me totally off guard. The downside to knowing a lot of people at your school in your first year is that you should realistically expect at least a couple of them to not come back for sophomore year.
5. You're entering "pre-crunch time."
Most colleges and universities expect students to have officially declared a major by the conclusion of their second year. Classes get more difficult as you delve into crucial prerequisites before entering the school of your major. Study abroad decisions will also have to be determined during year two. It's not quite the expected hell of the junior year, but to say that the difficulty will step up from year one is an understatement. Those who did well as freshmen will hope to maintain their positive momentum, while students in the middle of the pack are looking to improve their standard and potentially take their place among their school's elite. But wherever you may fall on the GPA scale, avoiding the dreaded sophomore slump is so crucial.
Us sophomores have now proven that we can successfully navigate the college beast. Now, let's go out and make it the best year we've ever known.
