For some reason most people’s sophomore year of college is a rough one and mine was no different. I changed so much my first year of college that I was surprised how much more growing up I actually had left to do. My second year in college I moved into my first apartment, I learned to ‘stick’ to a budget and feed myself, I gained some new friends and lost some old ones. I completed my first internship, failed my first test, spent some time laughing and crying with my best friends and truly learned what people mean when they say something ‘sucks the life out of them.’ But honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because my sophomore year taught me important lessons about life, love and who I am.

Going to the grocery store is hard.

For some reason, even when I had a list and a plan for effectively tackling grocery shopping, every week I came home with things I didn’t need and without things I did. I still don’t understand. However, after a few weeks (okay let’s be real, months) of spending money on unhealthy and unnecessary items I finally came up with a system. Honestly, while it may suck, going to the grocery store by yourself is truly the best option. You know what you need and if you don’t plan your meals for the week before you go. Bring a precise list, work from one end of the store to the other and you’ll save a ton of money by sticking to the list and avoiding name brand items. Kroger is just as good and much cheaper. And if you really just don’t feel like running into anyone you know, go to a store that’s a little farther out. It’ll save you the time and the social anxiety headache.

Communication is key.

I’ve known for years that I’m a bad communicator and it’s taken two leadership classes, several job training sessions and multiple frustrating situations to make me realize communication really is the key to happiness, generally speaking. It really is just easier to tell your roommate, coworker, significant other, parent or friends what’s bothering you or how you’re feeling. It’ll save you a lot of time and make you feel so much better. It can be hard to improve your communication skills, I know from personal experience but making a conscious effort can make all the difference.

Taking time for yourself is okay.

College is a busy time, especially your sophomore year. All year I overextended myself because I wanted to try and do everything, but that’s not realistically possible. You may think you can do school, work, clubs, have a social life and also that awesome internship but cutting down your commitments can be the best thing for your sanity. Stress crying is fun and all but so is sleep. While keeping busy and staying involved is important having balance is equally important so I have found that taking time for myself can keep me calm. I enjoy reading and writing so once a week I’ll go to coffee shop by myself and just hangout, reading or writing. By not focusing solely on work, school and all those other commitments I was able to take a break from the panic attacks and get back in touch with what I needed. Being by yourself is great. You’ll learn about who you are and what you want by being by yourself.

Things change.

I’m the type of person who loves lists. I love to know where I’m going, how to get there, and what’s going to happen along the way. Certainty is my best friend but over the last year I have experienced a myriad of changes. I added a second major, I spoke in front of a crowd of over a hundred people, I passed a calculus class, I studied abroad, I moved, and I even dyed my hair purple. Change is a part of life and it’s one we all have to accept no matter how much we don’t want to. When I started college I had back up plan upon back up plan for my life, but now I have no idea where I’m going or what I want to do. But that’s ok. I started out the year with a certain set of friends, a certain set of plans, and a certain set of assumptions but now I have more friends, no plans and I have tried my best to wipe away all of my assumptions.

I don’t know how my life will change this year and I don’t know where I’ll end up but I’m sure I’m going to grow and change just as much my junior year.