It's the middle of August again, and you know what that means: students around the country are settling into their tiny dorm rooms, hugging their parents goodbye, and heading out to have their very first college experiences. It's easy to spot the newbies on campus. They have an angelic air of innocence and wonder about them (and a willingness to try anything) that makes them stand out. If you're returning for a second year, you have a little more experience under your belt, and are realizing some differences between yourself and your younger counterparts.
1. You have no problem staying in.
Sure, you still get the occasional case of FOMO, but leaving your room at 11 p.m. for a night of partying starts to sound less appealing when the alternative is sitting in bed, watching Netflix, and drinking wine with your roommates.
2. You're better at resisting peer pressure.
You know what you like and what you don't, and if someone tells you to take a shot of something that just reminds you of vomit, you know how to say no.
3. You actually go to class.
Last semester was -- admit it -- not exactly what you had hoped, which can probably be attributed to you missing every class before 11 a.m., after 3 p.m., or on a Friday and never leaving your room if it was too rainy or too hot outside. Now you'll drag yourself out of bed for that 9 a.m. orgo class because you know what will happen if you don't.
4. You like tutoring the freshmen because it makes you feel smart.
Who cares that you have no idea what's going on in your sophomore-level classes? You aced freshman environmental science and you are ready to share your talents with the world.
5. You literally never look good for class.
Freshmen might wake up early to curl their hair and put on their faces, but not you. All you need in life is a large t-shirt and dry shampoo, and you'll be on your way.
6. Your friends start getting their lives together.
A terrible reminder that you're getting old is that everyone around you is becoming responsible and getting jobs; worse than that is when they encourage you to do the same. Which means...
7. You're either working a job or desperately trying to find one.
Sure, it's entry level and you're constantly bored out of your mind, but it keeps your bank account above $0.15, so you're happy.
8. You're trying to lose the freshman fifteen.
The dining hall was not your friend last year, and neither were those late-night runs to Cookout. You still want to be able to drunkenly go to WaHo whenever you want though, so you're trying out this new "exercise" thing. Weird.
9. Your friendships are stronger than ever.
You spent all of freshman year building relationships that mean the world to you, and your friends have been with you through thick and thin. Now you'll never second-guess their love, because they can pick up your Starbucks order perfectly without even asking.
10. You kind of wish you were a freshman again.
Freshman year was the perfect mix of doing whatever you wanted and blaming it on not knowing any better, and you have to admit it was fun. The good news is, sophomore year is close enough to freshman year that you can keep doin' you. Just maybe don't drink the hunch punch anymore.
