"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." -Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)
As I'm settling into my fourth week of my sophomore year, I can't help but feel off balanced. I'm all moved in (into my adult apartment), I'm starting my midterms, and I'm back into the swing of things. So why do I feel so "off"? I'm not exactly saying I "peaked" my freshman year of college, but it was definitely one of my most enjoyable moments of my 19 years of existence. Many of my friends feel almost, if not exactly, how I feel. Here are some reasons as to why I feel as though I'm still not over freshman year that may be relatable to you!
1. You find yourself Facebook stalking people who lived on your floor in your Freshman dorm
"Oooooh looks like Jess and Gabbie are living together again"
"Ahhh Sam finally transferred, let me just stalk her new roommate and school and life for 20 consecutive hours"
"Did this girl even live on my floor? Why is she a part of the Facebook page?"
It still hasn't hit you yet; the 39 +/- other girls and/or boys you saw every day for a full year are now not a part of your life anymore. Sure you still text them here or there, or grab coffee once in a while, or just like their profile photo every time they change it, but it hasn't fully hit you that they are no longer a part of your life. You miss your neighbors who conveniently stayed up until the wee hours of the night yelling through your paper thin walls. You miss going into your communal bathroom and seeing puke in three out of the four bathroom stalls. And finally, you miss having a support system even if it did not feel like one. So you, just as I do, at least eight times a week, stalk your floor mates on Facebook just to see how they're doing.
2. You realize it's actually really hard making friends with people who don't live in your dorm
3. You constantly break down crying because you no longer have a meal plan and have realized you have no idea how to use a stove
Ahhhh. Adulthood! Doesn't it feel nice? You know what also feels good? Not having to worry about preparing (and spending money) on food! As a freshman, you take this granted; "Eww I hate the dining hall food" or "I'm so sick of all the boring food I can use my dining dollars on". Freshman who are reading this: PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. As a sophomore. you will no longer have a convenient meal plan. You have to buy groceries, budget your dining out money, and make your own food. It doesn't sound that bad until you realize you've had grilled cheeses and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every single night for dinner for the past five week.
4. You scoff at people who think they are "too cool" for dingy basement parties
A dingy basement party is where some of my most memorable freshman year memories took place. Sure, it smells like cheap beer. Sure, you're probably stepping on throw-up. Sure, you're probably sweating profusely because a 10x10' holding 100 people is really cramped. Sure, you've listened to "Come on Eileen" about 10x already. Sure, you just witnessed some indecent acts 2 feet away from you. It's awesome though. It's just purely awesome. Basement parties is where the fun happens. As a sophomore, it is sometimes frown upon to go to these parties. These parties are seen as "freshman parties" because they "lack maturity" (direct quote from an anonymous source). It is true that the majority of attendees to these parties are freshmen who get the address off yik yak. Next time I suggest we hit up a basement party, do not scoff at me, or I will resent the fact that I am a sophomore even more than I already do.
In conclusion: Enjoy it. Enjoy the ups, enjoy the downs, enjoy the laughter, and enjoy the tears. Freshman year will be the most interesting year of your life, so put yourself out there and make memories. Maybe one day even you can become a boring sophomore who reminisce every waking hour on how amazing your freshman year was!
