It is known without a doubt that sophomore year of college is one of the best years of your life. You're not a "baby" anymore, you have a solid crew, you know all the good hangout spots, and you feel superior to the new freshmen as they swarm the campus.
If you are a current sophomore you understand these five differences between freshman and sophomore year:
1. Friends
When freshmen come to SHU, typically they might know a handful of people. Either from back home or from orientation, but they are very nervous to make new friends. It can take a couple of weeks and for some even a couple months to form a group. But don’t worry freshman, by the end of the year, you will have your best friends who will probably live with for the following three years. Moving into sophomore year, your crew is stocked with only the best of humans from Greek life or a DI sports team or just people who you just clicked with. These are the friends that will stand proudly next to you when it comes time to graduate.
2. Dining Halls
Freshmen, let me guess you love the chicken and fries from Linda’s? Or you can't live without the pizza at 63’s? Just give it till the end of semester when you run out of dining dollars, and the only option you have is microwavable mac & cheese. When you are home, you will really appreciate your mother's home-cooked meals, and then will dread coming back to flavorless college "food." Sophomores make their home at Linda’s with the meal plan giving them more dining dollars and fewer swipes at 63’s, but do sophomores even use a meal plan any more? Sophomores and upperclassmen, being privileged with a ca,r go to their favorite stops like Merritt Canteen, Best Edibles, Chipotle, just too name a few.
3. Transportation
As a freshman, not having a car on campus is probably one of the worst things. You do have the option of SHUttles, let's be real, who wants to ride in that death trap on wheels? For the first month or so, they will be your best friend taking you to mall or to stop and shop. After a while you're going to get tired of the waiting and wish you could just get in your car and go wherever you want. Sophomores, don't you feel as if you have the world at your fingertips? With a car on campus you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. You don’t need to wait, and you don’t need to be back on campus at a certain time. Just a warning if you haven’t learned from the upperclassman last year, make sure you have a parking pass and don’t make up your own parking spots, because public safety likes to give out tickets, or should I say loves to?
4. The Gym
This might be the most important difference of sophomore year. Freshmen, if you don’t want to gain the freshman 15 stay away from late-night Linda’s and make the trek to the Pitt Center and kick your rears in gear. You're paying for it, so why not take advantage of the great facilities SHU offers? However, with about 6,500 students, 33 Division I athletic teams and only one main facility to work out in, it becomes the Hunger Games for the equipment. Sophomores could tell you they have memorized every team’s workout times, and they know what time is the perfect time to go to the Pitt Center. With SHU opening a diner right next to the athletic building, lets just say more and more people will “Pack the Pitt.”
5. Night Life
Freshmen, when you came to SHU, did you think it was going to be a crazy party school? I’m guessing you got that question answered very quickly in the first weekend that you were here. Parties do occur, but are busted very quickly. You probably have heard of G-Star, Sugar and Spice and Dreamz, just need to name a few. Upperclassmen could tell you that your Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends will be spent at those clubs. Sophomores know the whole deal about the party situation, but still continue to go because really what else is there to do for a college student on a Friday night? Sophomores acted like seniors the first week going out every night and recommended the best places to freshmen, but do sophomores really know where to go? Juniors and seniors are laughing at them while they are at SONO and Red’s. And if you don't know what SONO is, you will find out soon enough.
