The day had finally arrived where I was no longer a wide-eyed freshman. I was a sophomore this past year, stuck somewhere in the middle ground. Let me tell you: it was way different than freshman year. The new school year brought new lessons, so below, I've listed a few of the things I learned as a sophomore.
1. The transition from freshman to sophomore might be jarring at first.
As a sophomore, most of the people I knew were moving into apartments which is probably one of the bigger differences between freshmen and sophomores. Signing up for classes was easier this time around but choosing the classes themselves was more difficult. You begin to have fewer General Education courses to choose from, instead, starting the journey with pre-major and major courses a.k.a. the classes that actually matter. Aside from being more familiar with the campus and school itself, being a sophomore was really jarring for me. It was harder to make new friends, I didn't live in an apartment, I never saw my old friends, and it was frustrating being lost in the middle. Sophomore year wasn't nearly as new and exciting as freshman year, but you also aren't an upperclassmen so most of the time, you're just kind of...there.
2. There is A LOT of pressure put on you as a sophomore.
Although I mentioned above that sophomores are sort of stuck in this weird "middle ground," there is actually an unbelievable amount of pressure put on you during this specific year. This is the year that you're supposed to pick a major (though it's perfectly fine if finding the right one takes time). And if you don't know your major by Spring Quarter/Semester, then most everyone around you freaks out for you including: random people who already have their major picked out, your parents, your advisor, your friends, your dog, etc. To add to the pressure, though this part doesn't apply to everyone, this is also the time in which most students apply to other schools to transfer for their junior and senior years.
3. Your friendships will change.
Sophomore year is a great time to find out what kinds of people you want in your life. It's also a great time to see who you remain close with after freshman year and who you no longer connect with. For me personally, sophomore year was wonderful in this aspect. I ended friendships that weren't going anywhere, ones that had been more negative than they were positive and in doing so, I became twenty times happier. Sometimes you just outgrow friendships or you go in different directions and that is 100% okay.
4. Some professors are — put simply — assholes.
I considered myself to be very fortunate freshman year of college because the majority of my professors were awesome. Or at least they weren't totally awful. I remember only having a real problem with one of them freshman year. But then I got back into the swing of things sophomore year and all of a sudden, I kept getting really shitty professors. Ones who took advantage of their authority just because they could. Fall Quarter I had a professor call me passive aggressive in front of the whole class because I didn't know the answer to his question. Then he called on my roommate as "punishment" and told her that she could thank me for getting called on. But I was the passive aggressive one, right? Might I remind you, this professor also taught his 100 level class like a 300 level class. In all reality, there are some really unprofessional professors out there.
5. You needed to know how to make a résumé like yesterday.
This is pretty self explanatory. I took a career class and guess what I had been typing up the wrong way this whole time? Ding ding ding, my résumé! I had been listing past work/volunteer experiences that were outdated, I had used colored ink in some sections which is a huge "no-no," and I basically didn't know what else to include besides my name.
6. Take classes that challenge you, not just easy A courses.
I'll admit, I have taken a lot of classes this past year because I knew they would be easier than other classes. And that is lazy. Understandable, but lazy. You go to college to learn so get out there and try to take classes that genuinely challenge you!
Sidenote: If you suck at math I'm not encouraging you to take a really tough math course. I'm saying that you should take classes that interest you as well as ones that you wouldn't ordinarily take for fear of being too different or difficult or whatever the reason may be.
7. Your happiness should be a priority.
Freshman year was all about figuring out who you are as a college student and discovering who you are. Sophomore year is a bit more tame. A lot of people like sophomore year of college, but I know a lot of people who didn't. For many students, sophomore year was confusing. It's easy to get lost in the mix, especially as an underclassmen in undergrad. But no matter what, your happiness should remain a priority. No questions asked. Don't let other people tell you that happiness shouldn't be as important as your education because it should be. If joining a sorority would be fulfilling, go out and join one. If you want to transfer schools because you're no longer happy where you are, then look into transferring options. Whatever it is that you're doing, don't forget that you're important too.
