An Open Letter to Sophomore Year:
There is no denying that your road has not been an easy one.
The classes are hard, the expectations are higher and adulthood doesn’t seem so far away.
As sophomores, we find ourselves in a precarious place. We are no longer the wide-eyed and overly eager freshmen, but we are not yet the seemingly all-knowing and adult-like upperclassmen. Instead, we are somewhere in the middle of blind optimism and mature knowledge.
This limbo that we find ourselves in is yet another phase of life in which we continue to learn about who we are and who we are becoming. We are discovering that life is not necessarily black and white, that people are not necessarily good or bad, and who we once were is no longer who we will always be.
The large group of friends we clung to as freshmen has dwindled to a smaller and more intimate group of best friends. We have moved past the uniform introductions and desperate attempts to impress. Although we are not jaded, we have realized that there is more value in being truly authentic than in putting on a good show.
Going out every night of weekend is now traded for movie nights and time spent in the library. The crazy debauchery that once seemed like our entire life's purpose no longer dominates our free time.
We are forced to draw back the curtain of the present and look into our future. What do we want to do? Where do we want to go? Who do we want to be?
Internships, summer jobs, resumes and cover letters bombard our lives. Even though we have two more beautiful years as college students, it seems the future and all of its requirements are beginning to pop up everywhere we look. Everything we do seems to be a stepping stone to our future. There is no turning back; there is only moving forward.
Despite all of the stress and impossible-to-meet requirements that we seem to face, growing older and experiencing you, sophomore year, has been an exhilarating time. Our relationships grow stronger, our memories increase and become more precious, and we know that there is even more to look forward to. We know who and what is worth investing time and energy into. Our classes have become more interesting as we finally get to focus on the subjects we are passionate about. We are given opportunities to pursue the activities we once thought were only possible in our dreams. Along with the increased responsibility we are given, comes more freedom. Sometimes the future, although daunting, can be thrilling.
So thank you sophomore year, for the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the depressing and the joyful. Without this rollercoaster of emotions and experiences, we would still be wide-eyed naïve freshmen we once were. You’re not perfect, but you’re definitely worth it.
Sincerely,
The Sophomore
