The word 'sophomore' pains me, and probably the majority of students who just finished their first year of college. I don't know what it is, but the feeling of being a second year is rough. I feel like I wasn't even able to take advantage of freshman year because everything was fairly new. There was so much to take in, so by the time it was over, the only thing I wanted was to re-do it. Now don't get me wrong, it was the best year of my life, but all I'm saying is that your second year might just top your first. There are so many memories I made throughout my time as a freshman and so many people I became close to that I wasn't prepared to leave such an amazing year behind, but I think the best is yet to come. Now we have all of that plus three more years ahead of us. I just knew my second year back wouldn't compare to it. I think I'm wrong, though. It actually might just be the best year if you make it that way.

Think about it, you now have college at your fingertips. You've navigated your way through campus and become familiar with the shortcuts, you know the places to party at and the places to stay away from, you've met an incredible group of people that will be with you for the next couple years. What more could you ask for? It is hard to accept, and being back in the routine seems different now that you've become accustomed to the atmosphere, but it truly is a blessing in disguise.

I've already fallen victim to continuously calling myself a freshman. It's a habit, and I will forever be in denial that I'm getting older. I want to stay in college forever, it's the perfect place and it's something I will need to take advantage of. Being a sophomore doesn't mean you're irrelevant, it means you know more about college and you have more experiences within the community.

Coming into my freshman year I knew nothing about the system, I had no idea who was going to become my friend or what classes I would end up taking. It was so fresh and so much to take in. I knew my freshman year wouldn't last, but it was always for the best. There is a time when you learn and there should be a time when you teach. Freshman year was exciting and new, but so will the upcoming years. It's the same campus, same if not more friends, and more experiences. We're still fairly young compared to the rest of the students, but we have an edge. We have one year down, and that counts for a lot.

You aren't old, you still have a few more years in college. You know so much more about the school than you did a year ago which should make you more confident in your future years. There is so much I took from my first year that I will put towards my second, and I'm sure that goes for all the sophomores out there. I didn't know how to prepare myself for college but within a year I made some of the best memories, so I do have high hopes for this upcoming one.

This is a year when we can begin the classes for our major, when we can walk on campus and actually know the building we have class in, a time to figure out what we want to do with ourselves and work towards it but to also have the time of our lives again.