Friday, August 28th, 2015: Move in day, freshman year of college.
I had it marked on my calendar for months, and I considered it the first day of the rest of my life. It was the day that I (sort of) moved out of my childhood home, and started on the path to becoming what I have always wanted to be: a journalist.
Fast forward to now, a year later: I am packing up all over again for move in day round two. But this time, I know it isn't the first day of the rest of my life. It's simply a step on the path to a career in my chosen field. While last summer was filled to the brim with anxiety about what college would bring, this summer I am so much more relaxed. This is because I know what to expect. Although I will be moving into a different dorm, I don't have any real worries. This time, I know what I'm in for. Here are ten truths of returning to college sophomore year.
1. You don't over-pack.
College freshmen are notorious for over-packing. We've all done it, myself included. When you go to college for the first time, you have no idea what you'll need, so just to be safe you buy and pack two of everything on every college packing list provided by your school, by Bed Bath & Beyond, and some more you found online. When move in day of freshman year comes, you pack up your parents' car so completely that they are not able to see through the back window at all. And you wonder how all your stuff will fit in your dorm room. And what will your roommate think? Did she pack nearly as much stuff? How are all my clothes going to fit in my closet? Did I bring too many shoes?
The anxieties associated with packing for freshman year of college are almost completely eliminated come sophomore year. Now that I have begun the slow process of packing once again, I have eliminated almost half of the stuff I brought to college the first time. The truth is that you don't really know what you do and don't need, until you're there, living the college life. I can't tell you how many times throughout my freshman year I said, "darn, I wish I had such-and-such a thing," such as: a vacuum, garbage bags, sandals, etc.
For sophomore year, you can narrow down your stuff to exactly what you need- no more, no less, because now you know what you need and use, and what you don't. The more space in your dorm room, the better!
2. You don't stress about classes (as much).
The summer before your first year of college is incredibly stressful, not only because of dorm shopping and packing, but because of the impending doom that is the academic year you are about to face. You obsess over your class schedule, color-coding it, and compare it to the campus map to discover what routes to take to get to class on time. You also obsess over buying your textbooks online far in advance so that you have them ready when you move in. You buy matching folders, notebooks, binders, etc. for each course you are taking, and pack a surplus of pens, pencils, highlighters, etc. You go above and beyond to prepare yourself for your first semester of college classes.
By sophomore year, you know the drill. I have my schedule for my fall semester saved in my phone, but I haven't looked at it more than twice all summer. I haven't gone shopping for notebooks and the like because I'm going to use what I have left over from freshman year. I haven't bought pens in a year. I'm going to use what I have until it's gone until I absolutely have to buy new school supplies. Also, I'm going to hold off on getting my books for as long as possible, because although almost every college professor has a textbook listed on their course, you will find that a lot of the time, they don't use the book at all. I'm not going to waste money that I don't have to!
Also, by sophomore year, you know where everything is on campus (at least at a small college like mine.) There's no worry about finding the Kennedy building on the first day of classes. Adjusting to a new schedule sophomore year is smooth sailing compared to the chaos of beginning freshman year.
3. You have a car on campus!
Most colleges don't allow freshmen to have cars on campus, so that they will not use them to go home every weekend. This way, they are much more likely to stay on campus on the weekends and adjust to the college life. However, if you are lucky enough freshman year, you will make friends with upperclassmen who have cars on campus.
Sophomore year, though, all of that changes. Having a car on campus makes the world of a difference. Accidentally take a nap through dinner? No problem. Hop in your car with your friends and eat at the nearest Chipotle. Run out of laundry detergent? No need to wait for the campus shuttle to the mall. Just drive down the street to a convenience store and pick up whatever you might need.
And if you don't have a car on campus, your roommate and friends most likely will! Yay for spontaneous trips to the beach!
4. You already have a friend group.
Going into college freshman year, most likely you don't know a single soul on campus. It's nerve-wracking to enter a completely new environment where you don't know anyone, and no one knows you. Hopefully, however, by the end of freshman year, you have a friend group established, and who you come to miss over your first summer apart.
The summer after freshman year, you count down the days until you go back to school so that you can be with your friends again!
5. You've already experienced (or avoided) the Freshman 15.
Perhaps one of the biggest fears surrounding freshman year of college is the infamous Freshman 15. While a lot of freshmen do gain weight when they go to college, plenty don't. Now that your freshman year is over, you either successfully avoided, or fell victim to, the Freshman 15. Now that you are entering your sophomore year, you know what's good and what's not when it comes to dining hall food, so you know what to eat. Also, because you have a car on campus (see #3), you have much greater access to different varieties of food. You don't have to eat the dining hall food at all if you really don't want to. Since you've survived your first year of college, you can do anything. You've got this!
6. You're familiar with your campus.
When you first move in to your college freshman year, you most likely have no idea what your school's party scene is like. Throughout the year, you will learn which dorms are the party dorms, and which dorms are quieter on the weekends. Freshman year is when you become familiar with your campus and fellow students. By the time you move back in sophomore year, you know the reputations of different places on campus like the back of your hand. You know which places to avoid. And you've probably already decided whether you are going to participate in the party scene or not. Some people enter college and party all of freshman year, while others prefer to sit out. By sophomore year, you've already established yourself as a party person, or a stay-home, study kind of person.
7. You're prepared for the inevitable meltdowns.
I don't think anything can prepare you for the frequent emotional meltdowns you experience during your first year of college. The stress of adjusting to the college lifestyle, and living away from home, while juggling homework, clubs, and a social life, including living with roommates, isn't easy. College can easily make you have a nervous breakdown as often as once a week, depending on the person. There is no way to prepare for the emotional turmoil and high stress level that college entails.
By sophomore year, you have a number of such meltdowns under your belt, and have a feel for what the college stress is like. You've become used to having a mid-life crisis at least once a month, and when the negative emotions hit you, at least now you'll know what's coming.
8. You are prepared for dining hall food.
Again, I don't think anything can prepare you for college food. Freshman year, you probably gained some weight and ate a lot of takeout to take a break from the dining hall. Coming back as a sophomore, you know exactly what to expect from your college's dining hall, and therefore, you won't be disappointed. Plus, you've already figured out which foods the dining hall serves that you actually like, and that actually tastes good. You may even find yourself looking forward to the clam chowder, or pizza, or whatever your dining hall favorite is.
9. You've (hopefully) chosen a major.
Many college students enter freshman year undeclared, because they simply don't know what they want to study yet- and that's perfectly fine. However, the classes you take and experiences you have freshman year most of the time reveal to you some of the interests and passions you didn't even know you had. Hopefully by sophomore year, you will have decided on a major, if you hadn't already, and maybe even a minor. Congratulations, you've found your calling!
10. You're looking forward to your favorite campus traditions.
Whether it be Homecoming, Spring Weekend, or any other campus tradition, every college student has at least one they look forward to every year. As freshmen, we had no idea what these campus traditions would be like; we didn't know what to expect. Now that we have experienced an entire year of these seasonal campus events, we have already chosen our favorites and are excited to do it all over again!
