Sophomore Year, Goodbye And Thank You
Start writing a post

Sophomore Year, Goodbye And Thank You

I have grown and learned so much.

77
Sophomore Year, Goodbye And Thank You
Briana Gagnon

The girl who moved in September 4th is a far different girl than the one writing this now, who moved out May 10th.

That girl came in a Wildlife and Conservation Biology Major, ready to retake Chemistry and take a bunch of classes she dreaded. She was nice and tan from baking in the Cape Cod sun a few days before and was ready for sorority recruitment. Sophomore year was going to be HER year. In some ways, it was, while in others it tore her down bit by bit.

Recruitment led her to the sorority of her dreams where she met some very amazing people she gets to call sisters and friends. Her social life was taking a turn for the better, and so was her life romantically. The boy from last March was still around and they got closer than she thought. Relationships all around were in a great place that first semester, but not all good times will last.

She lost her grandfather at the end of November. If classes were not going bad enough, this was the most crushing thing to happen to her. The way it happened she would never wish on anyone no matter how much she dislikes them, not in a million years. Good people don't deserve to go out the way he did and so early. He's not going to physically be there for her graduation from college, her wedding, or anything else that happens to her.

Spiritually, he is there and she knows this. The 19 years she got with him are irreplaceable and she'll never forget them. Her other grandfather had dementia. While he is here physically, mentally he is not and cannot remember who she is nor many other family members. He used to make her, her sister, and cousin pancakes at his house when they had sleepovers, and his devotion to God, much like her other grandfather, is one thing she will always remember. To watch him hardly be able to walk or talk properly is a slow death she'd never wish on anyone either. She tries to visit as often as she can.

Winter break passed and she decided to switch majors, and once she moved back to school, she did, and it was an instant relief. She was happy in a way her old major never made her. English is her forte, and everyone seemed to know that but her. Somehow she is not behind and will graduate on time with many of her friends. To wake up and want to go to class every day was something she was not used to. She did keep an old class from her old major, bad idea.

While she grounded herself for her future, the boy from March was as well, but in this, they began to lose the connection she wanted so hard to keep. He was putting everything but her first, and she realized the hurt it was causing her was changing her into a monster. The person she was becoming disgusted her, so she dropped him. While the pain still resides in her and she thinks of him every day, it's much better than it was. There's someone who wants to put her first, and while she wishes it was him, it isn't. Will they ever be brought in the same circles again in the future? Only time can tell, but she won't have her hopes up in the slightest.

The growth she has experienced was monumental. She lost friends she didn't expect to lose, but in doing so, she's standing up for herself and coming to her own. She's gotten monumentally closer to people she hardly spoke to during first semester in this second semester, and she's thankful to have them. She may not have a massive group of friends, but the ones she does have are the ones she will keep for life. She's not friends with everyone in her sorority and she's ok with that. The people she does know are ones she doesn't know how she'd live her life without and she's happy she met them all as well.

The girl who moved out May 10th has done a complete 180 with her grades. She's doing what she loves and it shows, and she can finally make her parents proud. She doesn't know what she wants to do, but she's figuring it out. She knows who she is. She's no longer scared to get rid of toxic relationships in her life, no matter how hard it may hurt to lose them. She knows she deserves the world, and the world has so much to offer her now that new doors are being opened. The person she lost is still with her and always will be, and she will see him again one day, walking without a cane and with a smile on his face.

She's pale and ready for summer break. She made it. Thank you Sophomore Year. You turned her into someone she's proud to have become.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

85991
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

51876
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments