Freshman year is full of surprises, brand new experiences, fresh faces, and a wonderful sense of not knowing what’s coming or what’s happening. It was the year of mistakes and learning. Suddenly, not being a freshman any more solicited a strange slight feeling of uncertainty -- not the good kind. As it turns out, like freshman year, sophomore year brought new experiences, surprises and fresh faces. There is a false sense that freshman year is the only exciting one. Trust me, it only gets better.
After finishing another amazing year, I kept hearing all of my friends talk about how, “Oh, my gosh, we’re already halfway done with college." This thought, initially, left a small pit in my stomach. As crazy as it sounds, even though I feel secure in my friends, my classes, and extra curriculars, I still sometimes feel like a freshman. The future is uncertain, and there is so much left to discover.
The great thing about being an upperclassman is that all the beginner ropes have been learned, and it’s on to the next big thing. Becoming “real people” seems daunting, but we’re really just growing into ourselves. Life has a funny way of working out the way it’s supposed to.
We never realized to what extent college would change us, how many lasting friendships we’d make, and countless experiences we’d have. The same thing can be said for post-college years: who knows where we’ll go, what we’ll learn, or who we’ll meet. That freshman feeling we keep so near and dear to our hearts will be back and stronger than ever.
Those going into junior year like I am: we still have half of our college years ahead of us. The first two years were unforgettable, but the next two years are going to be even more extraordinary. No matter what stage you’re at, it’s important to focus on enjoying every minute rather than worrying about how fast time moves because it's only the beginning.
