Your sophomore year of college rolls around, and at first, it's a weird feeling. I was here a week earlier than classes started for my sorority's workweek, which meant that there were very few people on campus when I first got here. At first, I still felt like a freshman because I really didn't know any other feeling, and there weren't any other people surrounding me besides those who were either my own age or older. I'm used to always feeling like the youngest honestly, and even though I was living in a completely new place, I still didn't feel as though I had gained this "right of passage" as a sophomore.

However, it took a few more weeks, the recognition of familiar faces from my high school and social media, and the easy transition into my second year to realizing that I am no longer that scared and intimidating freshman. Being a sophomore definitely has its perks and feels like a big sigh of relief. So for those of you who are finally letting the relaxing feeling of being a sophomore kick in, you can probably relate to a couple of these things:

1. The move-in transition was much easier this time.

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This time around, the move-in process was much easier. First of all, I had a rough idea of how I wanted my room to be set up this time. Not to mention that saying goodbye to family and friends was also much easier. Though I truly appreciated the three months I got to spend with my loved ones at home, it was much easier to say goodbye after recalling a year of success I had with the transition last year. I pride myself in how often I called my parents ( multiple times a day) and tried to keep in touch with my home friends, so I knew that as long as I kept it up this year would be no different.

2. You no longer look like a deer in headlights trying to navigate your way around campus.

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At least for some of us, this hopefully may be true. Most of us have somewhat of a handle on how to navigate through the basic parts of campus such as campus buildings, restaurants, bars, and fraternities. And if you are directionally challenged, you have likely mastered the art of "fake it 'till you make it."

3. Your friends are now finally old enough to go to the bar!

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This is at least a big thing for UIUC students because turning 19 and becoming bar legal is definitely a rite of passage. Joe's sufficed for freshman year, but getting to go to Kam's and Lion definitely took things to the next level. And I know my friends who were 19 most of last year waited patiently for the rest of us youngsters, because going to the bars as a group is definitely the most fun.

4. You get the privilege to make fun of all of the freshman at parties.

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This was my pride and joy all of syllabus week and felt good to no longer be the rookies. I hope I didn't look THAT embarrassing.

5. You're starting to get past the boring gen-eds and diving into classes you're actually interested in.

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Goodbye FSHN 101, hello PSYC 324. While U of I allows you the opportunity to pick even your gen-ed classes, there is something to be said about finally having a majority of your classes be ones for your major that you aren't just interested in learning about, but genuinely enjoy waking up and going to. I am aware that I'm a big nerd, but I love my classes and I can't wait to take more of them in the coming years.

6. No. More. Dorm. Food.

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This one is a BIG one. Not that the food in my sorority house is much more gourmet than the Bromley dining hall, but it is definitely an upgrade eating salmon rather than the same piece of slightly undercooked grilled chicken. Most importantly, I am no longer worried about contracting a case of salmonella. Counting down the days until I get to put my cooking skills to use in an apartment in a few years.

7. People now ask YOU for advice.

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This is my favorite because it honestly felt so good to get to give incoming freshman advice on how to do college. Last year I definitely didn't utilize my resources enough. After a year of school, I now realize how beneficial it is to ask older girls in my sorority, for example, for school and social advice, as opposed to an academic advisor or adult, because they are the ones who have truly lived through it. I really recommend you do the same if you haven't already, because not only will it help you, but it will make the person you ask feel so good as well. This summer my favorite part of working at day camp was getting the privilege to help out and give advice to my younger co-workers about college, and I'm looking forward to hopefully continuing to be an approachable resource to others.

8. You've finally got this whole college thing figured out.

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Lol, just kidding.

For those of you who are freshman reading this, I understand that many of these things seem like something to look forward to, but if you listen to anything from this entire article it's this: Do not wish your freshman year away. Yeah, there are plenty of things that suck about it, but you only get four years of your college experience. Freshman year was actually the best year of my life, and there are so many things I miss about it. I am just hoping that it only gets better from here, so just live in the moment and don't wish for a stage of your life to happen, or else you're never going to grow and appreciate what comes next.