This may be an unpopular opinion, but I really think I have grown more as a person my sophomore year of college as I did my freshman year. Yeah, freshman year is full of firsts. You learn how you act on your own. However, sophomore year... you're established, you kinda know what you're doing, so the things you learn along the way may mean a little bit more. So, as I finish the "sophomore slump," I look back on just everything I've learned this year.

School is hard. There have been some tears shed. There have been some bad grades, and thankfully, some good ones too. Your classes probably aren't "intros" anymore, and you are *finally* taking classes "that actually are about what you want to do for the rest of your life." With this comes more responsibility to do well, and well... more regret when you feel as though you haven't done your best. I've learned that school is important, but that, really, your GPA is just a number. I've learned that I'm always going to be that Type A student that works incredibly hard, but honestly... the payoff ends up being pretty incredible. I've learned that my work is worth it in the end.

I've learned to never think you've made all of your friends or that you've already met all the people you're going to meet. To my own surprise, I've made so many incredible, new friends this year. I was one of those people who found "her people" freshman year and knew that these people would be there for me all throughout college (and beyond). Yes, I still have these friends, and yes I still love them... even more so now. However, I did not realize how many friends I would add to my circle or just how quickly these friends could become some of my very best. There's always room to meet new people, to cultivate new friendships, and to be somebody else's new best friend.

I've learned that I can't do it all alone. I'd like to consider myself pretty independent. I do a lot of things on my own. I wouldn't say I'm afraid to ask for help, so to speak. However, I'd say I more don't want to make people go out of their way for me or be too dependent on somebody else. Yeah, well as I've gotten older I've realized this just isn't possible. Sure, I've always needed my parents. Yeah, I've needed people in the past. This year, I realized that I really just can't do everything on my own. Sometimes you need someone to study with. Sometimes you need someone to tell you to snap out of it because you're being ridiculous. We can never truly be on our own, nor should we try to be. We have people around us in our lives for a reason, and we should lean on them for more than just when things seem to be going wrong.

I've learned.... life happens. I've always considered myself to have pretty bad luck. Sophomore year might have brought me some of my worst luck to date. I've learned to be realistic, be patient, and to stop sweating the small things that may seem to be "ruining your life." It's just one bad day, one bad night, one bad test grade... in the grand scheme of things, it's all gonna be okay.

I learned that balance is hard. I've written about this countless times, and quite frankly, it never got any easier throughout the year.

I learned that I definitely make mistakes. Often. I don't say things I should've. I do say things I shouldn't have. I have some regrets; I've definitely done things I shouldn't have. I've learned that when necessary, apologize liberally. When you need to, stick up for yourself. Understanding both sides of the story is a life skill that everyone must learn. I've learned to seek the truth, and while I cannot take back the mistakes I've made, I can hope that I am forgiven by others and also myself if they've affected either negatively in any way.

Most importantly, I've learned that I'm human and that's completely okay. Sometimes you think that because you have a year of college under your belt, you're supposed to know it all. While you know your way around campus and won't get lost going to your geography class anymore, it doesn't really mean you've got it all figured out. Through much trial and error, I've learned so much more than I really could've imagined this sophomore year.

My advice for anyone who's about to enter the "sophomore slump?" Work hard, but not too hard. Study, but know your classes are going to get harder, so it's okay to cut yourself a break. Make new friends, keep the ones you have near and close to you. Never pass up an opportunity to do what makes you happy. Lastly, know you still have so much to learn, so take it all in because this year will be life changing.