Arriving back on campus this fall, the excitement and anticipation I felt was very different from last fall. My excitement came from seeing all of the friends I had made last year rather than the unknown anxiousness of meeting tons of new people.
On a small campus like Richmond's, it is even easier to notice all of the new freshman faces. At first I was confused to see so many unfamiliar faces, but then I had to remind myself that I was no longer the baby anymore. Although this made me sad, it ignited new excitement for the new students here at Richmond.
Nothing will ever compare to the culture of freshman year. Being the newbies, it was always acceptable to use the "freshman excuse" after any blunder or mishap, which won't be as easily tolerated as a sophomore. This won't mean that we won't still make mistakes, but it just means taking more accountability for our own actions and truly learning from our mishaps.
There was also a different kind of nervousness going into my classes for the first time this year. Rather than the fear of not knowing anyone, it turned more to impressing my professors. After your first year at Richmond, students learn the importance of being engaged in class and with their professors. So for me, I knew that I needed to hit the ground running in my classes and to impress my professors early on.
As a sophomore, we know that there is truly not syllabus week. As an ambitious freshman, it was easy to be convinced that it was okay to go out on a Monday night. This year, we found it was harder and harder to get up for those classes in the morning with little to no sleep and took the first week homework a little more seriously.
Sophomore year will really be my year to get to know myself better. Without so much of the unknown out of the way, it will be easier to clearly see my intentions and goals. With firm friends, social life will be more comfortable and familiar. It will be okay to do what I want without the fear of missing out because I have had all of these experiences before.
The freshman spirit is something to still maintain. The energy and tenacity of a college freshman is something that everyone should continue to strive for. Although sophomore year may be weird and somewhat difficult to get used to, it will end up being equally as great. Long live the freshman spirit!
