Entering college as a freshman, there is an overall feeling of excitement. You are eager to meet new people and start fresh. You can’t wait to experience your first college party and drink on a Thursday night. No longer do you have to listen to your parents tell you to be in at a certain time or to do your homework. You make all the decisions. If you decide to make the wrong decisions then that is ok, as long as you deal with the consequences.
Returning to Cabrini as a sophomore, I had a different outlook on what the year would be like. I figured that sophomore year in college was probably going to be like sophomore year in high school. It is almost as if the sophomores seem to disappear. You can always pick out the freshman and upperclassmen, but the sophomores just float around in the mix. It’s like no one cares about you anymore. Your parents don’t even get all excited about you going back to school.
They do not buy you new things for the year. They basically just send you off. The thought of new freshman girls coming in all dressed up, in their short Abercrombie skirts trying to impress the upperclassmen just irks you even though you did it too. The attention no longer belonged to you. You are old news.
Thinking about the start of sophomore year, I was a little apprehensive to say the least. I knew things would be a lot different. For one, I would be living with new roommates this year in a different building. I was so comfortable living in Xavier with my old roomie. We had become so close and she became one of my best friends at Cabrini. Would living with different people affect our friendship? Would she become so close to her new roommates that she would forget all about me?
Would everyone that I hung out with last year continue to be friends? Would I have so much work to do that I would not be able to go out on Thursday night? These were some of my concerns as I drove up to Cabrini on move in day.
Passing by Xavier, I began to reminisce about the crazy times me and my friends spent outside of the building just hanging out. I remembered the numerous fire drills that we had around four in the morning and everyone pouring out of the building half dressed, either laughing because they were drunk or angry because they were sound sleep.
All of these memories brought a smile to my face. However, it was time to move on. Freshman year was in the past and I would just have to realize that nothing could ever beat it. Sophomore year was here at it was time to just let it happen.
Two months into sophomore year, and I am realizing that I was completely wrong about my expectations for this year.
I love living in New Res and everything is working out with the new roommates. My old roommate and I remain close friends, and no she did not forget about me. Our group of friends has expanded this year and I know that these will be my friends forever.
The work load is definitely heavier this semester, but I have become more responsible and more passionate about my work. I have become involved with the College Republicans and discovered my new love for politics. I have been told by numerous people that I have definitely changed since last year and in a positive way.
I have discovered a new happiness within myself and that is more rewarding than partying on a Thursday night. It is certainly not being the center of the social circle that makes you happy or some cute guy on the soccer team. It’s success that makes you happy and knowing who you are and what you want to be. It’s your friends who are always there for you and care for you no matter what.
Sophomore year, so far has definitely given me more than freshman year ever could have. Yes, freshman year was a blast and you will always have those memories, but when it comes time for the end don’t feel so glum. There is so much to experience and I know there is more to come.
So I would say to the current freshman, as your sophomore year approaches, don’t think that there is nothing to look forward to. You will learn so much about yourself and it could be the best year of your college career.
