After stepping back on campus a little over a week ago, it started to set in that the second half of my college experience was suddenly underway. Where had the past two years gone? How was I already an upperclassman, waving to my parents as they pulled off the Boston University campus, not as a timid and wide-eyed freshman, but as a 20-year old junior ready to settle into her brand-new apartment and wondering, how one does this whole “adulting” thing? Officially out the dorms, officially done with my gen ed requirements, and officially on the hunt for someone to teach my how to cook all my own meals (preferably without contracting food poisoning in the process). But, amidst all the craziness of move-in and the start of a new semester, I settled on my own personal theory: that junior year is quite possibly the best time of your college career.
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So, let’s break down this theory a little. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something uniquely great about every year of college, from the first year to the last. Freshmen year will always hold a special place in every undergrad’s heart; between the nostalgic memories of your very first (and very cramped) dorm room, your first weekend away from home with the absence of any sort of curfew, and your first time having an unprecedented amount of freedom, freshman year is when you start to realize how little you want college to ever end. Sophomore year on the other hand, is your first time on campus as veteran of the college lifestyle; you know the ins and outs, the dos and don’ts, and you’re ready to slip back into college life like a seasoned pro. Fast forward to senior year, the beginning of the end, and you’re ready to finish your undergrad years off with a bang, making the most of every moment left on campus before your diploma tells you it’s time to enter the real world. So, that leaves us with junior year, what I propose is somewhat of a golden hour of your time as a college student.
Junior year is your first time as an upperclassman, when you’ve officially graduated from the first two years of required classes, figuring out what the heck you want to major and minor in, and finding your niche in this sea of students. Still far off are the worries of post-grad plans, graduate school applications, and wondering how you’ll ever live without your best friend and roommate of the past four years. Conclusion? I’m setting out to make the most of this golden time of my college career, writing about it along the way, and noting my adventures in this third year of, arguably, the best four years.