It’s already the end of the school year and as it draws to a close, I will be ending my sophomore year. I learned a lot and reflected on how I felt as a freshman compared to now. Here are some takeaways and lessons I learned from sophomore year.
- Your Freshman year doesn’t define you
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As a freshman, I didn’t fully understand scheduling classes, what add/drop is, or even what to do to fulfill core requirements. I ended up taking classes I didn’t enjoy and therefore did very poorly in them. If I’m being totally honest, I ended my Freshman year a little behind everyone else in terms of credits. I was totally freaking out and thought I ruined myself. But it just meant working a little harder to catch up and now I have nothing to worry about. If anything, I’m grateful because my mistakes in freshman year were a big learning experience for me and now I feel well-adjusted and comfortable.
- Actually try new things
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I know it can be daunting and intimidating to get out there and try something new but it really is worth it. You could find a new passion and would’ve never even known unless you tried new things. I didn’t do any extracurricular activities or try any new interests in my Freshman year and I really regret it. This year, I joined Her Campus Rutgers and joined a sorority; both experiences completely changed my life and I am so glad I did both. Her Campus Rutgers has given me a community of passionate writers and motivated women. My sorority, Kappa Phi Lambda, has given me confidence and new opportunities for growth I never thought were possible. All I’m trying to say is, try something new and you might be surprised how much you love it.
- Spend time with your friends as much as possible
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It’s easy to take our college friends for granted when we see them around all the time, but sophomore year I didn’t see them as much. People start living elsewhere and get busy with their other responsibilities and classes. Unfortunately, it only gets harder as people start taking their major classes and have to invest more time into them. I had to make more of an effort to see and hang out with my friends this year compared to freshman year. Then once you graduate it’ll be nearly impossible to see them. So cherish the time you have with them and try to hang out as much as possible during college.
- Realize time goes by fast
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I cannot believe I am already going to be a junior. It terrifies me. It really feels like I just became a freshman. You don’t have as much time as you think in college, so take advantage of it. Try everything and anything, cherish memories and people, work hard, and have fun.
I never expected to learn so much when I entered my sophomore year but as the school year ends, I had a lot of time to reflect. I hope this article was helpful and gave you new insight into how to go about the rest of your college years.