Okay, so this obviously doesn’t speak for everyone, but vouch for me if you agree. I’m currently a sophomore in college and I can already see a massive difference between the two school years. In college, freshman year might just be the most fun year of your college experience, well at least that’s what it seemed like for me.
Although there are many upperclassmen who “look down on freshmen” and think they’re superior, the reason is probably because upperclassmen actually have to focus on their futures and careers instead of being babied in college. Given, freshman year is the easiest yet scariest year of your college experience, especially as a resident. You’re in a whole new environment. You don’t know anybody. You don’t have any friends. You don’t know the campus. You don’t know what to do! Thankfully, at Stony Brook at least, there are many freshman mingling events you can go to before the first day of classes, just to get a gist of the university and meet new people. This is the year where all the other freshman are vulnerable and eager to make new friends.
You’ll notice that you’ll have a lot of friends in beginning, getting to know each one of them to form a sense of community, as you’ll be living around most of them for the next four years. When the year continues on, you see yourself breaking into different groups and your friend group gets smaller and smaller. You’re still going to be friends with a lot of people, but your little friend group is going to be consisted of people of your real friends.You’ll have a set foundation and always someone to lean on at school.
The school year will end well with you looking forward to rooming with your close friend(s) in the upcoming semester.
Sophomore year hits. It’s time to move back into your dorms and you’re excited, but obviously not as excited as last year moving in as a freshman. You’re familiar with the campus, nothing is really new anymore. You stop trying to make new friends because you think your friend groups are already established. Some of your old friends might have even transferred because they realized that the school just wasn’t right for them. You have people you love, and people you grew to hate around you at all times on campus. The year just isn’t as exciting anymore, but you’re comfortable. However, it’s sophomore year, and you have to start focusing on your studies. Freshman year was the time to slack and have fun, but these next couple of years will be filled with hard work and competition to get to where you want to be.
Obviously, the three years after freshman year are just as great and supposed to be the “best years” of your life, but nothing will compare to the carefree experience of one’s freshman year, at least that’s the case for me.
Appreciate and enjoy your freshman year of college, as that time only comes once in a lifetime.