I’m officially halfway done with college. That feels wrong to say I suppose, but I also think I’ve earned it.
I don’t know if I would equivocate this year to a rollercoaster, perhaps it’s more akin to a slightly grimy lazy river; we managed to float alright and as long as you were looking at the sky it was pure sunshine, but there was always the threat of drowning in five feet of water, or contracting a disease the chlorine couldn’t kill, or dying of monotony after yet another lap in a hot, rubber tube.
Harsh, but perhaps honest in a way I haven’t been about college before.
This year careened in a lot of different directions for me. I’ll attribute it to the sheer change of culture that comes with being a sophomore and the onslaught of differences that accompany it as well. And while these past two semesters have given me both some of my most cherished memories and moments I’ve already worked to forget, I’m overall very thankful for everything I learned and experienced. If you share my sentiment, this year was a test of character, an opportunity to showcase who you wanted to be when challenges arose and your life felt less like a movie and more like a soap opera.
Either way, if this was the best year of college so far or the worst one or something fluctuating in between, here are some of my major takeaways from my sophomore year at TCU. Call it advice, or maybe TMI, or what have you, but I’ll call it a testament to my experiences. It’s always important to look back and reflect on things with a new perspective and see what you learn from a different angle…
On Classes
I’m lucky enough to only be taking major/minor classes in my course load these days. It makes me so incredibly happy to be taking classes that align with my interests and goals, and I think I’ve gotten the opportunity to explore more in these programs than I ever imagined. I’m majoring in English and Communication Studies with a minor in Spanish, because I’m all about writing and people and I loathe math.
As a Liberal Arts major, I face the looming death of my interests in the face of AI and doubts from STEM-minded folk. Those concepts and opinions don’t bother me in theory, but a constant feeling of being “lesser than” does, occasionally, get me down. I kept reminding myself that I was actually happy studying what I am. I enjoyed my classes and my professors and felt valued in my program. Regardless of whether people perceived themselves to be smarter than me or viewed what I do as “lesser”, it didn’t matter, because I loved it. I love it. And that’s enough.
So take classes you enjoy, no matter the subject!
On Off-Campus Housing
If your college is anything like TCU, you have to find your junior-year off-campus housing during the fall of your sophomore year because leases crawl straight from the depths of Hell. To say my house-hunting experience was a dumpster fire would be a polite description. The details are messy and the aftermath is messier, but I did learn a lot, so listen up:
If you are committed to living with your current friends, best of luck. You may be able to do it, and if you can kudos. But the unfortunate truth is, everyone is a different adult than they are a college student, and your adult selves may not be as compatible as you imagine. Try to make it work as best you can, but don’t be totally devastated if things hit the fan. You can (and will) still be friends, just no longer roommates.
Try to get on top of things early, but don’t be overly stressed if it takes you awhile. New places open up throughout the year, so it’s not a be-all-end-all to sign the first lease that comes your way (that one’s on me).
Be open and honest, and although it can be awkward and very difficult to navigate living off campus, be as flexible as you can throughout the process. Try to make it fun!
On turning 20
It was no different than turning 19. Hold out till 21.
On Boys
Perhaps I should abstain here. We all just try our best, don’t we?
on friends
Never stop making new ones. It’s easy to cling to the girls you spent all of freshman year with because you love each other. You move in together and go out together and have movie nights and eat take-out pizza, and truth be told it’s wonderful. It’s exactly what you waited all summer to have. But one day, you might look up and realize they’re the only close friends you have. I mean, we’re a week from the move-out date and couldn’t name more than 10 other people on our floor (max). Giving up on the social scene is easy when you have a great safety net, but it also unintentionally shuts you off from new relationships. Make it a point to keep meeting people because you truly never know what will come of it.
On football
Don’t wear cowgirl boots and always bleed purple.
On change
Embrace it as best you can. There was a lot of change this year across the board, and if I ever stood up to it too strongly, it threatened to knock me out. You have to learn to roll with the punches, or at least how to fight back effectively. Change can be a really incredible thing if you allow it to be.
On all of it, now at the end
My sophomore year was full of life. Dramatic and silly and sweet, I’ll never forget the themes that followed me for these two semesters: honesty, bravery, exploration, change, and confidence. No matter what your experiences were this year, I hope you’re a better version of yourself because of it. I hope you learned a lot. I hope you can look back and appreciate the time you spent with other people.
I hope it was time well spent, and that your future looks as equally bright and terrifying as mine.