As my second year at Scranton is coming to an end, I wanted to take the time and reflect. So here it goes…
Dear Sophomore Year,
First off, I would like to thank you for treating me so well. From the beginning of my sophomore year to the end, I have learned so many lessons, lost friends, made new ones, found love, and so much more.
To start off, I enjoyed my classes over the course of this year. They now pertain to my major and have forced me to step outside my comfort zone. The biggest lesson that this year has taught me was that if you need help, or even if you don’t, always ask questions. It never hurts to know more, or even to gain a new perspective on a specific topic. Living by this ‘motto’ has allowed me to make new connections with professors, as well as other students both in and outside my field of study.
Relationships seemed to be my biggest feat during this year. Coming into my second year, I was certain that those who I befriended my freshmen year would be there for me through my sophomore year. Suffice to say, I was wrong. Within the first month I lost the one girl who I thought would be with me through thick and thin, but out of that loss, I gained new friends. I have been so blessed with their presence in my life. From a simple night in, watching chick flicks and painting, to going out for a girl’s night, I have enjoyed every minute spent with them. I know that even when we are all busy, we will still take the time to go to dinner together or spend 5 minutes just talking about absolute nonsense. As for love, I found a boy who treats me right. Bless his soul for putting up with my random conversations, my goldfish-like attention span, and my other quirks. Altogether, I think another lesson I learned is that I am the only constant in my life, and friends may come and go, but you will find those who are meant to be in your life for a long time.
Family is another one of my relationships that I have had a great impact in my life this past year. I have made more of an attempt to call or text my family every day. Even if it’s a simple text saying, “Good morning! I’m still alive. Love y’all,” I know it means the world to them. There have definitely been days where I have been too busy to contact them, and looking back at it, I wish I called. They could have easily relieved any stress I had at the time and they would have given me words of encouragement to push through the tough times.
Growing up I’ve always loved traveling and studying abroad in college was something I dreamed of doing. This past semester, I decided to apply to go to Australia. The process was grueling, I was constantly emailing and hunting down people to get signatures, so that I would have all the paperwork sent in on time. As of right now, I’m almost done. All I have left to do is get my visa application approved and then pack. The experience of applying has taught me that I am capable of doing things on my own, along with a little help from my dad, and that I am responsible. All in all, I’m looking forward to setting out on this journey and am grateful for this opportunity.
Last but not least, this year has taught me to love myself. I have always struggled with loving my body for what it is and putting myself first. When coming back to Scranton in the fall, I was feeling my best, loved going to gym and started eating healthier. That along with some of my exercise science classes, where I learned more about fitness and nutrition, helped bring about this new found confidence. I learned that it’s okay to take a night and just watch Netflix, or treat myself with a coffee, or to go on a walk and just be with my thoughts. I definitely think the idea of self-care is overlooked for most college students because they’re so busy trying to attain amazing grades but taking the time to do so will help in the long run.
I’m excited to see what the coming year has to bring. Until then, I’ll be living my life.
Love,
Ashna