I loved freshman year of college in a rah-rah sort of way. After a hellish four years of holding back “boos” at pep rallies, I was shocked. To paint the picture — I was John Bender, I was Lady Bird, I was any character you can think of that was royally pissed off in high school.
Then, suddenly, I was tattooing purple stars on my face, using body glitter, and wearing boots to four-hour-long football games. I was losing my voice at school-hosted concerts. I was showing up to any event with free food. I was hanging around after class because I liked my professors. I enjoyed the underwhelming RA-sponsored events in my dorm. Even going into the communal bathroom felt like a social event. I’d gone from under-eye circles to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. TCU could do no wrong!
And, to be honest, I still swoon over my school. I love it here. But sophomore year is different. It’s lonelier. It’s harder. The lights on South University Drive don’t shine like they used to. I can barely drag myself out of my apartment for class, let alone social events. Alarmingly, when I hear about free food, I don’t even budge. So what changed?
Well, everything and nothing. Maybe, in becoming comfortable with our formerly brand-new reality, we have lost the eagerness to explore.
There are still events on campus, but they may only target the first-years. Maybe you live further from campus like I do, and miss out on events you accidentally stumbled upon last year. Without a true dorm-style living situation, community is hard to come by.
Classes are harder. Professors seem busier, and, in my experience, tired of us.
At least the football games are still fun. But wait. The team you spent all of last year getting to know has seemingly been drafted to the LA Chargers?! It’s okay. Just not the same.
That’s the crux of the issue – nothing is the same. This feels overwhelming, but please hold off on breaking out the trench coat or jumping out of a moving car. This is still the place you loved last year!
The wonderful thing about sophomore year is, you already know what you’re doing. Sure, you have to continue to put yourself out there. But, you know where to find your people. Classes are hard, but you’ve succeeded before. What’s one more time? Office hours and advisor meetings feel more like a peer-to-peer chat than Catholic confession. Free food is still abundant but with the bonus of avoiding the dining hall (apologies to anyone still dependent on the BLUU for all three meals).
So, please know that if this year feels different, you are not alone. We have to change our expectations and our habits. We have to work harder to make the most of college. Luckily, there is a lot of good left.