Dear Sophomore Year

Finals are finally over, and we have arrived at the end of the year once again. I have found that college is going by way faster than I ever thought – or wanted – it to. Like last year, I wanted to reflect back on the year with a letter to it, so here goes!

Dear Sophomore Year,

I learned so much from you. I thought Freshman Year taught me a lot, and it did, but you put me through so much more. Because of you, I found best friends who will probably be in my life forever, and I learned that it’s okay to rely on them when I feel incredibly overwhelmed. I met most of these people Freshman Year, but you solidified those relationships and showed me which ones were worth cultivating.

I grew so much this past school year. Through papers, tests, and projects, I not only learned a lot about the subjects I’m interested in, but myself as well, by seeing how I dealt with all of the challenges I faced. I was a lot more comfortable my second year at college, but you made sure I was still put in situations outside of my comfort zone. This ensured that I grew even more, and through these challenges I became more confident.

You showed me just what being confident in myself can do, Sophomore Year. My newfound confidence in myself allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and do a lot of things that I wouldn’t, had I still been afraid of what people thought of me. I joined a new club and got a leadership position in a different one for next year. I’m looking forward to that, but I won’t forget that you, Sophomore Year, were the start of it all. This was the year that I really started to come out of my shell, and I know I still have a long way to go.

This year was full of many triumphs and failures, but overall was a great one. I was accepted into my major, declared my double major, and was also accepted to two different study abroad programs. It was also a very difficult year with classes, but I was able to work hard and get everything done with (most of) my sanity still intact.

I went through a lot in my personal life this year, besides all of the academic stress, but I made it through with the help of my best friends. Joycie and Rachel have been my rocks through you, Sophomore Year, and I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without them. They experienced many late night, frantic texts when I couldn’t handle all of the stress, and I’ll always be grateful to them for being there no matter what.

I learned so much about myself, and I know that this year was one where I matured a lot. I finally feel (mostly) like an adult, with two decades under my belt, and I’m figuring out how to rely on myself to find solutions to real-world problems. It’s a scary realization that I’m no longer a kid and have to figure things out on my own, but I know I can always call my parents if I absolutely need to. A scary part of growing up is realizing you have to do a lot on your own, but Sophomore Year, you showed me that I really can do it.

Love,
Stnkrbug