What I learned as a Sophomore

1) We're the most neglected class

After our first year as freshmen, everyone's ready to push us right off the tree even if we're not quite ready to fly. Advisers are tired of having to hold our hands through every class, meeting, activity, study session, mini-meltdown, etc. They need to focus on the sea of new freshmen flooding their offices and the seniors on their way out. After prepping us for a full year, we should be "ready" to independently embark on our college journey. It may be unintentional, but it still happens.Cold world. Bring a blanket.

2) Declaring a major is no joke

If you don't have the faintest idea of what degree you want to graduate with by sophomore year, get it together. And fast.

3) Dealing with new freshmen is... 

A little off-setting at first. Like I said before, basically everyone on campus is running around, making sure the little freshies are taken care of. It's cool at first because we all saw it coming. But still. Having that attention almost completely stripped away sophomore year is a HUGE wake up call. Everyone expects you to have it all together by now. "You mean to tell me you can't show ME where the science building is?" Figure it out.

WARNING: Do not resent the freshmen! (It has happened, believe me) Take it easy on them. They're just starting out and need the extra attention. Some may try to run before they can walk but you just have to let them be for a while.

4) You see people for who they really are

After unwrapping our friends from their shiny, glistening packages and finally taking off our campus goggles,  we start to see smiles fading and some not-so-nice personalities. Friends who we partied with every weekend freshman year turn into someone we spurt a hurried "hi!" to, while we rush off to class. Some grow distant. Others become close friends. Some people couple up and forget about you. Some couple up and include you in everything. Or some people just change. It happens. Be prepared.

5) A lot of things fall apart and get put back together

For many, Sophomore year seemed to be the time where every single bad thing started happening. Whether it be grades, family, friends, sports and the like, EVERYTHING went wrong at the same time. Many times I found myself flailing my arms around, ready to pull out my hair and just kept asking "Why?" It all seemed to come back to back. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Just when I thought I couldn't catch a break, I finally did. The clouds part and out comes Mister Golden Sun. Nothing lasts forever. Not even the hard times. Keep on keepin' on my friend.

6) Parties get better

I promise

7) You walk away waaay more mature than you did freshman year

After getting a full year of ups and downs, you realize that it's normal for everything to not be okay .When someone asks you "How's school?", instead of the expected "Great!", you can now admit to the trials and battles you endured within the past year and how well you handled each. No one is always smooth sailing and no student's journey is perfectly unmarked by mishaps. You just have to realize it was another step towards personal growth and acceptance.

Power of Spontaneity

As classes are winding down for some, summer classes are in full swing over here at Penn. It's so different. Even Locust walk sounds different and I never thought I'd see a day when the beautiful red brick road would be so silently trotted. No hustling and bustling. No shuffling and twisting. There aren't even any flyer people for me to avoid by me "suddenly" pulling out my phone or hiding behind the person in front of me (guilty!). Everyone has crept into their little holes that they're subletting in and barely anything causes a stir. 

With summer approaching, the meaning of the word "chill" becomes literal. The blazing sun makes everyone too hot to do anything but sit around and stare at the tv. I find myself stuck on the conveyor belt. "Let's chill" And we do nothing but eat and sit and breathe. 

It wasn't until a couple of days ago that I realized there's more to it than just keeping each other's company. When I made the proposition to chill, I was met with a (hilarious) game of badminton, frisbee, and racing. The most physical "chill" session I've had in a while. It was so nice to shake things up a bit. We eventually retreated back to the room to relax and watch a movie, but I had some fun. I laughed. I played. I flung. I made really wierd sound effects. It was different.

How coincidental that we watched "Good Deeds". The message I got from it was this: Be spontaneous! Embrace the impromptu and make it fun. Be silly. Not everything has to be structured all of the time. Most importantly, embrace those who encourage the unpredictable side to you. It may come off as scary at first, but it's the part of your being that houses excitement. Don't worry much about order. Be chaotic! Shake things up. Give your self a daily dose of 20-second insanity. You won't regret it (keep it safe and legal though!).

Because when you look back at your life 30 years from now, you'll be more disappointed in the things you didn't do than the crazy ass things you did do.