2022-2023: Sophomore Year

A Year of Ups AND Downs

          After a very successful and fruitful first year in college, I thought my second would be similar and have mostly upward movement, but the more I got involved in classes, organizations, and friendships, the more I realized this was not going to be the case. My first year of college was similar to that of the "honeymoon stage" of a relationship in which the issues I had were mostly surface-level. While I did have my share of obstacles, most of them came with adjusting to college. This meant that much of the rest of my time at UC I saw through rose-tinted glasses. I told myself "I got through the hard part." I thought that the friendships that I had built were going to stay the same and that school, though getting harder, was something I was already used to. 
          I experienced my first "down" during the beginning of the summer entering Sophomore year when I lost a loved one. It was my first summer away from home, and it was not off to a great start. However, to my luck, I had one of the biggest "ups" I would have this past year. I started my internship with one of my closest friends and made so many others at work. I loved every part of the company I was working for and every day I got to spend with my colleagues. As the start of classes neared, I moved into my first apartment with my best friend and a childhood friend ready for the year ahead. 
          Through the course of the first semester, I faced roommate issues, another heavy course load, pressures to figure out my plan for college, executive positions, and a lot of friendship issues. During this time, I had hit one of my lowest "downs," not because I felt overwhelmed like the year prior, but because I was unhappy with who I was. I had an immense amount of self-doubt and my confidence took a major hit. I wondered if I was going to amount to the same level of success as my first year, if my failed friendships were because of me, and if my career path aligned with what I truly enjoyed. I thought that the problems in my life were a fault of my own imperfections rather than a sign of my growth. 
          Through the second semester, I took time to reflect on where and why I felt I had fallen short. To my comfort, I realized I was not alone in this thought process during the second year of college. Many of my upperclassmen friends, older siblings, and mentors recall similar experiences. Sophomore year is a time of growth. A time to question if your path is headed in the right direction. A time to let go of people you grew apart from and a time to learn about how you handle hard situations with the people you love. Though I have much to learn, I cherish this past year not only for the good memories but for the hard ones that taught me who I was. I know that there are going to be so many other hardships to face, but rather than letting them define me, I now choose to use them as growth opportunities to better myself and those around me.