UA '21!
We just came through our sophomore year, and here's what we wish we knew...
"Be intentional with each other and with the freshmen. Don't just wait to run into people at the B, seek out friendships and be intentional." – Amber Wesoloski
“Make it a goal to set up and keep a very close group of friends but also balance teaching the new freshmen about Bama.” — Matthew Baughman
"Remember to focus on Christ always & trust in His plan for your life, even when life gets crazy. & to love on each other because college is hard. 'It's hard to grow your faith inside your comfort zone.'" — Sydney Basden
"Saying no to events/people/etc. is not a bad thing, and sometimes it will make life much easier if you do say no." — Caroline Jerome
“Know that you’re no longer next to a dining hall w/ unlimited meal swipes. Remember to go grocery shopping! :)” — Sergei Kilic
"Cast your care on him (1 Peter 5:7). When life becomes overwhelming (and it will), I've found that simply speaking out loud "Lord, I trust you" is helpful. If we do what we CAN do, God will do what we CANNOT do. Guaranteed stress reliever." — Alex Perry
“Realize that you don’t know everything and there is still a lot to be learned from those both older and younger than you.” — Zoe McVay
“The transition to sophomore year is like a mini repeat of middle school. You’ve had your taste of this new academic world. Maybe for you, freshman year was great! Maybe not so much. Whatever the outcome, you’re excited to have more degree specific classes, build on those friendships and make new ones, explore campus and independent life some more! You’re ready to hit the ground running. But just like middle school, this is a year of unexpected changes. Maybe you’re more self-aware than I was, but this year is going to be a beautiful human recreation of a baby giraffe’s first attempt at running (go YouTube that right now. It’s gold.) You have developed new interests and habits living in that dorm and keeping those freshman hours that you don’t even realize. Your mind has grown sharper and yet been crammed with 24+ hours of pure information and stresses which took a toll. And then summer came and changed all of your norms…again! Like those years of awkward pre-pubescence, sophomore year feels like you have to learn who you are all over again. But here’s the catch… the change can only affect you so much because who you are is NOT defined by how much you know, how many friends you keep or make, how often you make it to the gym or the library of the parties. You are NOT defined by your grade, your living habits, your weight, your career path. You are defined by a purpose given to you by the very creation of the world. You are defined by God. By the fact that you are made in His image and chosen to glorify Him. No strings attached. Spend this year seeking Him first and everything else will make sense, eventually. You’ll get a hold of those lanky new brain cells and the veritable voice-crack of new schedules and friend groups will settle down into the music God is orchestrating for your life.” — Tally Robishaw
"Don't just stick to groups or people you're close with or comfortable with, but go out of your way to connect with new people or even people who aren't new." — Hannah Payne
Good luck, friends!
UA '20