Sophomore Year Preview

It might seem a bit early to start thinking about Sophomore year, considering that Freshmen year is not even over yet, but before you know it, you will have taken your last exam and officially be a Sophomore in college. This will be a great accomplishment, as Freshman year is viewed by many as the most challenging year, mainly because of being in a new environment, being away from family, and having to undergo a big lifestyle change. This aspect of Freshman year is what enhances the college experience during Sophomore year, since moving back to Blacksburg after summer has ended is no big deal, you know the ropes and what needs to be done.

Sophomore year, however, is where the rubber meets the road, academically speaking. Assuming you have transferred in to your preferred engineering major, i.e. civil engineering, computer science, etc., you will now have access to all in-major classes and the core curriculum you will need to graduate. In-major classes allow you to study what you are interested in, instead of having to take general classes like Engineering Foundations or Chemistry, which is good because you will care more about the material. The downside to these Sophomore classes is that they are still “general” classes relative to the major; these classes will prepare you for Junior and Senior classes that are more in-depth and specific to one topic. In-major Sophomore classes can sometimes feel unnecessary or useless because they do not pertain to what piques your interest about the major, but they all play a role in preparing you for the classes that you do want to take and the projects you want to tackle, even if it does not seem like it in the short-term.

Sophomore year is an academic transition and Freshman year was a lifestyle

transition.