Six Things I Learned in My Sophomore Year

How’s everyone’s first week of school so far? I’m so excited to be back to school as a junior! But first I’d like to offer some suggestions to those new sophomores.

1. Start to plan your career earlier.
   A lot of my friends thought it was too early to write a resume and a cover letter as a sophomore. I would say NO! You don’t want to write a resume when you need it. My business writing professor said keep updating your activities on your resume, then you don’t have to think back on what happened two years ago when you need it. Don’t wait until the last minute!
2. Study abroad and make some foreign friends on campus.
   The Olympic Games just finished this summer. Rio showed us a multicultural Olympic Games. Everyone can make a difference, no matter what your gender, race, culture and background. I have a friend who has lived in San Diego for 20 years and never went to other countries. I told him that is not what you want. If you want to make your college life more unique and colorful, you should go study abroad! Be international!  
3. Always be thankful to those people who helped you – and hurt you.
   My parents told me to be thankful to whoever helped you or hurt you in your life. That’s because you learned something from, and grew because of, these people. 
4. Learn some psychology.
   The more I get older, the more I feel human beings are so complicated. Nobody will just tell to you if they are a nice person or a thug. We need to learn how to manage our relationships with other people. Read their gestures and posture, and notice their micro facial expressions. Maybe it’s good for you to learn some women’s psychology and you will know why your girlfriend is getting mad. Maybe learn some LGBT psychology and you will understand how much pressure they have to live with. Maybe learn some communication skills that will help you get an internship. You will notice these little tips will save so much time.
5. Being healthy as important as anything.
   Being healthy does not just mean that you work out everyday and can escape from the cold and flu season. Besides physical health, have you ever thought about your mental health? Sophomore year is like a middle year in college. You need to deal with classes, prepare your resume, join some professional societies and workshops, network with others … I know this is kind of frustrating, but trust yourself and give yourself a break sometimes. If you there’s too much on your shoulders, maybe you can go and talk to a psychology counselor. That always helps.
6. Get out of your comfort zone, stay in your safe zone.

I wish everyone have a great semester! 

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Luqi Zhang is a junior accounting and marketing major. She came to SDSU from China.