From first to fourth year: Differences between the first days of class

You mean you don’t buy all of your textbooks before classes start?

As we students return back to our beloved Grounds to further our education and future endeavors, many of us celebrate our returns in by means, and this is what stratifies the first and fourth year experiences.

Getting textbooks

As first years, we all planned and finalized our classes and textbook orders from the bookstore in December.

As fourth years, entering the first day we still don’t know if we want to stay in these classes, only withheld by our final requirements to graduate. We are just now begrudgingly ordering those textbooks from Amazon, and hoping they come in time, otherwise its marked as an “oops, oh well” in the ‘To Do’ ledger.

Getting sleep

Fourth year – fall asleep to Netflix

When I was a first year I mentally prepared my outfit for the first day of class, and my suitemates and I discussed when we would get up and head to classes, as well as make sure we at least had an idea of where we going.

Last night, my housemates and I headed to the Corner to watch the basketball game and drown our bittersweet blues away with cheap beers with our fellow 21+ friends.

Getting food

First year was caked with dining hall food and large group dinners with hall members – where three course meals could be grabbed from the granite tables.

In second and third years meals were all about the social reconnecting before the heavy class loads hit.

And by fourth year you start the semester of with the classic mac and cheese because cheap, easy, comfort foods are the only way now.

Getting into activities

Finding your niche is vital for first year and really makes the UVA experience unique and personal to you. If you didn’t join a club last semester, spring semester is just as good of a shot with Greek life and other fun opportunities (and of course The Tab) – there are no limits!

By fourth year most have found their spots and everything is calm and cool. The activities you get into would be drinking and spending time with friends.

Getting homework


Homework assignments are up to the professor’s discretion, but the reaction to getting homework on the first day makes the difference between a first and fourth year. My friends and I frantically exclaimed in some kind of ironic horror when we got it during “Syllabus Week.”

Now we laugh the assignments off to go make food, watch ESPN, or prepare for interviews because we know the schoolwork will get done eventually.

Amount of emails

This never happens fourth year

In your first and second years you will probably send the same amount of emails that you will receive in your first day back as a fourth year. All of the concerning emails you send or think to send to your professors about books and future assignments will be made up by extracurricular invitations and job opportunities, which takes almost an hour to slug through. Karma.

Excitement

SCHOOL SPIRIT

Despite all that’s been said, don’t take this article as a cynical view of fourth years being back at school because we are just as excited as you cute little first years.

First year excitement comes from the hopes and dreams of the college memories you will make. The seasoned fourth year’s excitement comes from the memories made from careless first year, the hope of recreating them, and the dream of making it through these four months to be welcomed into the real world.

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