Our Freshman project last year, which followed five local students as they experienced their first year at college, wouldn’t have had the oomph it had without 10 other freshmen who blogged regularly about life on their campuses.

Below, five of them answer questions about sophomore year. Overall? The rewards of hanging in there are starting to be felt.

Headings:

Name

Still in school?

Is it better being a sophomore?

Craziest/most memorable thing to happen this year?

Ryan Reed, University of Maine at Farmington

I am still in school here at UMF, still a secondary social sciences major.

The chance to have classes where I learn information pertinent to my major. So much of freshman year is about your general education requirements (taking your science, math, English, etc.). I really enjoyed doing my practicum at Mt. Blue Middle School, and have taken another education class since.

This fall I collaborated with a few other RAs to throw a “Root Beer Kegger” in order to raise awareness on safe drinking. It was easily the most popular program put on by the RAs all year. We played Beer Pong, had a computer program to simulate blood-alcohol levels, and set up an obstacle course for use with the drunk goggles. It was a fun social event with an important educational component too.

Danielle Sicotte, Suffolk University, Boston

 I am still at Suffolk. I’ve finally declared myself an advertising major, probably with a minor in marketing.

Sophomore year has been so much better than freshman year. You have a better feel for the school, you’ve met more people, especially upperclassmen who can give you advice. It’s just more comfortable overall.

I had an apartment on Beacon Hill but it was infested with cockroaches, and then over Thanksgiving break it was burglarized and I had my laptop and jewelry stolen. So I now live in the North End, which is much safer and more comfortable. I also have started modeling for an agency called Dynasty!

Dan Magoon, University of Maine, Orono

 I am still in school here at Umaine, still studying biology and enjoying the much more in-depth look at it. Classes are getting much harder but I like the challenge. I’m constantly doing homework and studying, but it seems like I am learning a lot. I’m still working in my molecular bio lab and getting a lot more responsibility. I think that having a job in the lab has taught me just as much, maybe even more, than classes about what I want to do.

I think that the one thing better about this year is responsibility. I feel a lot older and much more responsible. Now that I have an apartment, I’m constantly going out to get supplies and paying bills, and it just makes me keep on top of things, which I have no complaints about.

One change from last year to this year is definitely the partying. Last year the classes were easy and I had a lot of time to go out. But now, I’m just swamped with work and have taken a lot of nights off from going out to stay in and study.

Elizabeth Mitchell, Connecticut College

Yes, I am still in school! But next year I will be at BATES!! Not that I haven’t loved every minute here at Conn, I just really miss Maine. Maine people, Maine places, Maine geology. I look forward to sailing on the club team and taking lots and lots of GEO courses at Bates!

I know how everything works! I know where my time is best spent (art studio) and what activities to pass on (parties all the way at the ridge). I was able to get off campus more for fun day trips and go to great restaurants instead of always eating at the dining hall.

One of the most important and memorable moments was definitely my 300-level design course. My professor visiting from RISD [Rhode Island School of Design] (my future grad school, fingers crossed) is this unreal book artist. She is clever and so creative. The projects/books/everything we have made is just amazing. … Suzi Cuzzins, my teach, is hilarious and so wonderfully helpful. Fridays we go and spend the whole day working in her studio in Providence making books and paper and dancing to Fergie’s “Glamourous.” It’s been a dream. I would probably stay in school here if she wasn’t just a visiting professor. I know it’s tacky, but she’s changed my life. Okay, really tacky. But she has shown me that one can be an artist and make a living out of it. Watch out design world, here I come.

Jennifer Dowling, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Pa.

I am still in school at the same college.

Well, I guess (the best thing is) the understanding of everything that happens during the year on campus and being better prepared for it all. Especially the last week or so of the semester before finals when everything gets crazy.

The most memorable thing from this year would have to be the first show that I stage managed here. It was a musical called “6 Women with Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know.” It was so amazing and a very rewarding experience.