An… Overqualified? Twenty Something’s Reflections from Sophomore Year
Taylor Nelson
August 2022 - 2023
Two years ago today, I was in a car with my dad, driving across the country to New Jersey. When we arrived at our destination, I unpacked my things and moved into Princeton’s freshman dorms. I had just turned 19. I was a little nervous, a little excited, and a little unprepared.
One year later, I would be unrecognizable to that unsuspecting freshman. Instead of Princeton, I was at Featherlite. Instead of a Zoom class, I found myself standing in a freezing cold warehouse, covered in sawdust, grease, and metal shavings, operating a buzzsaw. Instead of college freshmen, my peers were middle aged men.
Not long after leaving Featherlite, I was on Maui, and my daily life underwent another metamorphosis. I lived independently, staying at a hostel and working at Ululani’s. I met people and made friends from all over the world. I went on unforgettable adventures and made unforgettable memories. In Hawaii, Featherlite felt a thousand miles away. Princeton felt like a million.
Tomorrow (August 23rd) I’ll be starting my first semester at Scripps College in Claremont, California. It’s strange to be slipping back into the world of academia. I feel rusty. More than anything, I feel a bit old. If everything had gone to plan the last couple years, I would be starting my junior year at Princeton this fall. But alas, here I am, enrolled as a sophomore at Scripps. It’s all good though - life’s not a race. I should just be thankful that I’m a sophomore and not a freshman. Although, I am living in the freshman dorms this year… and I’ll be attending freshman orientation tomorrow. Huh.
I’ve spent the past year of my life feeling largely incompetent and out of my depth. Like a child living an adult’s life. Now, I have a feeling that’s about to change. I’m 21, living amongst eighteen-year-olds fresh out of high school. I’m used to living by myself, feeding myself, and taking care of myself. For the first time ever, I actually do feel like an adult - but most aspects of my life will once again be governed by the constraints placed upon me by an institution. I feel like I’ve come so far in the past two years, but simultaneously feel that I’m back to square one.
As with the last, I have no idea what this year will bring. But this time, I know that will be the best part.