BoomerGirl Diary

Lois: Recently, my youngest daughter returned to college to begin her sophomore year.

College today is more career specific, so students don’t often study the classics and philosophy. They don’t know the implications of sophomore, but we boomers do!

Alas, and yet again, for the past several months I’ve lost my ability to think rationally, to speak intelligently, or render any opinions or advice worth turning an ear to. I have been too demanding, not understanding, nor had the capacity to relate to the life of a sophomore. It is a sad state of mind.

Do our daughters know that we blazed this trail for them? Those who traveled this path before us gave us purpose and direction. The boomer girls were the first generation of women to rush to the doors of higher education. We all probably had symptoms of sophomoric ideals and temperament. I doubt that our parents were as tolerant of it. Most of our parents couldn’t figure out where we were coming from. Social mores were changing faster than our parents could. Higher education was the new standard of the American Dream that children would have a better life than their parents. Our challenges to government, family, religion, and the establishment were incomprehensible for them. We grew up and made our peace with them. So, boomers, we get it. We understand. We made these dilemmas possible for our daughters.

Now that the new semester is settled in, I am happy to announce that I have regained my intelligence, my abilities to think, reason, understand, and yes, even be helpful. Hopefully, this is a permanent condition.

I have survived again. I have survived the Last Sophomore.

Jackie, 18: This year has so far been full of changes for me. This is the first year I haven’t had a sport to play in the fall and occupy my time.

I have so much extra time now to study, go to the sports team games, and to take care of myself. That is not what I was expecting from a sophomore year in college. I thought this was supposed to be a really taxing and nerve racking semester. It really surprises me that the so-called “soph block” is not a worry for me right now.

However, my roommate is suffering from this homework disorder and I feel so lucky that it has not affected me. Being the last person in my family to go through their sophomore year, I always look to my sisters and mom for their advice, help, and opinion. I know I will do well with the help and encouragement of my family.

Laura, 25: Hmm… Sophomore year. If I remember correctly, that’s the year I was still recovering from a tumultuous break-up with my high school boyfriend, almost dropped out of school and joined Americorps. I guess I was a little hormonal, or dramatic, or both.

You’re right, Mom. For all your wisdom, nothing you could say could make it better. I had to go through it on my own, but how did you sit by and just hope I’d make the right decision? Somehow, friends pull us through. Sophomore year, I moved into an on-campus apartment with five other girls. I knew two of them very well, but the other three were practically strangers. In the end, we’d all become the best of friends. Now, all but one is married, one has a baby, another is pregnant. We’ve celebrated all of that together and cemented these friendships my sophomore year.

Chrystin, 30: You can call me OSD, “Original Sophomore Daughter”. Don’t you forget it! I had unique experiences as the first sophomore to create waves in our little clan.

Sophomore year of high school was trying. I think this year can best be summed up with this statement about my psyche: I've always been (and still am) a questioner of authority, especially my parents.

Sophomore year of college was exciting. After a tough first semester of my freshman year, I finally felt like school was getting under control. The passing of someone dear to me and my boyfriend proved to be a significant personal trial for this year. It seemed to come so quickly and really made me think about some things I never approached before. I realized in my sophomore year that my dream of becoming a forensic psychologist was a lofty ambition. Science is NOT my strong point. I may not have been given the gift to figure out the molecular structure of the brain but a different gift…the gift of gab. So, I changed my major to communications and PR. Still to this day, it's one of the best decisions I've made.

My advice for Miss Jac in her sophomore year is to just let things occur at their own pace. Don't rush the experience! Don’t waste time worrying about things that aren’t in your control. Hey, wait a minute, that’s the same advice I would give my mom. Read on,

OSD

P.S. College is awesome! If given the chance, at any time, I would go back and do it all again and again and again.