{"id":37469,"date":"2023-09-25T21:24:25","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T02:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/?p=37469"},"modified":"2023-09-25T21:24:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T02:24:25","slug":"mega-sophs-give-advice-to-mini-sophs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/2023\/09\/25\/mega-sophs-give-advice-to-mini-sophs\/","title":{"rendered":"“Mega Sophs” Give Advice to Mini Sophs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cSophomore year was a fever dream.\u201d – Shivani Chirumamilla (24\u2019)<\/span><\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s hard to believe, but this year\u2019s juniors were just sophomores a few months ago, and this year\u2019s incoming sophomores will become upperclassmen in a year. It\u2019s the obvious, sure, but also serves as a  reminder that time flies by fast. For the new sophomores, there\u2019s nothing to fear! Everyone has gone through the process of IMSA, and everyone (more or less) survived and likes it here.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how was sophomore year, as described by our lovely new juniors? Was it scary, with our teachers chomping at students\u2019 backpacks? Or was it the beloved Illinois Hogwarts? Look no further than a few opinions from some of our juniors!<\/span><\/p>\n

When I interviewed many <\/span>rising juniors<\/b> (let\u2019s call them <\/span>Mega Sophs<\/b>), they all mentioned the <\/span>adjustment process to IMSA<\/b>. Also? Homesickness. Our Junior at Large, head of the Big Sib Program, <\/span>Yicole Ng (25\u2019)<\/b>, said the biggest change at IMSA was living alone, but \u201cfound [herself] adjusting to living in a dorm pretty fast.\u201d Similarly, <\/span>Josie Kim (25\u2019)<\/b> noted that even though dorm-life was difficult at first, it taught many valuable lessons and skills about living alone and staying independent. For example, being at IMSA separated her from her parents, so a big focus of Josie\u2019s first year at IMSA was managing her time and commitments. For you <\/span>new sophomores<\/b> (to continue with the name-scheme, let\u2019s call you guys <\/span>Mini Sophs<\/b>), living on your own will be an adjustment, but if it\u2019s anything like what the Mega Sophs experienced, then it won\u2019t be a difficult transition. If you ever feel overwhelmed, be it from homesickness or workload, reach out to the upperclassmen and your Resident Counselors (RCs), staff that support student dorm life. As <\/span>Kavin Venkat (25\u2019)<\/b> put it, when he was stressed as a Mini Soph, he turned to his RCs, teachers, and friends to have fun while maintaining good grades. Being at IMSA is an opportunity to experience independence, but it\u2019s also the toughest adjustment. Know that there are resources and people available to guide you through your transition, and never fear to speak up for help when you need it.<\/span><\/p>\n

We mentioned grades, so let\u2019s talk more about IMSA\u2019s academics. <\/span>Trust me, and trust all the Mega Sophs when they say this – IMSA is not like your old school. <\/span><\/i>Classes here run in mods (short for \u201cmodules\u201d), with most classes taking one mod (50 minutes), but some taking 2 (called double mod classes). Passing periods are 5 minutes, and there\u2019s 8 mods in a day. Not every mod needs to be filled, meaning that there could be 50 minute blocks of time where you don\u2019t have class. You cannot go back into your dorm, but please take these 50 minute \u201cfree mods\u201d to do your work! That\u2019s because the pace of learning at IMSA is super fast, as Yicole observes, and even if you learned topics like Calculus or Chemistry at your old school, relearning it at IMSA could still be a struggle. As a Senior, I\u2019ve observed that the intensity only increases as you move throughout the years, so be prepared!<\/span><\/p>\n

Carolyn Zhang (25\u2019)<\/b>, one of our debate captains, invites you to check out the extracurriculars at IMSA, noting that \u201ca lot of stuff around here is very student organized.\u201d Indeed, student organizations add vibrancy to the IMSA community. There are around 50-60 student-led organizations, managed under <\/span>Student Council (StudCo)<\/b> and the <\/span>Campus Council of Equity (CCE)<\/b>. Most clubs are under the guidance of StudCo, as StudCo provides funding and support for these clubs\u2019 events. These clubs, large or small, aim to intrigue and spark student interest in a variety of topics – general ones, like medicine, and niche ones, like crochet! Clubs under CCE guidance are completely different – they are <\/span>culture clubs<\/b>, each representing a different \u201ccultural hub.\u201d There\u2019s ASIA (Asian Students In America), BSU (Black Student Union), Alma Latina, and ISA (Indian Student Association). Each culture club has its own show, an eye-catching display of student-led dances where you can immerse yourself in the celebration of diversity, while also cheering on your favorite people as they dance on stage! If you want to be as cool as Mega Sophs like Carolyn, Josie, and Yicole, then you should dance in these shows as well. The first show, <\/span>Jalsa, hosted by ISA<\/b>, will take place in late September, so look out for information about it soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

For <\/span>Nikhil Kodali (25\u2019)<\/b>, culture shows are fascinating, but not the best part about IMSA. <\/span>Clash of the Halls (COTH)<\/b> is where it\u2019s at. During COTH, hosted by <\/span>Campus Activities Board (CAB), <\/b>students are grouped by their 7 halls, and every hall unites to compete against the other halls for that ultimate IMSA pride. Everything from riddles to dance-offs to talent shows, COTH is the perfect place for people to express their talents, and go head to head with their new enemies from opposing halls. Nikhil noted that COTH always brought entire halls together to work together on projects such as decorating or dance choreography, and it can help tie you closer to those around you. His advice? Make friends with the people who live around you, they will be your closest bonds throughout your time here.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, Mini Sophs, how do you feel? Anxious? Excited? Well whatever the feeling, know that the seniors and the Mega Sophs are here for you. Your first year is a crucial memory, and even seniors like me reminisce. The friends you make, the bonds you build, and the possibilities you create during sophomore year stick with you throughout the IMSA experience. Even seniors, like <\/span>Shivani Chirumamilla (24\u2019)<\/b>, are deeply influenced by their sophomore years. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSophomore year set me up for success<\/span><\/i>.\u201d – Shivani Chirumamilla. <\/span><\/p>\n

Taking advantage of the independence, building on character and skills, and connecting with everyone around her set her up for multiple commitments during junior and senior year, such as the Red Cross club and prestigious research opportunities. She emphasized the <\/span>friendliness<\/b> of IMSA students, <\/span>especially upperclassmen<\/b>. Late-night talks with seniors, barging into wingmates\u2019 doors, and chilling after night curfew – she associated sophomore year with a \u201chappy feeling.\u201d Shivani\u2019s advice for you, Mini Sophs, is to find<\/span> a balance<\/b> between your academic, extracurricular, social, and personal life. Especially as an upperclassman, there\u2019s more responsibility in our academics and extracurriculars, so setting up a good balance during your first year is critical to your future success.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m also a senior, but everyone covered my advice pretty well. If I could add anything else, <\/span>there\u2019s no need to feel scared or feel alone<\/b>. You will find that everyone here is eager to meet you, befriend you, and support you. IMSA is fun and rigorous, so take that as you will, and adjust accordingly. One day, you will be writing your advice to another year of incoming sophomores. Mini Sophs, remember that you are supported and welcomed at IMSA – through all of the transitions, struggles, and fever dreams, you\u2019ll come to love your sophomore year, just as all of the upperclassmen have.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cSophomore year was a fever dream.\u201d – Shivani Chirumamilla (24\u2019) I know it\u2019s hard to believe, but this year\u2019s juniors were just sophomores a few…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":690,"featured_media":37516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1019,1021],"tags":[2743,4209,1911,2388],"coauthors":[3687],"class_list":["post-37469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-imsanews","category-lifestyle","tag-backtoschool","tag-23-24","tag-advice","tag-lifestyle"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/690"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37469"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37501,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37469\/revisions\/37501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37469"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=37469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}