During my sophomore I was more focused on using Sweet Briar's wonderful resources for my academic and personal development. This was the time that I started my own business with my best friend (another Sweet Briar student). I was able to create ties between Tom Marcais, business professors and Professor Brunelle, who is a Spanish professor with graphic design knowledge and experience. Together, my business partner and I created a board of advisors that helped us through the process of creating a product, a website and outlining marketing and sales strategies. While I chose to use Sweet Briar's business and technology resources, there are similar opportunities in all academic fields. Sweet Briar's small student-teacher ratio enables students to do independent and directed studies.
My first year was mainly about adapting and making new friends while getting some experience in different academic departments. On the other hand, during my Sophomore year I was a lot more focused on what I wanted to do and I knew more about the resources Sweet Briar offers. That alone made my year INCREDIBLE! Not only did I get to dedicate practically both semesters taking only classes that fascinated me, but it was all about continuing to learn outside of the classroom by having side projects like Sweet Drivers (the company that my best friend and I founded).
I don't think I really believed it until Sophomore Year, but your experience at Sweet Briar really is what you make of it.
Socially speaking, conversations with my Sweet Briar friends were also MORE fascinating because everyone of us had a better understanding of our desired career and interests. Each one of us was doing something different, planning for amazing summer internships, deciding to study abroad in Costa Rica for environmental studies, or even simply combining different majors and minors to reflect their exact interests. I know that at any other college, it would have been really difficult for me to declare a double major in philosophy and international affairs, with a minor in business and an interest in learning Spanish "just for fun."
Sophomore Year is the time that I realized that anything is truly possible. Sweet Briar can unlock any door of opportunity, you just have to use the resources and explore your interests even if it's not career-related. After writing the first fifty pages of a non-fiction novel that I hope to eventually publish, I was able to make an appointment with an English professor, Professor Brown, to discuss my writing style and ways that I could finish, edit or publish it. That would not have happened at another college! Sweet Briar has unlimited resources and as a sophomore you will begin to realize just how many people are available to help you and be part of your support system.