What is great about each year at the Coast Guard Academy?
Freshman year – You might hear a lot of bad things about freshman or 4/c year at the Academy. However, even this year has its highlights. First, you make a lot of friends. You get to make a variety of friends. You will become close with your company and sports team, but you will also make friends in your classes and clubs. Another cool thing is that you are at the Academy. I know, but the Academy is really selective, and many students (including myself) dedicated years to getting in. It is always worth the time to stop and reflect on the hard work that got you here. Thirdly, Connecticut is pretty cool. I didn’t grow up in the Northeast, so I enjoyed seeing the beautiful fall and winter seasons.
Sophomore Year – You made it through freshman year. You have a lot more freedom and a lot less random stuff to do. You just have so much more time for whatever you want to do (chill out, extracurriculars, etc.). It is so much chiller than freshman year. My stress level dropped dramatically between the two years. In addition, you also get into your major classes which is so much fun! Finally, you get to help the new freshman which is very fulfilling.
Junior Year – There were two things that pleasantly surprised me about junior year. First, I am a lot more comfortable at the Academy. I know how things are and have fallen into a rhythm. I am still working on a lot of things (like waking up at the same time consistently), but I feel a lot more confident in myself. Secondly, I feel really close to the people at the Academy. I know my own class very well. In addition, I know many of the seniors and sophomores.
Senior Year – It’s an exciting time where you get to plan your future. You have a lot more freedom and a car! There are also a lot of fun events for seniors during the second semester. (I’m still a junior, so I bet I’ll have a lot more to say next year!)
