Sophomore Advising
May 2020
Becoming a Fish Camp counselor is a goal that captures the attention of many freshmen as they are introduced to Texas A&M University. However, for me, I knew only a few days into Howdy Week freshman year that I wanted to become a University Honors sophomore advisor. I wanted to help guide my peers through their first year of college and to be part of a tight-knit group of friends that got to live down the hall from each other for a whole year.
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Sophomore Advisors, called SAs, lived in the Honors Housing Community on-campus and had weekly meetings with their "Honors Family" - a group of 10 to 15 University Honors freshmen. In these meetings, they facilitated discussions about professional goals, current events, personal values, studying habits, and more. The SAs also got to work as a team to put on many events for the freshmen throughout the school year.
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I absolutely loved my experience with the SAs and their events as a freshman, and the weekly meetings were always something I looked forward to. I interviewed and got accepted to become an SA in February of my freshman year. We prepared for the next year by attending multiple training sessions, writing letters and cards to our future freshmen, and creating elaborate dorm door decorations. At this point, I hadn't grown close to anyone in particular and was just looking forward to mentoring other students.
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Howdy Week was the week before classes started at Texas A&M. Throughout the entire week, the SA team planned multiple events for each day. These included activities such as ice skating, board games, karaoke, hamburger social, and movie night. We each got to pick a few events to volunteer for, but I ended up going to as many as I could. Normally I prefer keeping to myself, but I pushed myself to talk to as many new people as possible during this week. I also grew closer to my coworkers.
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Throughout the school year, we planned several larger events as well. One of my favorites was Murder Mystery, where the SA team worked together to put on an interactive show in the dorms around Halloween. I volunteered to play a character, where I got to dress up, memorize lines, and answer questions from freshmen so that they could solve the mystery. Not only was this event a lot of fun, I got to improve my event planning skills and got out of my comfort zone by playing an unfamiliar character.
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I developed closer relationships with my coworkers and my freshmen throughout the year. A few of the SAs became my study buddies and eventually some of the closest friends I've ever had. I realized that before I was forced to spend a lot of time in the same building as my friends, I had only ever maintained superficial friendships. This is something I'm still struggling with, and I would like to practice building longer-lasting friendships. I got to know my freshmen through weekly meetings and occasional one-on-ones. I was able to focus more on them once I quit some of my other obligations in the spring semester, but I wish I took more time outside of what was required to check up on them and get to know them better, especially when COVID-19 hit. I wish I hadn't been as absorbed in my own studies and struggles. Regardless, I still think I made their freshman year experience brighter in the time that we did have together.
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Although my time as an SA didn't end in the way I had expected, I grew a lot as a person and made lifelong friendships with my coworkers. I became a better listener and leader. I learned how to deal with tough situations, start meaningful conversations, and work with a large team to meet a common goal. I absolutely loved being a sophomore advisor, and I wish I could relive that year over again.
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