After reading the first 68 pages of Freshman Year, I see how different my summer was compared to Sarah’s. She’s just out of high school, working summer jobs, figuring things out, and being told by her mom to spend more time with her little brother. I can relate to that part a little, especially the reminder to spend time with family.

But honestly, my summer was all about responsibilities. As someone over 40, a wife, life looks different. I wasn’t just preparing to start school, but juggling everything else. My summer was full of getting my house in order, like landscaping, gardening, handyman stuff, organizing my office and the house, staying on top of bills, doctor’s appointments, and even setting up an Excel spreadsheet for monthly budgeting, ensuring everything is on autopay, so I do not miss paying some bills. Helping my husband with his stuff: I am his administrative assistant; He is the CEO, and I am the CFO in our house (he said). I also had to complete so many school requirements like immunization records, health forms, and mandatory online classes on topics like drug and alcohol awareness and human trafficking. It was a lot.

But just like Sarah, I made sure to spend time with family and friends before school started. I know that once the semester begins, I won’t have as much time for them, and that I’ll miss out on stuff in the next three to four years while focusing on school. That “last hooray” meant a lot to me.

Sarah is just starting her journey into adulthood. For me, I’m returning to school after already living a full adult life. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. We’re in different stages, but we both spent the summer getting ready for big changes.

when I was reading this book, I immediately related to the pressure and uncertainty during the week of school. Like Sarah, I came in with high expectations. I thought that within the first few weeks, I would find my best friends, find a steady routine, and suddenly feel like I belong on campus. Instead, I found myself overwhelmed by the need to make friends quickly. Everyone around me seemed to be forming groups and fitting in and creating healthy routines, while I worried that I was falling behind. I relate strongly to Sarah’s quiet moments of observing others and wondering where she fit, because I am going through the same thought process. The loneliness that Sarah shows in her story is something I am also feeling as this week marks my 3rd week of college, going into my 4th. Even though I am surrounded by people, I still feel this sort of isolation, unsure if anyone really understands me. There are times when I question if I made the right choice in coming to college, because the experience isn’t immediately matching what I imagined. I have this sense of doubt that is weighing heavily on me, just as it did for Sarah. I also connected with her struggles in self-confidence. Being in a new environment full of talented, ambitious people makes me second-guess my abilities and wonder if I truly belong. Sarah’s internal monologue about doubting herself mirrored the thoughts I have almost daily. I often compare myself to others, worrying if I’m doing enough socially or academically. What I appreciate about her story is how honest it is about the messy and complicated emotions of starting over in a new place. It reminds me that these feelings are not just my own but are a common part of the transitioning into adulthood and seeing Sarah navigate those struggles made me feel less alone in mine.

After graduation, I couldn’t believe that it was finally over, that I no longer have to go back to high school anymore.  Now, the only thing that I have to look forward to, is the next chapter of my life. When Sara was working during the summer and packing everything for college, it reminded me when I was doing the exact same thing as her. working, packing, and spending time with my loved ones. I thought that I would probably not enjoy college due to not having friends there or not knowing what I really wanted to major in. As getting closer to move in day, everything felt quicker. My mom and brother helped me with setting up everything that was needed for when the day came.

Lancer days were definitely rough since we were busy all day for 4 days in a row. The peer mentors were very helpful with everything as they tried their best in helping us feel more comfortable with the new change. I was able to learn more about the school, how to get to my classes, the type of school resources available for me to use when it is needed. Also, giving us as much advice as they can on how we can succeed in school helped me feel more confident about myself.

In my opinion Sara had a more complicated experience as she went to a school way farther away from home, away from her best friends, who she couldn’t see them on weekends. Now she is starting a new chapter on her own, with a whole new environment. Her being nervous but not scared to say good bye to everything, it really reflected the way I felt. Even though I am still close to home, I was still nervous, but so ready to move on, to live a new experience, and most important, to become more independent.

After I graduated high school I was super busy. I went to graduation parties like Sarah did. I spent a lot of time working during the summer and cherishing my last couple of months with my best friends. One thing I didn’t do was get into a relationship before I left for college because I know long distance was something I couldn’t handle. Sarah did get into a relationship and I am interested to see how that will turn out.  I did a lot of college preparation starting in May, unlike Sarah who seemed to do everything last minute. She also didn’t seem thrilled about college. On the other hand, I was so anxious to go to college all summer long. The idea of a new beginning in a new place with new people sounded so refreshing and so far, it has been.

When I moved in, I had already met my roommate prior. We met through one of the Longwood Instagram pages and planned to see each other in June. When we met in person for the first time we instantly clicked. When Sarah moved in she didn’t know her roommate and I can’t imagine how nerve racking that could’ve been for her. Just like Sarah, my first few days on campus were spent going to presentations that were mandatory. Sarah seems very unprepared, she had no clue that she had an email for school. My first week of classes was pretty enjoyable. Although, I did struggle in my language class like Sarah was in the beginning. My face looked the way hers did when she was in French.

In comparison to Sarah, from what I have read, her and I seem quite different. She seems to procrastinate things, which I hate doing. She also seems slightly introverted and I happen to be an extrovert. So far, I like her roommate, and maybe she can bring her out of her shell a little bit. Sarah did just meet Liz’s friend and they seemed to get along well. Like I said earlier I am interested to see where her relationship goes with Ben. I really like this book from what I have read so far.

While reading Freshman Year by Sarah Mai, I realized that the story within resonated very much with my own experiences. The summer before moving to college was filled with friend hangouts, family time, and work. Sarah’s portrayal of the average teenage mindset was very well represented and overall coincided with most people I know, including myself. The author implies that moving away can be a very difficult situation to most and really highlights the importance of spending as much time with those you care for before the change occurs. I connected with this text in the social aspect, leading me to believe that most experiences can be universal.

I spent every free second of my week hanging out with my best friends and making unforgettable memories before heading off to college. Similar to Sarah, I chose to spend more time with my friends and family than shopping for the items I needed when the time came. I realized after the fact that doing so stressed me out a million times more, I am now more cautious as to when I decide to plan things. Sarah appeared to spend more time with her friends than her family, whereas I spent most of my nights with my family. I managed my time so I could see my friends most days, as well as eat dinner and converse with my family every night. I am thankful I did so, college would be extremely difficult if I did not have my family by my side.

Page 14 of Freshman Year portrays Sarah working non-stop from June to July. I had an extremely similar experience with my summer job as a Shift Leader at Dairy Queen. Looking back, having this summer job taught me incredible time management skills which I brought with me to college. I appreciated the boss-like qualities I gained, I am now able to be more forward with people and ultimately engage in conversations in a way that benefits my talking skills. Sarah is drawn out to be more of a dedicated worker, which I compare very much with myself. Being a shift leader raised the stakes unquestionably high and I was given little to no slack. This skill is also extremely useful and upon reflection, helped me a tremendous amount when it came to doing my schoolwork.

Overall, Sarah and I had very similar experiences the summer before heading to college. Hanging out with friends and family while also managing to work full-time assisted greatly with my time-management and my friendliness. The summer before college was a very cannon event, setting up the stage for what my future would be like when I left. While reading the book, I made connections with Sarah’s dialogue as to her portrayed emotions. I only varied from her when it came to spending more time with my family rather than friends, which I feel was more important for me.

Works Cited:

Mai, S. (2024). Freshman Year. Little, Brown and Company N.Y. and Boston.