Freshmen are taunted for coming into the school year as “newbies” and are recognized for not knowing their way around campus, not understanding how the meal plans work and for being younger than the rest of the campus.

But freshmen aren’t the only ones new to the experiences we face in college.

They are new in the sense that they haven’t navigated the buildings and they haven’t taken the advanced courses or the atmosphere up to this point.

However, college students at any age need to adjust, and each new semester brings challenges and trials that everyone needs to face. Not simply freshmen.

Freshman year is a transition year. You gain your independence and freedom to do whatever you want.

Entering sophomore year, you understand how the process works. Now, however, you need to find a solid major if you plan to graduate on time. This means that you may also need to pick up a job to pay for all this schooling. The added work and longer credit hours mean that you, an “experienced sophomore,” still need to learn the ropes about time management.

Then comes junior year. You now have enough credits to live off-campus. And it isn’t all fun and games like you had planned. You need to cook meals each day, which takes time. You need to clean because you have a larger space to take care of. Don’t forget about your additional roommates. That’s more people that you don’t want to make mad with your messy habits. Time to learn to keep yourself organized and respect the space of others. Time to learn to respect both your roommates as well as your neighbors, those people living right next door.

Finally, senior year. Where are you going to work? This is your year to finalize plans for a career if you want to have a job after school is finished. You don’t want to go back to your parents house and find yourself forced to live by their rules again.

College can be new and challenging for freshmen, yes. But it’s new and challenging for students at every age. You learn as each year passes.