For incoming students at the University, first year lives up to its name. It is a year full of first football games, first late-night study sessions in Shannon Library and first morning trips to Bodo’s Bagels. Now, as second year begins, different pressures and stresses — from academic comebacks to harder classes — plague the Class of 2029.
The Class of 2029's first year did not begin on the highest note. The class entered the University shortly after Jim Ryan, former University president and School of Law professor, was forced to resign as president of the University. As a result, many incoming first-years’ notifications were full of news about Department of Justice investigations and speculations about Ryan’s exit.
Ryan’s resignation was nothing short of breaking news, and for incoming first-years especially, the news evoked feelings of shock that the University’s president could resign so close to the start of the Fall 2025 semester, and confusion about what this would mean for their first year.
For second-year College student Erika Luedke, Ryan’s resignation signaled a broader concern of autonomy and stability for the University as a whole. As the situation became more public, Luedke found the University to be unstable upon their entrance.
“[I was] super surprised, and I was a little nervous at what the new leadership of U.Va. would look like and if they'd actually bend more to the whims of what the U.S. government wanted from U.Va. now," Luedke said.
Beyond institutional leadership changes, many now second-years were challenged with striking the balance between the academic and social aspects of college in their first year. High school and college grading scales are often very different, which can be jarring for students. Additionally, social outlets like parties and Contracted Independent Organizations can shift priorities for students. Consequently, some students can fall behind in classes. Luedke, however, did not allow one poor grade to discourage her.
“I've never gotten a C-plus in my life before,” Luedke said. “[I] got my first C [in my] first semester in [STAT 2020, ‘Introduction to Statistics for Biologists’], so definitely a little bit challenging. But it made me kind of reprioritize academics over different aspects of my social life.”
Beyond academic trajectories, many now second-year students found that community is essential to developing roots on Grounds. The Navigators, a Christian ministry on Grounds, became a safe space for Second-Year College Student Candy Asham.
“My biggest fear going into college was I'm not gonna find something to stay rooted in my faith,” Asham said. “I'm so scared, like what if I make friends who do not have the same beliefs as me and I just completely go down a path that I do not want for myself.”
Through the Navigators, Asham found other students who are also deeply rooted in their Christian faith and made connections to help support her faith journey while at the University. Furthermore, the Navigators have been a major part of some of Asham’s core memories during her first year — such as a fall retreat where the Navigators led a group on a night hike.
Luedke had a similar experience with the student-run organization Shakespeare on the Lawn, a theater organization on Grounds that stages renditions of playwright William Shakespeare’s works. Luedke was cast in “Twelfth Night” in the fall and “Macbeth” in the spring.
“I committed to a lot of stuff immediately, and that kind of connected me specifically with Shakespeare on the Lawn, actually with upperclassmen, and they kind of helped me a lot my first year, and it went great. It was a lot of fun,” Luedke said.
The connections Luedke was able to make that first year with their theater group, specifically the upperclassmen, allowed them to find the support they needed during the rougher parts of first year. Shakespeare on the Lawn also gave Luedke the confidence to pursue a minor in theater alongside a prospective psychology major.
Returning students are not the only ones with anxieties and excitement about the upcoming year. For Amy-Sara Ndiaye, a second-year College student who transferred from Northern Virginia Community College, arriving at the University comes with its own unique anxieties. Not only is she a transfer student, but Ndiaye also spent most of her life outside of the United States.
Born in the U.S., and raised in Senegal, French is her first language. As such, Ndiaye said one of her main concerns heading into this school year is forming social connections alongside maintaining good grades in English-speaking courses.
“[One of my fears would] probably be the social part of coming as someone who's still learning English,” Ndiaye said. “I'm more like an introvert, especially in America. So sometimes I'm just scared of the social part of people thinking that I'm weird.”
Ndiaye still has high goals for how she wants her first year on Grounds to be as a transfer. Alongside keeping up with the heavy workload that comes with being a University student, Ndiaye said she wants to be involved on Grounds socially.
“I think my number one goal is to stay on track with my classes, but also to make friends and try to involve myself on [Grounds] … just get involved on [Grounds] in general with friends and go to [sports] games,” Ndiaye said.
Outside of snowball fights on the Lawn and weekend hikes, second-year students are also preparing to take on the next chapter of their academic career — a chapter that can make students nervous. For Asham, she said she feels like first years are generally given more slack when it comes to assignments. According to Asham, her main anxieties lie in feeling like she is expected to know certain things when she does not in regards to her academics and navigating Grounds.
“[In] second year, it's like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re a second-year, you know what to do already, so you do not get any help,’ and I think that's what I'm most nervous about because I feel like I still do not know what I'm doing,” Asham said.
Second-year Commerce student Nulia Obiorah expressed a similar sentiment when confronted with going into second year. Like Asham, Obiorah has also heard from upperclassmen that second year can be one of the most difficult years at the University. Furthermore, for Obiorah, second year is a time for students to finalize their majors and paths of study.
“As excited [as] I am, I'm that much more nervous … things are getting more real,” Obiorah said. “I'm seeing mixed reviews on second year.”
While there may be some apprehension about second year, a new year on Grounds means new chances to score research positions and even internships on Grounds or in the Charlottesville community.
“My top goal for [second] year would be to try to get [a] research [position], I looked a lot into it my first year, but I just felt like I had a lot [going on],” Asham said. “So I'm hoping this year will be different, and I get some research on the table and do something that I'm interested in.”
Others, like Luedke, are using their second year to explore more parts of the University that they were not able to before. As she approached the end of her first year, she began learning about free amenities or resources that she was unaware of, which she plans to use more frequently this year.
“I want to take advantage of the sports amenities more. I feel like I did not do that a lot,” Luedke said. “I did use the pool a lot and the hot tub for sure. But maybe [I will] commit to getting 60 minutes of exercise at the gym.”
It is no understatement that time can fly by quickly at the University, but that does not mean every day at the University should not be valued and taken full advantage of. For students like Obiorah, Luedke and Asham, being open to the unknown helps the oftentimes frightening next steps like second year feel just a little less frightening.
“First and foremost, do not be afraid to put yourself out there,” Obiorah said. “It's okay to be vulnerable and try new opportunities and not know what's going on because you'll learn it very fast, just by nature of how U.Va. moves as a student.”
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