Editor's note:This is the eighth in a series of journal entries written by Taryn Noll as she reflects on her undergraduate educational experiences. Part 7 of Taryn's journal was published on July 12, 2010.

I was busy packing my duffle bag, getting ready to drive three and half hours back to good old State, when I realized just how quickly the first semester of my sophomore year passed me by.

Freshman year I thought I had my nose buried in a lot of things: a full course load, a brand new organization I had started, a few clubs on the side, new friends, and the DUS program. For me–and I think for many other Penn State students freshman year is all about trying anything and everything. It is about searching and searching until you find that niche. You don't want to miss out on any opportunity, and boy, there are a ton of opportunities. But freshman year's schedule can't even compare to what sophomore year brings.

Sophomore year begins your routine. Because of freshman year's motley assortment of activities, I learned to weed through and pick what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing most. Many people think that once you narrow down the activities, you have more time on your hands. I know, though, that this is completely not true, as I sit here in disbelief that it is January of my sophomore year, and I haven't even had time to write one article. This year, I had all my activities narrowed down and I let myself get into a routine: Tuesday mornings were Pink Zone meetings, then class, then Power of Pink meetings. Wednesday nights were booked because I had my THON meeting from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Thursday mornings I could sleep in, but I stayed up late those nights to watch Grey's Anatomy with friends and to catch up on the week's events. Although my life was routine, by no means did it mean I wasn't busy. That's the thing I wasn't expecting. On paper, it looks as though I am involved in less than I was during freshman year. In reality, I have doubled the commitment and time I put into each activity. So I am just as involved, if not more involved, in activities as I was my first year.

I am a firm believer that each year of your life has a different purpose. Freshman year of college for me was about testing the waters in anything I could find. It was about finding my major, finding where my interests lie, and finding out how I want to spend my next three years at Penn State. Now, halfway through my sophomore year, I think that its purpose is quite different. Sophomore year is about picking one of the paths you found freshman year. Once you pick the path, you stay fully committed to it, no matter how demanding the workload gets. You put all your time and effort into every single thing you do, because by now, you know what is important to you and what just isn't the right fit. Sophomore year, as I said before, is about your routine. It may be a busy and trying routine, but it is worth it in the end, because these are the activities that mean the most to you.

A few days before second semester began I already had a laundry list of things I needed to do the first week of classes. This is part of my routine. This is the path I chose to take based on my freshman-year experiences. It is busy, hectic, and sometimes brings me to my breaking point as I balance school, work, friends, and extracurricular activities (maybe even throw in a nap if I'm lucky one week), but it is a routine I am passionate about. It is a routine that, thus far, has made my sophomore year fly by. I know that I am doing exactly what I want to be doing, which is the most rewarding part.