The SophoMORE Experience For The Class of 2024

A few years ago, the Assistant Director of Housing and Residential life Joseph Guardino noticed a drop off in resources for college students as they transition from their freshman to sophomore year. In an effort to bring more access and social activities to the sophomore class, Guardino created a program called SophoMORE Experience. 

“The sophoMORE Experience is a combination of an iLearn site and programs that are geared towards sophomores and their experiences,” Guardino said. “It was developed to be a road map to help students out along the way.”

The programs created for sophomores are often based on what’s trending nationally with the sophomore class and some of them are based on the specific experience of Marist sophomores. 

With fewer opportunities to meet other students, the class of 2024 is just now understanding what a more “normal” semester looks like. 

“The iLearn site is about bringing the resources that already exist in the Marist Community and making it easier for students to find and access in a way that helps them plan out their year,” Guardino said. 

Some of the programs offered through the SophoMORE Experience for the fall semester include an academic resource workshop, resume building workshop, grocery bingo and Navigating Difficult Conversations. In addition, there is a recurring social program that happens on the second Saturday of every month called sophomore Saturdays. 

“Sophomores appear to be very interested in this program,” Guardino said. “Currently, over 200 sophomores are signed up and we have had good attendance at our programs.”

The sophoMORE Experience is currently run through the Office of Housing and Residential Life. Housing has been able to partner with other offices on campus as well as faculty members to provide many resources for the sophomores. In the future, Housing hopes to increase its partnerships across campus so that students have more opportunities to be involved on campus.

“We hope to do some polls and gather feedback from sophomores about what they want and need,” Guardino said. 

This year, the SophoMORE Experience is crucial for the Marist class of 2024 since they entered college during the Covid pandemic. After freshman year, students often lose formal programming and planned activities, but the sophomore class can now look to the ilearn page of the SophoMORE Experience to get involved and socialize with their peers.

“Many students believe that they have not had that unique freshmen experience because of the pandemic and the sophoMore experience hopes to bridge that gap to make sure, through our programming, that students not only feel more connected to their Marist experience but also feel closer to the Marist Community as a result,” Guardino said.

On the ilearn site, students will find opportunities, programs, insights and reflections. For sophomore students who are interested in finding out more information about the SophoMORE Experience, they can join the ilearn site which is titled “The SophoMORE Experience 2021-2022.”

The SophoMORE Experience For The Class of 2024. Photo courtesy of Marist College.