The Terrifying Beginning of My Sophomore Year: Starting Over Without My Friends

In The Know with Tony Reeves · Jul 27, 2026 · 15m

Returning to the University of Tampa for my sophomore year should have felt familiar—but almost everyone I had depended on was gone.My best friend and roommate did not return. Other friendships I had begun building disappeared as well. I arrived back on campus after a 24-hour Greyhound bus ride, carrying a military duffel bag on my back and a footlocker on my head, knowing that I would have to figure out this new chapter largely on my own. At the same time, I was stepping into new responsibilities as a resident assistant, continuing ROTC, beginning more challenging science courses, and…