The Sophomore Experience floor is one of the Themed Living-Learning Communities (TLLCs) within Hewett Hall.
The main goals of the floor are to support sophomore (second-year) residents to successfully progress through the academic year by solidifying their major, making connections with their professors for future or current references, and to support a group of students who are still transitioning into the university community.
You can follow the Sophomore Experience TLLC’s journey below:
Update from the resident assistant
Samantha Gutheim, resident assistant.
Although most residents on the Sophomore Experience floor are considered freshmen (less than 30 credit hours, but considered second-year students), the community has an outgoing demeanor.
Almost all of the residents know each other, and most of them have groups of friends based on the floor. The community seemed to be pre-established as the current resident assistant, Samantha Gutheim, arose to the position in the middle of the academic year. The more she observed and interacted with the floor, the more she has seen that her residents have stepped outside of their comfort zones and have branched out on the floor and in their classes.
The floor’s faculty mentors (Samantha Meranda and Melissa Seipp) are absolutely phenomenal. They are extremely supportive of the decisions the RA makes for the floor. They are also very involved in the program planning processes as well. Both faculty mentors attended the Hewett Hangout on February 24 to meet the floor for the first time and get involved with the games, information, and snacks.
Samantha Meranda, Admissions counselor.
Update from the faculty mentors
Unfortunately, due to Meranda’s busy fall travel schedule, she could not give as much time as she wanted to the Sophomore Experience floor last semester. She met with the previous RA several times and understood the struggles that she was going through as an RA. Some of these struggles included: disregard for floor rules, disrespect of the RA, and most students who lived on this floor did not choose a TLLC (mostly designated freshmen living on a sophomore floor).
Because of this, Meranda viewed her role as more of a support to the RA than to the floor based on what the RA had disclosed. With a less hectic schedule and the addition of Seipp, Meranda has a new outlook towards the mentorship with this floor.
Melissa Seipp, Admissions counselor.
Meranda and Seipp met with the RA before the floor’s residents moved back in early January. They discussed the potential difficulties (mentioned above) and about how they plan to tailor these activities around the floor’s theme (sophomore experience).
One of the floor programs that all three look forward to is February’s “Selfie with a Professor” program. Their hope is that this encourages students to become more comfortable approaching professors as this can be a common challenge for freshmen and sophomores alike.
