If Freshman Year Had A Flavor

If freshman year had a flavor, it would be an iced caramel macchiato; it’s sweet, a little chaotic, and somehow energizing even when you’re running on five hours of sleep. It’s exhilarating at first, yet complicated, and you can’t help but keep sipping, trying to figure out what should come next.

Academically, it feels like that first swirl of caramel mixing into the espresso—everything’s new, unfamiliar, and a little too strong at times. You’re balancing core classes, navigating new expectations, and learning how to truly learn again. While some days are smooth and satisfying, others feel like too much caffeine and not enough confidence. But between the lectures, the study sessions, and the conversations that spill past midnight, you begin to acknowledge that the point isn’t to have it all figured out, but to stay curious enough to keep stirring.

There’s a quiet pressure in every walk of life that hangs in the air, where you feel that everyone around you already has their four-year plan color-coded, summer internships lined up, and life perfectly balanced. Although, freshman year isn’t supposed to be entirely polished, but messy and alive. As a first-year student, I tell myself to chase new interests, ask questions even if they don’t have clear answers, and find energy in uncertainty. Passion doesn’t always arrive fully formed, it may brew slowly for some, like the coffee order you didn’t expect to love when you took the risk of trying something new, but now order every day. It’s like the sweetness at the bottom of the cup that you only notice once you’ve slowed down.

If I’ve learned anything so far, it’s that Santa Clara is the perfect place to find your brew, and yourself, one sip at a time. 

If freshman year had a flavor, it would taste like possibility—bold, imperfect, and just the right amount of caffeine that keeps you reaching for more.