Resources for Your Sophomore
Sophomore Sojourn
The cost is FREE, but applications are required and the retreat will be limited to
the first 100 sophomores who complete their application. The application will be released
once the semester begins, so tell your student to stay tuned!
Living on Campus
Housing
Our four-year residency requirement means students are required to live in F&M-owned or -approved housing for all four years.
Housing applications for returning students are available in February each year. Your sophomore student has the option to continue living in their College House. They can also choose to apply for a House Adivser (HA) position or live in one of our two residence halls on campus: Thomas Hall and Schnader Hall.
Students who don't receive housing in one of these options participate in the annual room selection proccess, the Housing Lottery. Housing Lottery information sessions are held in March and April. All students participating in the lottery are encouraged to attend a session in any College House.
Students who did not select housing through the Housing Lottery will receive a housing assignment from the Housing Office in the weeks prior to the start of the fall semester.
Contact Housing
If you need to get in touch with your student’s College House, you can reach out to the assigned faculty mentor (don) and administrative facilitator (dean). If you have
questions about F&M housing in general, you can explore our FAQ to learn more or reach out to our housing team at housing@fandm.edu for additional help.
Meal Plans
Sophomores are required to purchase a meal plan unless they are commuting (though students commuting students can also purchase a meal plan). Meal plan pricing is automatically folded into your student’s tuition details.
Academics and More
Academic Advising
Many second-year students focus on exploring several academic and life decisions. Your student’s faculty adviser will support them in making these long-term decisions about major(s)/minor(s) declarations, off-campus study and their desired levels of integration, leadership and involvement in the larger F&M community, and much more.
Here are some topics your sophomore should discuss with their adviser:
- What subject they might want to major in and where they think studying it will lead
- Whether they are considering more than one subject for a major and how those subjects might work together as a course of study
- What courses they have liked the most and what skills they most enjoyed practicing
- Whether they want to study abroad
- Fields of study they might want to do research in
- Programs, clubs, and leadership opportunities on campus
- What they are looking forward to during the rest of their time as students
Center for Career and Professional Development
A milestone in your student’s sophomore year is their major declaration. The Career Center will guide them through every step of this important decision. Our signature programs for your sophomore include:
- An academic fair where students can learn more about programs and meet faculty from academic departments on campus
- “Not a Major Decision” individual and group sessions to support students in the period leading up to and following major declaration
- “Living Beyond F&M Series” consisting of sessions on financial literacy, public speaking, the etiquette of the business meal, and more
Your Student’s Career Center Adviser
If they haven’t done so already, encourage your student to reach out to their career adviser. Your student’s primary Career Center adviser is assigned to them based on their College House. Their adviser will work with them one-on-one to help build a trajectory of success.
June 20, 2024 Franklin & Marshall’s distinctive animal behavior program helped Sara Dollen ’23 land a job doing what she loves just weeks after graduating. “I chose F&M in part for the unique animal behavior degree that I felt would prepare me well for any animal-related work,” Dollen said. June 12, 2024 Samantha “Sammi” Perry ’23 shares how F&M prepared her both academically and socially to thrive in her pursuit of a master’s degree in political communications. “I am thrilled to be doing so well in the master’s program due to my F&M experience, but also to my perseverance,” she said. June 28, 2024 Meet Nick Tewell '23, a biology major and Spanish minor at F&M who is pursuing his doctor of medicine degree at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "I have found myself exactly where I envisioned myself when I began my first year at F&M," Tewell said.F&M Graduate Success Stories
Success Beyond F&M: Animal Behavior Major Leads ’23 Grad to Enriching Career
Success Beyond F&M: ‘Within One Month, I Knew I Was Going to Be Successful’
Success Beyond F&M: ‘F&M More Than Prepared Me for the Next Steps in My Career’
Have They Considered...
Campus Employment?
Internships?
The Career Center will help your student discover and land these positions, guiding
them through the internship search, application and interview processes, and facilitating
connections with F&M alumni, parents and friends of the College for potential opportunities.
Research?
Off-Campus Study?
Do you have any questions? We're happy to help. Feel free to reach out to us at families@fandm.edu or visit our contact page.Get in Touch With F&M