1. When half of the faces at Fuqua are unfamiliar, it means that a new first-year class has arrived – you’re a Second Year now.
  2. When you can decide how many and which courses to take each term, you are a Second Year. No more 8 am core classes.
  3. When you handle 3 different teams in a term rather than 1 designated C-LEAD (Consequential Leadership) team, you are a Second Year.
  4. When you’ve mastered the ability to construct busy consulting-style slides, read 20-page cases in minutes, and compose concise case write-ups, you are a Second Year.
  5. When you don’t feel the need to attend each and every conference or event because you’ve identified your true passion, you are a Second Year. Moreover, you have become a panelist and organizer instead of an attendee.
  6. When you’ve narrowed down the number of clubs you’re actively involved in from 15 to 5, you are a Second Year. Vague dreams have faded, and a more realistic plan has emerged.
  7. If internship recruiting is like the “first date,” then the second-year job search is like “speed dating,” quickly followed by “marriage.” For Second Years, there is less time for networking since on-campus recruiting wraps up in 2 months. Luckily, you can reconnect with old contacts and build off the relationships you started with recruiters in year 1 to expedite the process.
  8. When you’ve switched from seeking advice to offering advice, you are a Second Year. It is time to give back through informational interviews, resume reviews, casing, and mock interviews with First Years, so that “Team Fuqua” continues.
  9. When you know where every room is located at Fuqua, where your favorite Durham restaurants are, and every store located in Southpoint (the biggest shopping mall in Durham,) you are a Second Year. Bye bye, GPS.
  10. When your classmates are all club co-presidents, Teaching Assistants for multiple courses, or some kind of fellow, you are a Second Year. After all, we all come here to become Leaders of Consequence.
  11. For international students, when you know what the 80’s Party, Halloween Party, and Prom are, you are a Second Year.
  12. When you study abroad, or when a third of your peers are gone for an exchange, you are a Second Year.
  13. When you have time to work out, sleep for more than 7 hours every night, and don’t have to worry (too much) about your GPA anymore, you are a Second Year who has finished recruiting.
  14. When your classmates are no longer new friends, but friends with whom you share a deep bond, you are a Second Year.
  15. When you’ve tried skeet shooting, rock climbing, a half-marathon, and are planning for the next big thing, you are a Second Year.
  16. Asia? Check. Europe? Check. Africa? Check. When you’re figuring out your next grand trip destination, you are a Second Year.
  17. When seeing blossoms in spring makes you sad, you are a Second Year. The blossoms remind you that the count-down to graduation is winding to a close. Sadly, the second year goes very fast, and we will miss the awesome Fuqua experience.