If one of the first facts you tell me about yourself when I meet you is “I’m a [class] by year, but a [higher class] by credits,” I will judge you. A specific example that I hear more often than others is “I’m a freshman by year, but a sophomore by credits.” When I hear this, I think to myself, “Oh alright, dude…so do you want to be identified as a freshman or a sophomore?!”
Please, make up your mind before you talk to me.
Unless someone asks you to be specific, just pick a class. Such a differentiation is ambiguous about which class you want to be identified with, and because of its ambiguity, there is only one reason I can imagine why people make such a statement: to brag. People want others to know that: 1) they took Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school and got college credit for them, 2) they took extra classes during the Spring/Summer semester, and/or 3) they did something else to get ahead.
Well, guess what? YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE. There are plenty of hard-working students on campus who did and are doing the same things.
But maybe you are not being pompous, and you are honestly just trying to avoid confusion. However, there are better ways to restate the same fact. Instead of saying, “I’m a [class] by year, but a [higher class] by credits,” try “This is my [number] year, but I’m a [class].” And if whoever you are introducing yourself to chooses, they can ask for more specification. Then, and ONLY THEN, can you whip out “I’m a [class] by year, but a [higher class] by credits.” As previously mentioned, the best way to avoid confusion is just to pick a class and stick with it – “I’m a [class].”
Just keep it plain and simple. Again, unless people specifically ask you to clarify, there is no need to go into details when you first meet people.
We’re in college now, people. You don’t have to be a specific age in order to be placed in a certain class. Realize this, and everyone around you will be less judgmental and more inviting.
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