This study explores the sophomore year, a critical juncture during the undergraduate experience with notable attrition rates. By dissecting environmental, academic, and situational determinants, this study provides insightful perspective by delving into the student narrative, enriching the existing literature. Employing semi-structured interviews, eighteen undergraduates were interviewed regarding the factors shaping their academic accomplishments, motivation levels, temporal outlook, and metacognitive proficiencies. Through these anecdotal recollections, the objective was to grasp factors that students associated with their success and resilience during their sophomore experience. To extend the analysis, third-year students were interviewed to discern influences on their navigation from the sophomore to junior year. Thematic analysis extracted key recurrent themes from the transcripts. Grounded theory's qualitative framework, as articulated by Creswell and Poth (2018), was employed to capture the essence of the second-year students' encounters within the institutional context.