I'm not a UConn dental student... But all I can say is that how difficult a particular year is is all subjective.
Here at my school, as a freshman I heard tales from upperclassmen who loved second year, which to my chagrin I found very difficult (grrrr). My classmates are also split-- Some thought it hard and some thought it easy. Some could handle the course load, some could not, some barely held on with their teeth (pun not so intended, heh).
So the short answer is, IT DEPENDS!
The way I see it, it's better to go into second year thinking it will be hard then finding it easy, rather than going in thinking it will be easy and finding it hard. 😎
