"Oxymoronic" comes from Greek oxys, "sharp," "keen" + moros, "foolish"; hence "keenly foolish." An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words--"cruel kindness," for example.
Like oxymoron itself, "sophomore" is a built-in oxymoron in one word. Perhaps it's appropriate that a person part way through an education would be half wise (sophos) and half foolish.
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