I'm writing a paper about life as a sophomore in 2012 in the style of Charles Dickens ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times") and I'm not sure if this sentence makes sense or is grammatically correct. Please help!
It is a year of waiting; that of eager anticipation, and that of dread.
That's o.k. Are you sure, though, that you want to make it present tense, rather than past tense?
You also need a colon, not a semicolon after "waiting."
The sentence you provided is grammatically correct and makes sense in the context of your paper. It effectively showcases the dual emotions experienced by a sophomore in 2012. However, if you would like to incorporate the style of Charles Dickens more authentically, you might consider revising it slightly. Here's a suggestion:
"It was a time of waiting; a time of both eager anticipation and dread, intertwining with each passing day, as the life of a sophomore in 2012 unfolded like a tale of conflicting fortunes."