freshman vs neophyte

freshman and neophyte both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
freshman	Yes	Yes	No	No
neophyte	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, freshman and neophyte are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of freshman include entrant, fledgeling, fledgling, newbie, newcomer, starter.

freshman (noun)	neophyte (noun)
a first-year undergraduate	any new participant in some activity
any new participant in some activity	a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist
	a plant that is found in an area where it had not been recorded previously

freshman (adjective)	neophyte (adjective)
used of a person in the first year of an experience (especially in United States high school or college)