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I am a junior now. I worked in a cafe when I was a freshman, and now I am still working there. Can I use the following sentence to express the idea just given?

I've been working in a cafe since I was a freshman.

But, I'm afraid that it means since the end of my freshman year.

I can find similar usage:

I haven't seen him since I lived in London.

Since I lived in London means since I left London or since the end of my living in London.

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    It doesn't imply "since the end of my freshman year" to me - the starting point is definitely "I was a freshman", so it means you started when you were a freshman, so before the end of the year.
    – stangdon
    Dec 29, 2021 at 13:38
  • In the first sentence why is the starting point sometime during my freshman year, whereas in the second sentence I haven't seen him since I lived in London, the starting point is NOT sometime during my living in London, but rather, the end of my living?
    – Stephen
    Dec 29, 2021 at 13:48
  • And it also hints that you aren't a freshman anymore.
    – Andrew Tobilko
    Dec 29, 2021 at 13:51
  • @Stephen But in the London example, you clearly lived in London when you did see him. Not living in London is when you didn't see him.
    – stangdon
    Dec 29, 2021 at 14:02
  • How about this sentence: I've exercised regularly since I lived in London? Can the starting point be sometime during my living in London? That is to say, I started to exercise regularly when I lived in London, and I maintained this habit even after I left. Now I still exercise regularly.
    – Stephen
    Dec 29, 2021 at 14:13

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I've been working in a cafe since I was a freshman.

means that you started working at the cafe when you were a freshmen. It doesn't say if you started near the beginning of your time as a freshman, near the end, or in between. This sentence also, as a comment points out, implies that you are no longer a freshman, but says nothing about how long ago you were.

I haven't seen him since I lived in London.

means that you saw him while you lived in London, but not at a later time. so your "not seeing him" started while you lived in London. I don;'t think this sentence really implies anything about how frequently you saw "him" while in London.

I've exercised regularly since I lived in London.

probably means that you started exercising while you lived in London and have ever since. But it could be used to mean that you started just after you left London. That second meanig woulod perhaps more likely be expressed by somethign like:

I've exercised regularly ever since I left London.

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