It's no secret that many second-year students feel a whole lot less excitement about their second year of college than their first year. Gone is the newness of waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and the garbage trucks beeping, stepping outside your shoebox room to a compressed hallway, and carrying your shower caddy to the dirty communal bathroom. Even with the strange sights and smells you will inevitably come in contact with your freshman year, you wouldn't trade it for the world. College is the best thing ever; that'll never change.
Until your second year.
Groggy-eyed at seven in the morning, the same garbage truck that used to ease you out of your slumber drones on and now harshly wakes you from your sweet dreams of the summer. You snooze your alarm, groan, wake up twenty minutes before your 8 a.m. and ask yourself for the millionth time why you thought taking this class would be a good idea. Coffee has become less of a novelty and more of a drug, so you contemplate being late for class to grab one. Normally you decide not to and suffer through your first class without your fix, a small victory.
I know, I know, I'm fortunate to attend college at all. It's an opportunity many people don't get. But I know I'm not alone in missing the new horizons that appeared before me freshman year.
It's not easy, but these five tips are things I've done to try and get out of the sophomore slump. Many second-years will inevitably fall into it, but that doesn't mean you can't get out of it.
1. Find some fun things to do in your college town.
Even if you go to a smaller school like me, there's probably a city within driving distance. If you can find motivation to get your work done Friday night, you can take a day trip Saturday just to take a breath of fresh air. Just grab a friend who has a car, give up three or four days worth of Starbucks' coffee (I know it's hard, but I promise the dining hall's isn't that bad), and offer him or her some gas money. Chances are he or she could use a little time off campus too. Even little trips to the local mall can be a refreshing opportunity!
2. Start a blog or other outlet to reflect on what is changing in your life and the world around you.
Though it doesn't feel like it now, you are still evolving as much or more as you were in your first year. I joined The Odyssey because it allows you to think bigger than your little bubble. I've paid attention to the news, read more, and learned more from old habits than I ever did my freshman year.
3. Give yourself some rewards here and there.
Though you should save most of the money you made from your summer job, it's okay to spend some of it on little things. Go to a movie, thrift shop with a friend, or simply grab a yummy dessert from that bakery down the street you've always wanted to try. I am a firm believer that chocolate can make even the worst of days better.
4. Do that thing you've always wanted to.
This doesn't need much explanation. You're not a freshman anymore: people take you seriously. Now's the perfect time to start that club the senior in your stats class told you was stupid last year. It will both allow you to meet new people and deepen your existing friendships, since you have people you can bribe to join.
5. When all else fails, look forward.
Even if you just can't seem to get out of your rut, think of how all that you're doing now will impact you later. Junior year, many students will study abroad, or start student teaching or interning to really start getting a head start on their careers. It is not a bad thing to want to escape for a little bit, and the Internet abounds with resources for planning whatever your next steps may be. Just make sure you're making the present a past worth remembering.
