Sophomore year of college gets a bad rep from the negativity surrounding the dreaded "sophomore slump."

The sophomore slump has an oddly negative connotation among second year undergrad students returning to their respective campuses in their sophomore fall semester. Returning to campus the fall of your sophomore year feels like old hat. The dining hall, the dorms, the library, the late night spots with the free pizza, the familiar faces around campus—none of this is new the way that it had been freshmen year. Sophomore year means no longer being a little fish in a big pond and slowing moving up the food chain into upperclassmen territory.

The sophomore slump, however, brings challenges of its own, if we're being totally honest. You're not quite ready to make the deep dive into your given career path. Some people are still deciding, declaring and transitioning into the programs of their choice. Most internship opportunities are geared toward juniors and seniors, and you've probably already meandered in and out of on campus clubs and organizations freshman year enough to know which are worth your time and interest and which aren't.

But it doesn't have to be this way. For me, sophomore year opened up the door of exploration of all the opportunities college has to offer. I joined Greek life, I discovered Odyssey on my campus and I declared my major.

Sophomore year doesn't have to mean blindly and idly going through the motions of another year of college as you transition from "lowerclassmenship" into "upperclassmenship." Sophomore year does not have to come with an ensuing "slump."

Sophomore year is the perfect year to indulge in the on-campus opportunities your college has to offer. It offers an opportunity to really pursue the interests you enjoy. Sophomore year is the year that will really distinguish the type of student you are. The party scene from freshmen year—going out Wednesday through Saturday—has grown less new, and the teetering social scene of freshmen year has become more stable.

You know who your friends are, what your interests are, and now is your chance to really pursue who exactly it is that you want to be.

Do not waste this year in a "slump." I promise that it's not as drab as it seems. If anything, sophomore year has allowed me to grow as a person and as a student. It has taught me to step outside of my comfort zone and to be open and active in creating the version of myself I want to be.

Give your sophomore year a chance instead of a slump, and I promise it will not disappoint you.