When people tell you that your sophomore year of college is so much different than your freshman year, they aren’t kidding. My freshman year of college was one of the best experiences of my life. It was filled with new friends, experiences, and adventures. People were always there if you had questions to ask or things you needed help with. It just seemed like people cared.
However, the minute that you walk out the door your freshman year, things change. So much more is expected of you. You no longer have time to do all the things you want to, and school work has become significantly harder. Suddenly, it’s like you're on a roller coaster that's only going up, and that's not a good thing. Due to all of this build up, sophomores in college tend to hit what's called the “sophomore slump.” This slump may come in the beginning, middle or the end, but you will know when it hits you. I can personally testify that I hit the sophomore slump this year, and hard.
So, what's this “sophomore slump” like? Well, I mostly felt like my life was slowly falling apart. My grades weren't where I wanted them to be, and due to that, I didn’t have time to hang out with my friends because I was constantly studying. My relationship with my friends felt like it was crumbling. There were times where I questioned if I was in the right major. Was I choosing the right path? I couldn’t get above a 75 percent on an exam, so how was I going to be able to implement this later in life? I constantly felt like I couldn’t do it, even though I was doing it. I finally came to the conclusion it wasn’t all of the things around me that I had to change, it was me.
I had to change my attitude about how I was handling things, and everything around me would fall into place. And it did.
There are a few specific things that really helped me get through the slump. The first would be my professors. Their constant encouragement was much needed. To know that they understood what my peers and I were going through was really reassuring. It gave us the hope we were all desperately searching for. Another thing that really helped me was learning how to manage my time. A big problem I had was that I didn’t have time for everything. I had to stand back, take a hard look at my life and decide what was a priority. School is obviously my first priority at this time in my life. Anything that dealt with school was always put on the top of the list. Family and friends were put on the list next, and everything after that was just an accessory. I also learned to schedule time for myself, even if it was five minutes a day to stop, look around and realize how amazing life really is. Sometimes you just need a minute to relax.
I'm not sure how I would’ve got through this year without my family and friends. From my parent’s constant encouragement to my friends always keeping my mind off things, these wonderful people are always there for me and I can’t thank them enough. They saved me from many mental breakdowns.
The last, and probably most important, thing that helped me survive the sophomore slump was me. I have learned more about myself in the last nine months than I have in the last 20 years of my life. I constantly push myself out of my comfort zone, because I know I can handle it. This year has taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to. The only thing I need to do is believe in myself! This year has taught me who I really am.
So, if you take anything out of your sophomore year of college, remember that you only live life once, so don’t waste it! Life may be challenging at times, but you can do it. All you have to do is believe in yourself. Just look at me!
