As the school year comes to a close, I have begun to reflect on all of the lessons that I learned this year. I reflected on all that I overcame, and all of the things that have let me down. Admittedly, this semester was very hard for me, the hardest that I have had since I began my matriculation through Hampton University. There were times when I just wanted to sit down and take a break from everything, but I honestly could not without falling behind. I found myself having very little time to just breathe, and that made me start to think. Of course the classes I am taking are getting more and more difficult but that was not what I was truly struggling with. My biggest issue was trying to find a balance. This year I set many goals for myself. I wanted to join as many organizations as I was interested in, I wanted to start writing published works and maintain my grades. While all of these things can be done, the major key is balance. So I began to compare my sophomore year of college to that of my sophomore year of high school, and I saw some definite differences. One major difference is the difficulty level. I have only felt this stressed and this overwhelmed maybe twice in my life. The most recent time was my Junior year of high school, and compared to what I went through this semester, it does not even compare. As you continue to read, I am going to give you some tips on how to survive your sophomore year of college, undergraduate edition.

1. Set Goals for Yourself

The one thing that I can say I did correctly upon entering my sophomore year of college was having goals. These goals enabled me to have a plan going into the semester, so that everything that I was doing was aimed towards these aspirations. This is one thing that I lacked in high school. I knew that I was not going to be there forever, but I so rarely looked into the future. If I had set goals for myself then, and had mapped out how I was going to conquer high school, it could have been a completely different experience. With these goals that I have set for myself, I was able to achieve many great opportunities. Things that I would never have received had a sat around and played it day by day.

2. Take Time to be Alone

I have found that a lot of people think being alone equates to loneliness, when it can really mean the exact opposite. It can be exhausting being around people 24 hours a day, and there are times when you need to center yourself. My recommendation is that you take a day or two each month, to be by yourself, and make sure that you are on the right path. It is easy to get caught up in all the commotion and forget why you are there in the first place. This being said, you should also go out and have fun. Taking a day or two to yourself is not going to make you a loner, although there is nothing wrong with that. Just make sure that you are doing what it is you truly want to.

3. Make the Big Decisions

This is something that I would honestly recommend doing during your second semester of your FRESHMAN year. These big decisions could be: whether or not you are going to get another degree, if so, when are you going to study abroad? The reason I say make these decisions during your freshman year is because these four years are going to fly by, and you are going to realize that not everything can be accomplished. One of my biggest goals that I want to achieve before I leave Hampton is studying abroad. I have been accepted into a study abroad program for next summer, 2017, but I wish I had done this sooner. If I had been more proactive my freshman year I would have tried to study abroad this summer, 2016. This being because of internships. Internships are very important in the field I want to enter and I do not feel entirely comfortable having an internship this summer, and then going out of the country the next. I want my application to be as strong as possible for when I go to Law School, but life catches up with you, and I just have to do what I deem best.

4. Do Not Let the Stress Get to You

My last tip for how to survive sophomore year is to not let the stress get to you. If you are like me, you will probably face monumental disappointment during this time, and it can get you a little down. But in the long run, the bad outweighs the good and all of the blessings I have received this year far outweigh the disappointment that I have run into. Grab a stress ball or just vent to your friends. Everyone is going through their different struggles even if everything looks peachy on the outside. If you start to get stressed or overwhelmed, take a break. Go on a walk, grab some food, read a book, it will probably be better that way in the long run.

All four years of college are "make it or break it" and everyone receives their blessings at different times. It is important to continue to try your best, and if things appear as though they are crashing down around you, take a step back. Think of all of the good that can come out of this disaster and continue to push forward. Things can get out of hand but if this is truly where you want to be, it is worth it.