At the beginning of my sophomore year, I 100 percent thought the sophomore slump was a myth. I thought it was a phrase made up by a bunch of overly dramatic college students who couldn't figure their lives out. But, boy, was I wrong. The sophomore slump is real. And it hits you like a ton of bricks.
I walked into sophomore year with a big smile on my face, ready to face the best year yet. Freshman year was great, but I was all "sophomore year will be my year." I was ready to meet more new people and feel more confident since I wasn't a little baby freshman anymore. Little did I know, the slump would knock me right down.
Sophomore year, school became hard. Like, really hard. Say goodbye to 100 level classes you could breeze through barely lifting a finger, and say hello to 200 (and even 300) level classes that make you want to cry on an almost daily basis. Due to these classes from hell, you're forced to spend hours upon hours in the dreaded library. But here's the catch: you can't do it.
Why, might you ask? Well, the answer lies in the slump. As a freshman, you were extra motivated to head to the super cool library, feel studious and get all of your work done right on time. Somehow, when you become a sophomore, that motivation goes right out the window. Dragging yourself to the library becomes a process. The desire to do any homework or studying is negative. If you haven't yet declared your major, you're panicking because you're running out of time to choose. If you have declared, you're still panicking, because you have no clue if you'll get in all of your requirements by graduation.
"I wonder if I'll pass this class" becomes a question you ask yourself almost weekly. Staying in bed in the mornings is all you ever wish for, and you hit snooze way too many times. That leaves you with minimal time to get ready for the day. But that's okay, because you're waaaayyy over the freshman phase of looking cute for class everyday. Leggings and a sweatshirt it is.
Showering takes place less often due to extreme laziness, and for some reason, you're just always hungry. If you somehow escaped the freshman 15, don't worry, you'll gain it during the slump. You question your survival of every week, and constantly wish for the weekend.
How does one survive this long, nine month struggle known as the sophomore slump? Coming from someone who went through it herself, I'll tell you. First off, acceptance is key. Recognizing that you're officially done transitioning from high school, and the real, adult world is beginning to be thrust upon you is scary, I know. You're in an awkward place -- you're too young to be treated as an upperclassman but too old to be treated like a freshman. Sophomore year is when most turn 20 -- you're no longer a teenager, but there's nothing quite special about it either. It's like you're the middle child of college during this year, and it's weird.
But once you accept this, and realize that you're not the only one facing this, the slump becomes easier. Sure, school is still going to be hard and life might still get you down every once in a while, but you get used to it, and you get through it. Once you set some goals that you want to accomplish throughout the year, and remember all that you have to look forward to, the slump lessens, and it doesn't seem so bad. Push through it, and try to turn the negatives into positives. And remember, junior year is just around the corner. If I can come out of the sophomore slump still smiling, you can too.
