The sophomore year reality is something almost every sophomore is guilty of.

It is the realization that college is not just about partying and hanging out with friends all day and all night until the sun rises. Suddenly you're sitting on your bed at 2:30 a.m. cramming for an exam you realize you've now given yourself no time to study for.

The sophomore year realization, if you're like me, is realizing you have to step up your game to fix your GPA from first semester freshman year during the so-called "adjustment period." I get it, sophomore year is hard, you realize your grades ACTUALLY mean something, especially if you want to go to graduate school.

The adjustment period is notorious for being known as the period of time where college freshman go slightly overboard because they realize they are not around the watchful eyes of their over-strict parents 24/7. During your freshman year, your biggest concern is making friends so you're not the awkward one alone in the corner at a tailgate, so that you have friends to eat late night food with, and people to complain about when a test did NOT go your way (even though you know you did nothing to deserve an A anyway).

That's fine, it's actually completely normal to go through that phase, how can someone get through college without knowing who their friends are? What a freshman doesn't realize, however, is how sophomore year, once you've got your set of friends, your freshman year GPA hits harder than you would have ever thought. Take it from me though, it's not the end of the world.

The hardest thing about the freshman year GPA is knowing that that is most likely not a valid representation of how you actually do in school. College got to you. It was one, maybe two, bad semesters, but that does not define the rest of your college career. Maybe that's what you needed in all your years of schooling for you to kick it into high gear and do the best you've ever done.

Since my fateful first semester freshman year GPA, I've learned what study habits work for me, how to change my attitude about taking a test, and that starting way in advance is never a bad thing because things almost always seem to come up when it's the last few days before the exam. You're freshman GPA is not a write off on doing well for the rest of your college years, it's your motivation to never let yourself go like that again.

The sophomore year reality is realizing you're bigger and better than letting your grades go down the drain again because somewhere along the way, you've realized your grades are a one time deal. Tailgates, parties, mixers etc. will always be around.