Your first year of college is a blur of new experiences. It is terrifying, exhilarating, stressful, and eyeopening. Having survived my first year, I felt like I could take on the world. However, I quickly found that sophomore year is not the same. While the difficulty of first year was often softened by my general excitement as I found my own rhythm in a new atmosphere, the difficulty of sophomore year is much more apparent. That’s not to say sophomore year is miserable; the friendships I made first year were only strengthened this year, and I realized that even if it is still hard to be away from home, I've created a new space for myself where I felt comfortable being on my own. But there are a few things you encounter in your second year that can hinder your happiness at school. Here are some of the difficulties I’ve experienced this year, helpfully illustrated by the ever-wise and relatable Phil Dunphy of “Modern Family,” and how I've coped with them.
1. When you think you're doing well in a class, but then you're thrown a curveball.
Classes get significantly harder sophomore year and it can be tough to keep up with the academic curve. Sometimes I feel like I'm just barely able to stay on top of things when I realize that I completely forgot about an assignment or I get called on in class to discuss a reading I haven't done yet. It happens to the best of us. I've found that if you can both stay organized and have confidence, you can overcome even the most stressful and unexpected obstacles.
2. When you suddenly realize that your bank account is empty after what seemed like such necessary purchases in the moment.
With more work comes more stress, and with more stress comes more trips to the campus cafe or the coffee shop downtown. It's almost impossible to resist these purchases when I tell myself they will help me stay coherent in my 9 a.m. class or when the dining hall isn't serving anything I like. To try to combat the sinking feeling of looking at my drained bank account, I started limiting myself to a set number of food buys a week. I'll buy myself a sweet drink once I've finished a tough essay, or only get pizza on Friday night after a tiring week. I've found that using these purchases as incentive keeps me motivated as well as helps me feel in control of my finances.
3. When you feel like the library is your new home and you just get so bored with your life of endless assignments.
The workload sophomore year can sometimes feel unbearable. At times, I go days without truly talking to my friends, which can be psychologically taxing. When I get so busy that weekends become extensions of the school week, staying positive gets more and more difficult. Staying ahead (or at least keeping up) with your work is always the best way to avoid the drowning feeling. But when I can't do that, I've found, even if it's midnight and I have hours of work ahead of me, giving myself just a few minutes of social time, whether it's talking to my friend next door, calling my parents, or sharing a bowl of popcorn with my roommate before getting back to work, changes my whole perspective. This brief human interaction lets you know that you aren't alone even if you sometimes feel like you live in a bubble.
4. When you never seem to succeed in carrying out all of your tasks.
Though Phil's comment is meant to be comical in the context of the show, I think there really is some truth to it. I don't always realize it but I often set impossibly high expectations for myself and become overwhelmed when I don't meet them. If I can consciously leave room for error and trust that I will be able to accomplish everything I set out to accomplish, my outlook on this school year will be so much less distressing. Have confidence in your own abilities, and take it one day at a time and you can ace sophomore year.
