Sophomore year is indeed one of the toughest years in college, as said by graduates. Now that I have completed my sophomore year of college, I can assure you that it really is. It is not a myth.

Freshman year is tough in the sense that everyone is trying to fit in and get used to the way college works. However, sophomore year is the time when people establish their friend groups, life goals, and whatnot. Here are a couple of things I found challenging in my sophomore year.

1. Who are my friends?

Thankfully, I had the opportunity to find out who my real friends are. In terms of "real" I mean, "which friends actually want the best for me?" Especially in college, I think we should all be surrounded by friends who only want us to succeed and flourish.

People who stay away from drama and bad vibes. I was able to connect with people who were patient with me and encouraged me to follow my goals and take small steps to reach said goals. I had the opportunity to meet new people and stay away from people who solely liked to stir conflict, spread rumors, and talk about others.

Being surrounded by better friends helped me become more passionate about my goals and aspirations. Sophomore year was a success for sure, especially in this sense.

2. What are my goals?

Although I've known what I wanted to do career-wise for a very long time, I started hesitating this year. Now that I was in my second year, halfway through college, I had to seriously think, "Will I be happy after graduation? Will I be proud of myself?"

Such thoughts helped me list down pros and cons on a daily basis. At times it was so frustrating, I'd just give up. But the next morning was different. I'd wake up with an attitude that screamed "Nope! Today I will think about this again. I can't just skip this over."

A mentality that forced me to think about my future helped me figure myself out little by little.

3. What should I be doing right now?

Hmm. I shouldn't be taking a nap right now, right? Like every other college student, I felt guilty whenever I napped, actually...I felt guilty sleeping. Anything I did: eating, sleeping, breathing--everything made me feel like I wasn't supposed to be doing anything but schoolwork or life-planning. I learned to stay calm and organize my schedule to allow myself enough space to relax and enough space to get work done.

4. What should I minor in? Should I even minor in anything?

Now that I have declared my major, what do I want to minor in? Since I'm passionate about numerous subjects: music, creative writing, journalism, and cybersecurity--it was a tough decision to finalize one minor. Nonetheless, I got through it!