Let’s talk about the dreaded sophomore-year slump. Out of all my years of college including the global shut-down year no year was quite as bad as my sophomore year (2nd-semester senior year is a close second). I’ve done a little research on this, meaning I asked all my friends, peers, and acquaintances what year was the hardest for them, and everyone agrees, sophomore year.
Is it because you’re only 19 or 20? Or perhaps because you have so much growth in your first year that you feel stagnant? You aren’t quite in your major classes, but you kind of know what you’re doing, you know the best dining halls and where to hang out. What a year. If you find yourself having a hard time in your sophomore year unfortunately you are not alone.
*Inserts Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone*
Society puts a large emphasis on finding and knowing yourself at a young age. Let’s be real you spend your entire life finding and refinding yourself. A lot of the people you see who look like they have it together, don’t, we’re all faking it until we make it.
Beating the Sophomore-Year Slump
Remain involved but learn how to say no
Keep up with your organizational responsibilities and enjoy being involved, but learn how to say no. It’s okay to not be the most involved person on campus, it’s important to keep a steady pace. Burnout is real and if you overdo it, you’ll find yourself dreading all your obligations. It’s *surprisingly* respectable to be reasonably involved, and give your involvement your all, rather than be involved in a million clubs and not have time for any. Learning to say no now gives you practice for the future. Black women are hard workers, and I personally take on a lot of tasks but then find myself exhausted. Once I’m exhausted, I have a hard taking care of myself because I am so focused on doing for others. I had to learn to say no and sometimes still struggle.
It’s okay to change your major
Taboo topic coming through… if you want to change your major, do it. Live for you, freshman year students tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to impress family and friends. Sophomore year is all about choosing you and your happiness. *Spoiler Alert* I changed my major 3 times, the last time being right before my 2nd semester of junior year. You will find ways to graduate on time and if you don’t, that’s okay too. Pick what you’re interested in, and you’ll thank yourself later.
Add to your friend list
Sophomore year is when you start to shift away from your high school friends, the bond with your freshman-year friends may be stronger or may be different, either way, this is a great time to add to your friend list. It’s important to have multiple friend groups, maybe you have friends that you live with, go to class with, and then that you socialize with. Having these different groups lets you explore different perspectives and gives you capital in each aspect of your life.
Utilize all your resources
The beauty of being on campus is the benefits, you’re paying for those student fees, so use the gym, counseling services, and all the things you have access to. Not only are those benefits to your health they give you an outlet when life feels hard. Use them!
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This is a great stress reliever for the ‘overachievers’ or those under heavy pressure to perform. You can’t pour from an empty cup! Love the gifs too. Sometimes you’ll find yourself laughing and crying at the same time