Class of 2017:as newly-minted sophomores, we now find ourselves annoyed by freshman. But let’s face it—we envy them. As sophomores we feel like the middle child that the upperclassmen look down on and the younger frosh seem to glance over. We envy the upperclassmen who have already made many of their major undergraduate decisions, and we envy that the freshmen don’t even have to worry about those yet. We now find ourselves in what can only be called the “sophomore slump,” a period of academic and social angst, anxiety and uncertainty.
We're here to reassure you that there are ways to slay the slump and show it who’s boss. Follow these steps and cruise on out of the sophomore slump!
Take fun classes
You may have a lot of pre-requisites to take, but if possible be sure to add in at least one fun and engaging class. Even if you couldn’t fit any into your schedule this semester, shoot to take something like Creative Writing or Experiencing India Through Bollywood next semester. Having at least one low-key class will help you break the surface if you find yourself drowning in Orgo or diffeq.
Eat your heart out
Never skip late meal! You know you feel bad for all your upperclass friends who look longingly at your quesadillas and chicken tenders. Don’t become like them so soon. Take advantage of late meal while you have it! Late meal is always a happy time; you get good food and will run into pretty much everyone you know.
Also, make it to as many residential college study breaks as you can—you may not have the convenience of living so close to a common room next year, so make the time to take a break and eat free food.
Talk to your professors more
Believe it or not, your professors actually do care about you. If you find yourself struggling or feel you need extra help or maybe an extension on an assignment, make an appointment with your professor or go to office hours. They’ll be happy to talk to you and you’ll be able to create a better professional relationship with them.
Go on the Broadway trips
Seriously, what sounds better than going to the city on a weeknight just to watch wonderful plays, listen to great music, and be in great company? That’s right—nothing! Seriously, sophomores, if you haven’t already you will soon start getting upperclassmen to beg you to borrow you prox and be you so they can go to these. So take advantage of them now! Who knows when the next time you get Broadway tickets at such a discounted price will be—so take it from someone who just watched Aladdin as her first Broadway show—it’s a whole new world out there!
Don’t fret about your social life
You’ve probably heard it. “Sophomore year is all about creating your social life.” While in some ways that may be true—it isn’t something to stress about. You are surrounded by some of the coolest people in the world everywhere you go on campus. So don’t worry if you didn’t make it into the sorority or frat you wanted. And don’t panic about trying to decide which eating club to join in the spring. Things have a weird way of working themselves out. So just go with the flow, make new friends and make effort to keep in touch with your old ones too. No matter where you end up you know you’ll be surrounded by some pretty cool people.
Join new extracurriculars
Regretting not joining that acapella group last year? Or playing on an IM team? Well, stop sulking because it’s never too late to try something new. Each semester, try joining a new club or committee or team. Or volunteer somewhere because it will make you appreciate what you have more.You’ll meet incredibly talented people, be able to share your own talents, and be able to take your mind off of the huge mounds of homework you may have.
Pretend your GPA doesn’t exist
Yeah, sounds crazy right? It isn’t. What IS crazy is spending every waking minute agonizing over three tiny numbers and letting them control your life. Let go of any screw ups in the past and stop worrying about screw ups that haven’t even happened yet. Just take each class one assignment or exam at a time and do your best just to LEARN. That’s what school is all about—learning. It is not about a number. So keep that in mind and you might find yourself enjoying your classes much more and you’ll be able to breathe much easier.
For those of you who have been able to relate to this post, hopefully that means you feel yourselves sliding across the sophomore slump as if it doesn’t exist. In reality, it doesn’t exist unless you make it. So take a deep breath, stop listening to those sad songs, and move on tonewer, happier beats as you try and conquer not only this semester, but also the rest of the year. Here’s to 2017!
P.S. If all else fails, just sleeeeep your way through and the sophomore slump will be over before you know it.
