During your first year of college there’s so much to be excited about. The adrenaline of meeting new people, adjusting to dorm life, falling in love with your campus, living on your own – the list is endless. But by the time sophomore year comes around, you start to feel uninspired and unmotivated and the thrill freshmen year once gave you has disappeared. Regaining that motivation is hard, but don’t worry – you’re not alone! These quick tips will leave you feeling new and improved.
- Take a class for fun: One of the reasons why you might be letting your grades slip is because you’re taking a ton of pre-requisites for your major. Whether it’s Calc, Macro, or Chemistry, you’ve gotten too bored – nap time anyone?? It’s time to try something new and get in touch with your creative side. Add a little spice to your life and take an arts class like Bali or Ballet (it’ll even get a requirement out of the way!)
- Join a new club: As a freshman, you were probably so busy getting used to college life that you were too afraid to get involved. But now that you’re well adjusted, you’ve gained some time management skills – so make it count! Join a club like Spanish club that will provide you with an outlet and something to look forward to each and every week. Not only will it look good on your resume, but it’ll also be extremely rewarding in the end.
- Venture off campus: Sick of Kimball and need a change of scenery? Take a break from Dinand to get dinner off campus with your girlfriends or venture into Boston to go shopping for the day. We all deserve a break from studying, so why not treat ourselves every once in a while? The madness of our strict schedules is extremely overwhelming; you’d be surprised how good a day away from it all feels. Anyways, it’s work hard, play hard, right??
- Plan to study abroad: Most students go abroad their junior year – so now’s the time to start planning! Go to the study abroad meetings, educate yourself, and see what they have to offer. Even if you can’t see yourself leaving campus for a year or even a semester, step outside your comfort zone. Talk to people that can answer your questions and give you advice. It’ll be a life-changing experience you’ll never forget. After all, what better motivation is there than to dream about roaming the streets of Melbourne or Moscow?
- Volunteer: Sometimes we get so caught up in our social life that we forget about how fortunate we are – it happens to the best of us. One of the greatest ways to get refocused is to remind yourself of how lucky you are in the first place. Volunteer at a local homeless shelter or sign up for an immersion trip. Not only will you feel better about getting involved, but you’ll also make new friends!
- Join an intramural sports team: Don’t you miss that feeling of competition when you played sports in high school? Well, we’ve got a solution. Join a sport like soccer or hockey or even try something new like lacrosse – the best thing about club or intramural sports is that you don’t even need any experience to join!
Basically, the best remedy for the sophomore slump is activity. Get yourself back on track, set goals for yourself, and explore areas that you think would never interest you. It’s time to move on to bigger and better things. Just remember that life isn’t over as a sophomore – it’s only the beginning!