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Shaking the Sophomore Slump

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Evelyn Kramer Student Contributor, Amherst College
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Amherst chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The Sophomore Slump is not just a myth.  Your second year of college the party scene gets a little too familiar, the town starts to feel a bit too limited, 1,700 no longer seems like “so many new people!”, and the real world is still in the distant future.  “I’ve been feeling a little down lately.  I think I’m just getting kind of bored,” says one sophomore.  If this is how you’re feeling, you’re not the only one.  It can be hard to shake the Sophomore Slump, but here are some ideas:
 
 

Get off Campus: It’s a good idea to remind yourself that the world extends beyond the social world at Amherst.  If you can take a weekend to get off campus and visit a friend at another school, go home, go to New York, or spend the day in Boston, you may feel refreshed and return with a whole new perspective on the semester.
 
 

Study Somewhere Different: If you’re growing apathetic about doing work, work may become just a tiny bit more interesting if you do it somewhere else.  Study in a friend’s room (if you’re not too easily distracted of course!), the library, Shwemm’s, or one of the many fine coffee shops in town.  If you go to Black Sheep or Rao’s, studying earns the added bonus of being paired with a cookie.
 
 
Join an Activity You Wouldn’t Normally Think of Joining: Try out for Amherst Dance (although it’s a little too late this semester) or Whistle a Happy Tune.  Join a Physical Education class like hot yoga or Zumba.  It’s amazing how a new activity can completely revitalize your routine.  The busier you are and the larger the group of people you interact with, the less claustrophobic this tiny school will feel.
 
 
 
Spend Some Time on iwastesomuchtime.com: How can you feel depressed when you’re reading scathing wit or watching a cute little fox jump over a dog?  This website is a very worthwhile study break. 
 
 
Your (relatively old school) Sophomore Slump Survival Playlist:
Stronger by Britney Spears
Fighter by Christina Aguilera
Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine
Hold On by Wilson Philips (check out the vests in the music video)
Forever by Drake   
Survivor by Destiny’s Child
Chariots of Fire by Vangelis
 
 

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Evelyn Kramer

Amherst

Evelyn is the Editor-in-Chief of the Amherst branch of Her Campus. She was a features intern at Seventeen Magazine during the summer of 2011 and a features intern at Glamour Magazine during the summer of 2013. She is a French and English major in the class of 2014 at Amherst College. She is also on Amherst's varsity squash team. She is an aspiring travel writer/novelist, and loves running, ice cream, and Jane Austen.