Going away to college is a huge milestone in one’s life, bringing some nerves and a whole lot of excitement. Unfortunately, the excitement wears off– the reality of sleepless nights and long hours in the library definitely kicks in.
And after a long, relaxing summer, it might be hard coming back to school for a second year. You might feel the pressure of choosing a major. You might lose contact with some of the friends you made during your freshman year. Your classes might get harder and you might get your first bad grade.
But it’s okay. We’ve all been there. You’ll get through it.
My sophomore year of college was probably one of the best and worst years of my life.
During my freshman year, I wasn’t very involved on campus. CMU seemed so big compared to my small high school so I had no idea what kind of student organizations to get involved with. Come my second year, I tried to do everything. I spread myself way too thin and found myself unable to say no to people.
Expectations were high. I found myself drowning in self-doubt and I let it crush my spirits. It’s hard to know what you want to do for the rest of your life at age 19. I felt really confused and lost.
On top of this, everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. It sounds dramatic, but believe me when I say that. Slowly but surely, I found less joy in doing the things I loved, like running and making art. It became harder to get out of bed and make myself go to class. My nearly perfect GPA began to slip away.
I let my mental health deteriorate.
Fast forward. It’s now my last week of sophomore year, marking the halfway point in my college career. I’ve overcome so many obstacles and have learned many valuable lessons. I’ve learned to take care of myself first and not be so hard on myself. I now understand that it’s okay to say no to people. It’s okay to reach out and ask for help too. Most importantly, it’s okay to not know where you’re going– what matters is the present and making the most out of your college experience.
If you have experienced a sophomore slump (or a premature mid-life crisis) remember you are not alone. Every dark night brings a brighter day and the sun will rise again tomorrow.