Feeling unmotivated? Ready for the semester to end? You may be experiencing the sophomore slump, a common condition often diagnosed in college sophomores.
The reason the slump arrives in our second year is because the novelty of college has worn off, yet the real world still feels far from the present situation. Some sophomores anxiously await their future term abroad, while others fulfill boring general education requirements while they wait to get into the B-School or the J-School.
Here are a few of the most common symptoms of the sophomore slump:
None of your classes relate to what you want to do in life (or what anyone else wants to do, for that matter). For many, sophomore year is an odd limbo year. You’ve already figured out what it is you want to do in life, yet you can’t take classes related to it. Instead, you are stuck in general education requirements about the world before 175o–like that will ever come in handy!
Your notebooks are filled with more wishlists than to-do lists. You find yourself daydreaming about things like your upcoming semester abroad. You have all your trips planned for next year, but you have no idea what you’re doing tomorrow. Your future seems much more interesting than the present.
You have eaten at the same restaurant on Franklin Street every weekend since August. Freshman year was an exciting time to try a new restaurant each week. But now, you and your friends have figured out exactly what it is you like and you go there. Afterwards, you go get a free small cup of YoPo with all the receipts you’ve accumulated.
You could kill whoever invented the concept of roommates. Seriously, you’re now convinced people were not put on Earth to cohabitate. If you’re not daydreaming about being abroad, you’re thinking about the cute house that you’ll have next year (if you and your friends can ever come to an agreement on one).
You count the days until Thanksgiving and Winter Break. And then you recount them. You’re sick of most aspects of your life and feel like this semester is just a waste of time. It’s time for a new semester and a new year.
Here’s How to Cope
U.S. News & World Report recommends trying new things like a club, a volunteer activity or an intramural sports league. They also recommend taking a class just for fun so your schedule won’t feel so monotonous. Make it a point to try a new restaurant (or ice cream place!) each week; you would be surprised at how much there is to discover before your senior year! Lastly, start putting those daydreams to good use. Lock down a lease, or get ahead on those study abroad or internship applications. Most importantly, don’t forget to make the most out of your time in college! Create yourself; the possibilities are endless.
Sources:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2011/09/30/7-ways-to-slip-through-the-sophomore-slump
Yopo (photo): http://yogurtpump.com/images/YPlogo.gif
Calendar (photo): http://www.google.com/imgres?q=calendar+with+thanksgiving+circled&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=610&tbm=isch&tbnid=AA8tNzfFaeVyGM:&imgrefurl=http://katierunsthis.com/category/newbie-runners/&docid=y6WaoZTdBb7BZM&imgurl=http://katierunsthis.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/calendar.jpg&w=450&h=299&ei=UJvGTtS7FZC5tgeMg-zLCw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=301&sig=102666600893568653726&page=1&tbnh=112&tbnw=168&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=103&ty=56
daydreaming (photo): http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=23641777