Although getting through another year of college is very exciting. Being a sophomore has been slightly underwhelming. This is mostly because you are no longer a freshman, obviously. The pros of no longer being a freshman include knowing the campus lingo, knowing your way around campus (for the most part), and knowing who “your people” are. But being a sophomore in college also has had quite a few downsides.
Maybe it’s just me being pessimistic, or simply being slightly nostalgic about freshman year but one of the things I adored so much about being a freshman was the “newness” of everything. Everyday I felt like I met someone new, learned something, or experienced something I had never done before. Freshman year was filled with a lot of firsts, sophomore year wasn’t. Due to the huge adjustment from high school to college, freshmen are forced to meet new people. By sophomore year, most people have already found their crew because of their hallmates from last year, who they are currently living with, coworkers, and peers in their clubs. Sometimes it feels like I’m stuck in a rut because everything feels repetitive. Everyday I talk to the same people, eat at the same places, and do the same things. Unless you go out of your way to join something new, chances are your life is very repetitive too.
Besides the social aspect of sophomore year, academically sophomore year is the beginning of the “weed-out classes.” These are courses that are purposefully way too difficult to “weed-out” the weak. These classes discourage people that would otherwise be successful in that field, had the course not been made to hurt people’s GPAs and confidence. This is a huge concern for people that are reliant on scholarships or specific GPAs to get into the program of their choice.
Another potential downside to sophomore year is this is many people’s first time living in an apartment or house. While having no RA may seem like a good thing, this makes roommate disagreements much more frustrating because there is no one to decide who is in the right and who is in the wrong. While roommate fights are common to living on and off-campus, those who live off campus also have many other problems those who live on-campus do not have to deal with. This includes the daily struggle to find a parking spot near your class if you drive or simply not having the perk to be able to rush to class cause if you miss the bus you are screwed.
In conclusion, sophomore year was kind of a let-down. Yes bad things happened fall semester to me but I think sophomore year in general just isn’t all that exciting. I believe the sophomore slumps are real, but that is not to say that sophomore year can’t be a success. My advice to avoid the sophomore slumps is to go out of your way and try new things (whether that means joining a club, simply trying new foods, or exploring new parts of campus), planning ahead (making sure your schedule is manageable and always starting assignments before the day they are due), be sure to resolve conflict with roommates in an adult manner, and know the bus schedule if you are not willing to get to campus before 7:30am to get a spot by your classes. I know this seems like there is no hope for the upcoming sophomores, but hey, who says this new sophomore class can’t make sophomore year superb?