Freshman 15. Sophomore Slump. These are words that have crept themselves into a typical college student’s vernacular. Sure, you may roll your eyes and say, these terms are sooo not true. Or, you may nod your head in somber agreement. The Freshman 15, to those who have been through it, is due to many causes. Fast food, once taboo in high school, becomes an opportunity for easy socialization. Drinking, too, can become more accessible to those who were once sheltered. Why are we suddenly eating more than normal? If these aren’t good enough reasons, I’ll give you more. Freshmen students experience a tremendous amount of pressure to perform well in their first year of college. Out are the high-school cliques, in are the college majors. Out are the expectations to work a certain outfit, in are the baggy t-shirts and sweatpants as you roll into your 8:00 am lecture.
Now, in addition to food and drink indulgences, freshmen are less likely to work out. Organized high-school sports fade into oblivion. Watching UP college soccer-games (while freshmen either grab pizza from the commons or pre-game beforehand) are not a proper substitute for prolonged cardio. Sure, you walk to class. But a metabolism only slows with age.
Now, you’ve survived the frantic freshman year. Sophomore year sneaks uo.
“Oh, no,” you realize. “Is my major legit for me?” Some students will realize that academics are real, and their major is not for them. However, they will have to risk new professors, new classroom vibes, and even worse, a new social climate. Should students choose to drop their major, they will have to endure pressure to love the new one. Academic course-load picks up. Along with academic course-load, some students gain the “sophomore 30.” Other sophomores lose the “sophomore 30.” Anxiety and depression can strike students. While both young men and women may experience mood fluctuations and worse mental illnesses, it goes largely un-talked about or even undiagnosed. Students may forsake their mental health for the health of their GPA. Sophomores share many of the same pressures as freshmen, but are given less of the first-year leniency.
You take the jump to Junior year. Now, you’re an upperclassmen. You know the ropes. Also, perhaps you decide to join some more clubs. Freshmen year you joined multiple clubs but didn’t stick to any. Sophomore year was so focused on academics, so you decided Junior year would be the time to focus on friendships and joining clubs. You realize though, after joining a few new clubs, people ask if you’re a freshman because freshmen are more likely trying to get involved. Don’t let this perturb you. It is never too late to make new friends and join clubs! Besides, what is it that you will remember? A 3.99 GPA and no social life or a 3.33 GPA with fun clubs and memories abound? Of course, this may not be an easy decision for everyone. But, for my own sanity, I know what I would choose without hesitation. Junior year will be a year to remember.