With Christmas break right around the corner, I have been reflecting on my year so far. My first semester of sophomore year has been very different and not in a bad way, but it has been such a different experience then last year was.
I have talked to some of my sophomore peers and they have this same feeling as well. Freshman year was fun and exciting because everything was new and nothing was expected. As a sophomore, I feel in the middle. I am not a freshman and I am not an upper-classman. School work has become more rigorous and I find myself having less time to spend with my friends like I did last year. I am thinking more about my career, my future plans and even second guessing my major.
For many people friendships are changing and the dynamic of your friend group from freshman year may be different. There are some people that stay in your life and some people that move on. For me personally, I am lucky to have the same friend group as I did in freshman year. I have found myself branching out as well and hanging around with other people.
In freshman year, I loved going to the bars on the weekends. I always looked forward for Thursday night to roll around. I would go out three nights a week and have the best time of my life. This year, I came to school thinking I would have that same feeling of excitement. After a few weekends went by, I found myself not being excited to go out. I now stay in some weekends and just want to be in bed and chill out and watch a show. If that was last year, I would never think once about staying in.
I thought at first that there was something wrong with me, but talking to my friends and other sophomores, I realized that there was nothing wrong with me. Most sophomores have been feeling the exact same way. It is called, “The Sophomore Slump.” When you hear of this term, people usually think of it in regards to academics, but that is not always the case.
In a research study I found online, they stated, “During the second year, students are actively seeking to clarify their sense of purpose; consequently, they become self‐evaluative and self‐critical and are pushed by the need to declare a major and develop career goals. Additionally, they are also seeking insights into redefining relationships.”
If any of you are feeling the same way my advice to you is to stay focused and stay close to people that make you happy. You have to keep in mind that you are maturing and growing up. Things change as the years go by and change is normal. This feeling will pass with time.