Whether you were in college a decade ago or you’re just beginning your freshman year now, you have probably heard of the infamous “freshman 15” and “sophomore slump.”
The freshman 15 refers to weight gain that many college students experience during their first year of college. This can be attributed to a wide variety of factors, including, but not limited to, dining halls on campus, stress, and a lack of exercise—because who has time to go to the gym and do a Chloe Ting workout when there’s two papers, five discussion posts, and three exams all due tomorrow?
However, this expression is also harmful in certain ways––“10-20% of female college students have an eating disorder, as well as 4-10% of male college students,” according to this article. Not only is the term “freshman 15” potentially triggering, but it gives students another worry on top of all of their studies and other academic endeavors.
On the other hand, the sophomore slump discusses the fall after the high of freshman year. Regardless of whether one’s freshman year was good or bad, it was a new experience filled with meeting new people, going to new places, and participating in so many new activities–rendering the following year much more tedious and boring.
Not to mention senioritis–another well-known term that pertains to one’s senior year, in which you are more likely to feel discouraged, burned out, and exhausted from the past years of school.
So… what’s left? What’s in it for students in their junior year?
Though there isn’t a term as widely used and well-known for one’s junior year, this online discussion suggests that “junior jam” and “junior jitters” are viable options; junior year is often jam-packed with courses and other academic activities, which could definitely cause a spike in anxiety towards the future.
As a junior in college, I can say that I definitely experienced the sophomore slump last year. Not only were my courses much harder than my freshman year, but I also changed my major and was smacked in the face with something completely different than I was used to. For example, rather than having several final essays (which is still extremely difficult), I had multiple final exams––many of which would determine whether I passed the entire class or not, due to how heavily weighted they were. I can recall the many nights I spent hunched over my laptop and textbooks, crying as I tried to force my brain to memorize mathematical equations and scientific concepts.
At times, I started losing hope that I would ever make it to graduation. I couldn’t even picture myself in my upperclassmen years, and considered taking time off from school because doing all four years in one go seemed so daunting and unattainable.
However, I made it through––and so will you, if you’re struggling with the sophomore slump.
If we’re using those terms used in the online discussion, the “junior jam” and “junior jitters” definitely feel real to me too. Once again, all of my courses are significantly harder than my classes from the two previous years, and I feel the pressure of my academics weighing on my mind more often than ever. However, there is a glimmer of hope as I look to the future––I am more than halfway through my degree, and senior year is something to look forward to.
Most importantly––one should not take these silly titles too seriously. Though some of them may be rooted in truth for one reason or another, college is not a universal experience, and everyone will feel differently about it. Don’t let these jokes determine your experiences in college––four years might seem like a long time, but before you know it, they’ll be over just as quickly as they began.