Freshman year is full of excitement and much to look forward to. There are new friends, new routines, and academic burnout isn’t even a thought. Junior year, you’re an upperclassman. You’re most likely secure and comfortable. Senior year is the end of an era, filled with graduations and some of the best memories you could create. However, just like clockwork, sophomore year comes around and your sparkle dulls. I talk about this phenomenon frequently, and never has anyone questioned me about it; People say it is a canon event!
In both high school and college, I experienced the WORST sophomore slump. It wasn’t that my world was falling apart or I hated my life, but I felt constantly burnt out, unmotivated, and just flat out tired. When I was a sophomore in high school, Covid happened. Obviously this contributed to my sophomore slump, feeling locked up in my room away from all of my friends. However, I still experienced sophomore slump before Covid. I quit field hockey because it took too much of a toll on me. I had the most difficult Spanish class, and was just bored constantly. In college, the sophomore slump really overcame me. It basically felt like I had nothing to look forward to. I mean, if you think about it, sophomore year is right in the middle. But when you’re a junior, you feel more secure and grown in your person (this is what happened to me). My sophomore year of college was a wave of emotions. I experienced heartbreak, social burnout, and academic burnout. But…I quickly found a way to take myself out of that.
The girls that became my best friends during my college year sophomore slump changed the whole direction of my year. We were all going throughout, and believe it or not, we all became single at the same exact time. We were there for each other and pushed one another to do our best, go outside, be active, and laugh about everything. I owe my life to these girls.
Two other things that helped me get through my sophomore slump was Sex and the City, and running. SATC reminded me that not everything is that serious. There are a lot of eras, phases, and slumps people go through. Sure, it’s not always fun but it doesn’t last forever, especially when you get through it with your friends.
I used to run a lot in highschool, but mostly during Covid. I don’t know why I stopped, but I picked it up again 4 years later. Running helped me battle sophomore slump because it made me not feel lazy. It felt good to just get outside and move, especially when my head felt cloudy. Even when I got pooped on by a bird during my run, I took it as a sign of goodluck. Laughing things off and not sweating everything was a major turn I took to help myself feel better. Even when crappy things happened, my friends and I would always say “this will be a bit some day”.
Now, at the beginning of my junior year, I know exactly what to do and what not to do when it comes to finding myself in a slump. Even though sophomore slump sucks, I look at it as almost necessary. I got closer with my favorite people, picked up good habits and learned through the process.