How do you know if you have it?
Remember what it was like to be a Freshman? Everything was new – people, schedules, living arrangements? Luckily, resources such as Orientation, your EPA, APM & RA, and Explorations were in place to help you adjust and succeed.
The Sophomore year may be a time of great change while you are deciding your major, answering questions about internships and study abroad, and figuring out who you are and want to be. As a Sophomore, you may experience a new set of stressors and be expected to figure it out without much guidance. After all, you should know how it works by now, right? Wrong! This period of uncertainty which may lead to frustration, lack of motivation and anxiety is known as the Sophomore Slump.
The following areas usually cause the most stress for a Sophomore:
1. Personal
- Challenging and changing personal values
- Confusion about life's directions and ambitions
- Feeling guilt about spending money to go to College when uncertain about future
2. Academics
- Choosing a major that may be different than the one you declared or thought you always wanted to do
- Challenging course work and different academic expectations
3. Family and Friends
- Challenging previously held family values
- Friendships from home decrease
- Not wanting to go home on breaks
- Changing friends from the first year
If you find that you can identify with these areas, you may be experiencing the Sophomore Slump. CLICK HERE FOR SUGGESTIONS TO COPE WITH THE SLUMP.