The infamous ‘sophomore slump’ is a real thing, and it’s not pretty

The ugly stepsister of Senioritis

The second year of college is an important one – you’re not a freshman anymore, and you still have a lot of time left to experience NC State. But something about sophomore year brings up all kinds of emotions that exhaust students to the point of insanity.

We experience excitement about the future, fear of life decisions, nostalgia for the past and chaos every second in between. Welcome to the infamous “sophomore slump.”

By this time, we’ve gotten comfortable with college. Campus is no longer scary and the routine of freedom is familiar. But there are important decisions on the horizon that will continue to sneak closer and closer with time. What about grad school? Do I really want to take the GRE? Am I wasting my time to go further into debt?

Urban Dictionary defines the sophomore slump as “the GPA dropping after having a high GPA from freshman year,” but it can also be applied to a band or artist releasing a crappy second album after having a successful first one. Pretty relatable. What goes up must come down.

No motivation

Doggy cuddles & studying

“I’d definitely say I feel like I have the sophomore slump right now. Today was really awful coming back to classes after spring break and I just have no motivation to do anything.” -Chantelle Linthicum, psychology major

If we’re being honest, we all just want to grab a quart of ice cream and watch Netflix to live vicariously through Meredith Grey and all her success.

Taking on too much

“It’s such a weird transitional year because you’re too old to be relaxed like the freshmen but not quite old enough to figure out your post-graduation plans so you kind of get stuck in this in-between zone and end up not wanting to do anything. I think a lot of it comes from the pressure to start becoming extremely involved in activities on campus and padding your resumé. You start doing so much that it back fires and you fall in the slump.” -Ashley Little, English major

“I’m slacking right now because of studying abroad and I don’t feel like doing work anymore.” -Kurt Hagan, sport management major

Anxious about the future

Such a baby, I need a bib

“I do feel kind of anxious to just get done, but it’s more so because I have things coming up in the future that I’m excited about. You’re worried about your future, so you just want it to be here.” -Danielle Rozansky, communications major

It’s also time to start thinking about internships and the hands-on learning that puts undergrad students ahead when they enter the workforce. When you finally get to walk in the shoes of a professional in your field of interest, it’s like you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

All the classes, papers and exams have a purpose – to get you to the finish line.

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