As I have gotten through college these last three years I think my first semester Sophomore year was probably the hardest one to grapple with. Soon into the semester I realized I had definitely hit my sophomore slump and I had little to no motivation to accomplish anything. I was slumped, but I got out alive and I moved well past my Sophomore year classes obviously as I am now a senior. I realize that most people won’t feel this slump seeping in for a while, but if you have been feeling this here are some tips on dealing with your Sophomore Slump.

Take A Deep Breath

Sophomore year can be quite stressful, especially since so much about your life is tossed in the air. You are coming up on a pivotal point of your college career where you are supposed to “have it all together” or be well on your way to knowing what you’ll be doing for the rest of your life. This decision is important, but take some pressure off yourself. It doesn’t always have to be figured out by the time you’re 20.

Plan and plan more

Start living by your planner if you have to. Make sure you know when assignments are due and when your busy weeks are. If you start to plan out your year instead of just looking at a bunch of syllabi, things will start to make more sense and be less frightening. If you are having a slump, it may just be because it feels like school work is out to get you, and at that point you just have to plan. Also having your school year planned out is just a lot less stressful because there are no curveballs in a well rounded schedule.

Have fun

Don’t have so much fun that you are neglecting your school work but you need to schedule time with friends. Maybe you just have to make studying fun and rewarding and not so sedentary or maybe you need a movie night with your friends. The great thing about studying is you can do whatever you want as long as it works. If you want to do cartwheels while you listen to lectures on your iPod, do it, as long as it’s getting you the grades you want.

Have a goal

In your Sophomore year it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and forget why you are in college in the first place. Whatever your goal is keep that in mind. Keep a letter, a picture, or a saying close by just in case you forget. If you ever get unmotivated look to that thing and get motivated again. If you want you could even have an inspiration wall. Do whatever it takes to make sure you keep your motivation throughout the year.

Hold yourself accountable

One of the best things you can do in your sophomore year is get an accountability partner. Each week ya’ll could get together, have some fun, and tell each other your goals for the week. During the week ya’ll can keep each other accountable to take care of your goals. So maybe on Wednesday they might text you and ask if you have finished your reading for the week yet because you wanted all your reading done by Wednesday. If you choose the right partner you probably don’t want to let them down so that will hold you more accountable for getting your work done. You can do the same thing for the person you team up with.

I hope these five tips have helped you conquer or start to conquer your sophomore slump. If you have any questions about college life don’t hesitate to email me at amanda@thehappyarkansan.com so I can answer any of your questions!