Many people are aware of the Freshman 15. Not as many people have heard about the phenomenon called the Sophomore Slump. I myself was unsure what this phrase meant at first, but the first few days of my second year of college made me cognizant of how real and troublesome the slump can be!
Lemons and Richmond (1987) define sophomore slump as a “period of developmental confusion” and hypothesize that “sophomore slump results from student’s struggles with achieving competence, desiring autonomy, establishing identity, and developing purpose.”
A typical college student can suffer from sleep deprivation, stress, and more.
Freshman year at OSU was a struggle and emotional roller coaster for me; luckily I barely put on weight! I always teeter around the same number, and am just a few pounds heavier today. But I began to carry a metaphorical weight , and this manifested more as college went on. In August 2017, this invisible load surged.
Already, I have witnessed a dramatic dichotomy from freshman year to this sophomore year. I had to withdraw from a few commitments (volunteering at the James Cancer Hospital and my involvement in Mirrors Sophomore Class Honorary). I had to refocus what I wanted to get out of college and what I could realistically carry on my plate. My previous schedule entailed doing an extracurricular activity after classes each day of the week! It seemed impressive but it was going to drain me more than fill me.
Being on the executive board for two organizations is more than enough to handle, and I truly love both the organizations I am in. Less is more! It’s something that I have to remind myself. I do not have to do EVERYTHING. I just need to do a few things with great impact instead of many things with tiny influence. Other challenges of the Sophomore Slump include harder classes. Mine require much reading and preparation, especially my Chinese 1103 class (it’s my last semester of Chinese though, thankfully).
Things can escalate quickly, and I was already on the fast track to getting burned out within the first weeks of autumn semester. Multiple times during a week (or even a day) I would ask myself why I was here at Ohio State. How can I possibly keep going on? Some symptoms of a Sophomore Slump include questioning one’s decision to go to college or continue with their studies, questioning major or career choices, thinking about graduate school and if that’s an option or not, and more.
Something that I want to address to my readers and the greater OSU community is that taking a step back to evaluate mental health should be encouraged. There are a multitude of factors contributing to my stress: being a first-generation college student, a female, a racial minority, learning a foreign language, family tensions, climate change, and the state of the world potentially being in shambles, etc. Other pressing concerns include graduate school in the near future, learning how to drive a car eventually, and finding an apartment for junior year. While people may assume that I have it all going for me, nobody’s life is perfect. Sometimes I would feel unsatisfied and feel like I was not doing enough to be successful.
I struggled with my issues alone for a long period of time, but did open up to friends about my problems. It may be even more helpful and liberating to speak with a counselor about it. I bravely made the phone call to Counseling & Consultation Service, and then was called to do an over-the-phone assessment. Afterwards, I was invited to come in for a in-person session.
Based on my experiences, I want to share how to help yourself and others to be well in various aspects of life.
TIPS & TRICKS
STRESS MANAGEMENT
At least one day a week do something fun that you have never done before!
- Embark on Columbus Adventures – Make a plan to go to a new Columbus attraction at least once or twice a week or month. Escape from the books and explore off-campus! With your BuckID, we can take COTA buses anywhere for free! There’s:
– Columbus Zoo ($8 if you pre-pay by going to the Discount Tickets, also known as D-Tix, station in the Union)
– Franklin Park Conservatory ($5 with D-Tix) – gardens and constantly changing exhibits
– Short North (tiny shops, restaurants, art galleries) – a short COTA ride towards downtown
– Bunch of niche neighborhoods like German Village, Victorian Village, and Italian Village
German Village has The Book Loft, which is a bookstore with over 30 different themed rooms!
– COSI ($8, D-Tix)
– North Market – market plaza area with dozens of merchants selling spices, meats, ice cream, desserts, and variety of authentic ethnic foods, and more. Great for getting ingredients for cooking and household ware
– University District
– Clintonville
– Grandview
– Lucky’s Market
– Trader Joe’s
-Shopping malls and plazas including: Lennox Town Center (less than a mile from campus), Polaris Fashion Place, Tuttle Mall, and Easton Town Center. At a plaza called Carriage Park Place, there’s a pet store called Pet Land with dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, reptiles, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs. You are able to play with them.
For more ways to explore Columbus: https://visit.osu.edu/experience/
At the Franklin Park Conservatory, one of my favorite exhibits includes a koi garden and waterfall, with butterflies fluttering around the room.
- Participate in OUAB events
Since student tuition and fees go into supporting this magnificent program, check out the Ohio Union Activities Board! Also follow up on their social media updates because they constantly bring new exciting events and speakers to campus! Last spring, OUAB brought in The Big Brain Theory’s Mayim Bialik (she plays Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon’s girlfriend). I got to see her for FREE with my BuckID and hear her story about becoming a star and her views on life. OUAB also puts on the giant Welcome Week Concert each fall, as well as a Big Spring Concert. I saw Kesha and Zedd concerts. Furthermore, there’s showings of movies for free too.
http://ouab.osu.edu/ - Artistic and/or Creative Expression
Paint, draw, sketch, sculpt, color, sing, play an instrument, or knit! Play with LEGOs, design an invention, create a mix tape, photograph things, experiment! If you don’t do it for yourself, you can give your finished product to someone else. My Health Sciences Scholars program held a Canvas Painting Night in February of this year. In front of me was a blank white canvas and I was unsure of what to paint. I decided to paint flowers in front of a soothing background, so I layered on coats of a light turquoise. Next I drew dark brown branches of a tree, then red dots, dark pink dots, light pink ones, and teeny white dots to form cherry blossom buds blooming! That one hour of painting goes by quickly; I had a great time and talked to people. Others loved how my painting turned out and so did I! Stop by a crafts store to pick up some supplies.
My painting was inspired by cherry blossoms, which are so beautiful and appear after winter.
Another recommendation is that if you aren’t keen or skilled at doing art, you can admire it at Wexner Center for the Arts or museums elsewhere. This was at the Fall Student Party 9/22/2017.
- Counseling & Consultation Services
The workshops and times changes each semester but they range from art therapy to yoga and even a stress management workshop! I dropped into one of their Art Therapy sessions and I colored a mandala. It is a safe space. https://ccs.osu.edu/drop-in-workshops/
Also, they have individual counseling in addition to group counseling and couple’s counseling.
Please do not hesitate to check it out. There is a quote/metaphor that you can’t pour out of an empty cup, and I interpret that as meaning if you are drained and tired and hurting, your productivity is limited and you cannot achieve your full potential.
Your health and happiness matter the most.
- Good Food
Comforting options like fries, burgers, pasta, and chicken tenders seem like the best option for you when you are feeling down, but reach for the salads and fruit cups instead. They are better in the long run. Yogurt also helps with digestive health! (But everything in moderation, as the saying goes! Treat yourself to decadent, savory foods on special occasions).
My recommendations: Berry Blendz, Pita Pit, Bibibop, Chipotle, Panera
*Make-your-own-salad bars in campus dining locations let you personalize your salad! - Music
Having a playlist with songs that get you upbeat can help brighten your day. My main playlist is called “My Jams”. Singing along to songs and just losing yourself in the music will temporarily erase problems. - Self Care
This varies by individual, so the things that make YOU happy. Find your niche, your passion.
Have some time set aside for “me time” where you can do whatever strikes your fancy. This time can be spent catching up on TV shows. Comedies bring me into a better mood!
My TV show recommendations: Gravity Falls, Parks & Recreation, Grimm, Glee, etc.
Watch on Hulu!
- Serve the community
If you immerse yourself into serving others and thinking about how to make a difference in their lives, there are many places to get started:
Community center
Hospital
Church
Library
Day care center
Public school
Halfway house
Rehabilitation center
Community theater
Historical restoration
Alderman’s office
Retirement home
Art gallery
Youth organization
Food bank or soup kitchen
Neighborhood adoption or cleanup programs
Boys and girls club
Animal shelter
Sports team
After-school program
Park
Credit: Caitlin Weber (caitlinweber.org)
This may seem like a generic, cliché list of advice. But these are simple, basic steps, and they’re repeated across different sources because there’s proof that they work. You do not have to try ALL of them. It can be one at a time.
KEYS TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS
- Attend class, on time (early, if possible).
This should be a no-brainer. Professors describe and explain concepts in class and give information that may not be found in the book or on their class pages. Some instructors write on the board or expand from the skeletal outlines on their PowerPoints. Attendance is as important as breathing air. Sometimes you get points for just showing up. My friends have said that for labs, even if you are a few minutes tardy, you will be asked to not come into the lab. Plus, if you get to class early, you get better seating, and possibly one by an outlet. - Pay attention in class.
No social media page surfing while class is in session. It’s a habit to kick! I have seen so many peers do this, and I myself am guilty of doing this from time to time. Just exit out of those tabs; you can live without them for a class period. Also, it is frustrating when other students are having a conversation in class and their whispering is still pretty loud so that others can hear everything. Teachers will call them out on this, which may occur during or after class. Be courteous to everyone; someone is paying for your education, whether you are a scholarship recipient, footing the bills yourself, your parents are financially supporting you, or the government is loaning you money! Sometimes professors slip out “Know this for the test”, so keep eyes and ears focused on the instructor. - Do the readings for class.
Even skimming, with special attention to the introduction, headers, and bolded/underlined/italicized terms, and conclusions, will suffice. Sometimes there will be 60+ pages of articles to read, for just ONE class! Be smart about reading. Work smart, not hard. - Sleep.
I once had a friend tell me they did not need sleep. That is ridiculous to me. In college, I have had to learn to be content with 6 to 7 hours of sleep a night, but there were a few periods where some nights, I’d only get 4. Sleep deprivation should not be a common experience. Sleep is truly so wonderful, and nobody should miss out on it. - Do not cram. That almost always means failure.
Information does not retain well this way; study incrementally. For instance, if you know you have a test in two weeks, divide the chapters up so that you can read them all for the exam, allowing yourself a few days of review. One of my high school teachers told me to not study at all the day before the test! (However, I study so frequently, leading right up to the test time.)
- Write down all deadlines.
This is what my planner looks like!
I write all of mine into a planner at the beginning of the year by looking at all my syllabi in detail. I put down my exam dates, paper deadlines, and times to go to office hours. (Back up this academic planner onto a cloud service like Google Calendar).
- Do the work – YOUR work, and nobody else’s!
Do not even attempt to cheat because most times, if not always, you will be caught. It is not worth jeopardizing your academic future. - Attend Office Hours once in a while.
You can ask professors how they became interested in their fields and about their experiences. Go over your project or paper ideas with them. - Expand your network.
There’s career fairs and different professional events. Colleges at OSU bring their alumni back to talk about their frontline experiences and how they’ve grown. Get to know them and see what they can offer you in terms of mentorship and guidance!
I talked to senior students about what made them pursue Occupational Therapy and physical therapy.
- Get to know classmates.
Share notes, do study groups. They are your peers and you find out that you have more in common than you think. I have met people from across the country and with ancestors from countries I had only heard of a few times in my life. The friendships I make at OSU are my favorite part of being in college. - Do some Informational Interviews.
Try to do this at least once or twice a semester. Ask upperclassmen and graduate students to help you figure out if you want to be somewhat like them when you are older. You’ll learn their perspectives and they usually offer great advice. I have posted some Informational Interviews on my e-portfolio. - Prepare your backpack the night before so you are not scrambling and stuffing items in there in the morning, when you are more likely to forget something important.
- Prepare for presentations.
Dress the part even if you do not feel confident in presenting. Practice any speeches or PowerPoints over and over so that when you stand in front of your peers and professor, your words come naturally since you rehearsed multiple times. I wear a dress or blazer, blouse, and pants, and I feel better and in general, do better.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES
- Stars cannot shine without darkness.
- Other people’s success is not your failure.
- Self care is not selfish.
- It is OK to ask for help.
- You are more important than your GPA.
- You are worthy of love.
- Another day, another slay.
This means another day, another triumph/success. - “Messy bun and getting stuff done.”
- “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.
” - Value your friends and do not judge others without knowing their story. – Monster’s Inc./University
- Every dream is possible. – Ratatouille
- Learn to love yourself and never take your loved ones for granted. – The Incredibles
- There is nothing else in the universe as amazing as the love you have for others. – Wall-E
- Stay strong when things get rough. Remember to keep on swimming. – Finding Nemo
- Life will take you places. Enjoy the ride. – Cars
- “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
- “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi
- A simple act of caring creates an endless ripple.
- Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
This means to keep pushing through, and live for the things that make us feel alive. - When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
- Her secret of success is that she did it all with passion.
- It doesn’t matter what others are doing. It matters what you are doing. – Sarsuki Shibuya
- If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
- Apply yourself to supply your wealth.
This post, while designed to help others, in a way has assisted me by allowing me to reflect on my emotional wellbeing and how I have coped with the various challenges of college and adulthood. I truly hope that this can be beneficial for at least one person. I am halfway through with the autumn semester already (I actually began a draft of this post in August but am just now posting it.) I will continue to post throughout my time at OSU about how much I grow.
Please let me know in the comments what works for you to manage your time or stress, or feel free to share what you do for fun!