The sophomore slump: It’s comfortable, slow and boring.
My slump isn’t born of any inadequacies in my social life. Most weekends I find myself doing something slightly stupid or slightly childish with my friends. Among our favorite activities are blowing bubbles, throwing dance parties and creating art with 3-D chalk.
While other people sometimes judge us for getting a thrill out of phenomena that most associate with those who are under age 8, we enjoy the degree of whimsy that comes with doing silly things.
No, my immobility is not propelled by a hole in my personal calendar or support system. Rather, I’m bored with school, with attendance and with superfluous reading assignments.
Freshmen year, one of my biggest personal worries was choosing a major. I didn’t have a passion for any subject, so I didn’t have a specific program to focus on. I thought if I could find a major that piqued my interest, it would lead to my future career.
Now, a declared double major in history and Spanish, I am no more concentrated on a specific goal than I was a year ago.
So here’s some advice for all of those who are struggling to find your focus, those of you who thought you’d figure it out when you got to college, but just haven’t been able to do it yet.
Take the classes that make sense. The kinds of classes to which you will dedicate time outside of scheduled hours and actually wake up for to get the participation points. Professors do make a difference; they can and they will make or break a class.
Let the classes that interest you shape your path. If you do it right, any major will provide you with the things you need to know to be a real person in the real world. Knowing how to communicate, analyze and comprehend are the most basic, vital skills you will need for any type of setting, whether it be social, professional or personal.
Don’t just pick a major or a bunch of classes because you think it’s what you’re “supposed” to do. You’re not “supposed” to do anything except get an education and get out alive.
Getting out alive does not imply that you should take unnecessary safety precautions. It means that you need to maintain your sanity. Keep yourself moving, satisfied and interested.
Allow yourself to get carried away by something other than schoolwork every once in a while. It’s normal to get stressed about next semester’s schedule, but it’s unhealthy and unproductive to let it get in your way of going roller-skating or finger painting.
Stop judging me for suggesting you engage in kindergarten crafts. Keep your blood moving. School will always be able to remind you of your future, but it won’t always be able to remind you that you’re living now, and it’s a lot more fun than the 40-page article you were assigned for your Pluralism GenEd or the philosophy class you should have pass/fail-ed.
Try to forget how bored you are with school and go buy a PEZ dispenser and some temporary tattoos. It might just pull you out of your slump.