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NewsvineIt gives distraught freshmen some comfort to think of their first year at Stanford as experimental. There are still interests to dig into, study skills to try out, IHUM and Math 51 to take. A couple of low grades aren’t the end of the world.
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But perhaps these frosh year GPAs will start to look quite nice once next year comes along — and with it, a sophomore slump.
So what exactly is this slump? Is it a condition from which the shoulders droop from the weight of carrying too many books? Or is it a state of post-freshman year disenchantment and self-doubt?
“I think everyone has their own idea about the sophomore slump because it manifests itself in varying degrees in different people,” said Chris Baclig ‘09, a Resident Assistant (RA) in Toyon, an all-sophomore dorm. “If freshman year is adjusting to Stanford as a college and a home, I would say sophomore year is more like adjusting to the rest of your life at Stanford, academically and socially.”
The transition from freshman to sophomore year is a big one. Classes tend to get harder as they become more geared towards a specific major, leaving students with doubts about the compatibility of their goals with their capabilities. Many fear that they are trekking the wrong academic path, or that they will never find the right one at all.
“Clearly, sophomores are not freshmen, yet, neither are they quite full-fledged major-declared upperclassmen,” said Toyon Resident Fellow (RF) Amy Friedman. “It’s a sort of in-between year, if you will, and with that comes some ambivalence.”
Baclig observed the increased pressure on residents to discover subject areas in which they are genuinely interested.
“In Toyon, I have noticed many residents coming to me and asking academic questions regarding picking a major and finding classes to take,” he said. “It seems like there is a general concern about having a planned academic future, especially since sophomore year is usually the time to declare a major.”
The slump may also entail social dissatisfaction resulting from the changed dynamic within the dorm. Friends made the year before may wind up on the opposite side of campus. Even forming new friendships can be tough, as students tend to stay within the confines of their draw groups.
Tommy Tobin ‘10 noted that he and many of his peers are also burdened by over-commitment to too many extracurriculars. That, plus an elevated sense of responsibility to coursework and urgency to pick an academic track, can throw students into what Tobin describes as a sort of “turmoil.”
“I think the sophomore slump is a very real thing — I see a lot of my friends going through it, and I imagine a lot of it has to do with picking majors,” he said. “To a point, I don’t feel like it’s nearly as bad for me as it is for my fellow sophomores, but it’s particularly difficult to stay as excited as you were as a freshman.”
Yet, the slump isn’t like some virus that attacks students in a similar manner. The academic and social lull affects people to varying degrees, and not all sophomores are afflicted with the slump — many get it later in their college careers, or not at all.
For those who do feel lost in this limbo between exploring and pursuing, there’s always help. Students are encouraged to scope out resources that were advertised freshman year — The Bridge, Vaden’s Counseling And Psychological Services, Sweet Hall — as well as tutors, residence staff and faculty. Students can also attend “Sophomore SlumpBusters,” designed to help relieve stress, build community and hone various skills.
“I think there are ways that people can work with it and through it,” Friedman said of the sophomore slump. “New this year at Toyon, we have a sophomore academic advisor who has office hours here a couple of days a week to talk with students about their academic concerns.”
So while the sophomore slump may not be avoidable, it’s important to note that there’s plenty students can do to ease it. Find a balance in life, figure out what activities are most important and seek the help of friends, faculty and counselors. Besides, the general consensus is that we are faring much better than our friends back east, because for the most part, we have nice weather.