Written by Mary Todd Christian. Media by Jack Dawdy. [divide]
If this is your sophomore year at Greenville College, you have already experienced and overcome many obstacles. You have conquered the freshman 15, and you’ve finally moved up to the sophomore parking lot. However, as the year progresses, something is changing. Your routine becomes even more mundane. Soon, your motivation to do well is dissipating, your homework falls by the wayside, and you are highly considering skipping your 8:30 class the next morning. It looks as if you’ve caught a case of …
This virus you’ve contracted has been sweeping colleges across the nation since the beginning of time (or maybe since the creation of Netflix). But really, who can blame you? Sure, maybe your attendance grade is suffering as well as your homework grade, but you deserve to sit in your bed and watch 25 consecutive episodes of Friends. You’ve been working hard all year! Really, your excuses are completely justifiable with: “I don’t have the motivation.” Of course you don’t. It takes a great deal of energy to procrastinate. Really, what is the point of tackling the work now, when you can wait for it to build up at the last minute? Maybe within this area, there could be a picture of a college student lazing around saying, “So-and-so will get the notes for me.” However, there is always the chance that “so-and-so” has also caught the Sophomore Slump, and won’t be in class either. Eh, they’ll get the notes from someone to give to you. Maybe…
“Okay. Then I’ll check D2L for the notes.”
Brilliant! Unless it’s a maintenance day and D2L is down. Dang it.
“I’ve only missed one class so far… or three.”
You’ve been a good student for the majority of the semester, and you always get your homework on time. What are one, two, or three absences? Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh… but the point is, you can either sit in your bed, eat Bugles, and complain about your life, or you can punch the Sophomore Slump in the face! I have been struggling with this unforgiving “disease” myself, and I’m ready to execute the latter. Unfortunately, everybody, even the professors, hit this plateau in the middle of the second semester. As unavoidable as it may be, why should we allow one season of the semester to dictate our end of the semester performance? While we might not be able to prevent contracting this impending epidemic, there are some ways to combat it. Setting small goals for yourself each day is a good way to start. By doing this, you are not overwhelming yourself. If you set yourself too lofty of a goal, you are going to be disappointed the moment you don’t fulfill one, and you may resort to a self-loathing state. If you feel that you have already passed the point of no return and are concerned for your grades, the Greenville professors are here to help! Make a point to meet with a professor you trust and see what can be done to get back on track.
So, put the Bugles down, get out of bed, and let Ross and Rachel know you’re “on a break” (SPOILER: Don’t worry, they get together in the end). You’re so
close to the end. If anything, let the hope of finishing the year motivate you! Take heart, my fellow sophomores; you can make it! Don’t let the “slump” get you down!
