Sophomore year is weird, it’s not the exciting first year of high school anymore, but we’re also not upperclassmen yet. Me and other sophomores are experiencing this feeling where we don’t want to do anything whether that be homework, classwork or just showing up for school in general. Classes start getting harder, teachers expect more from us, and somehow the motivation we had from freshman year just kind of disappears. A lot of students call this the “sophomore slump”, and honestly it feels real. To figure out why this happens and what we can actually do about it, I asked some questions about how to stay motivated and get back on track during this challenging year. 

To start off, I wanted to understand how sophomore’s start to feel less motivated and how they fall into “sophomore slump”. “Freshman year felt new and kind of fun, but now it just feels normal and stressful. I start to feel way more pressure because sophomore year is the most important year but as I work my motivation to do my work is low,” Bangura John said (‘28). 

Falling into a slump can be very hard and most of the time very stressful, but if we find ways that can help us overcome this slump your motivation can go back up and set us up for success. “People can start with setting goals because when you set those goals you have to try and achieve them to make yourself better. Instead of focusing on trying to get straight A’s all you need to focus on is if you understand what you’re learning and if you don’t then seek the extra help so you understand,” Corbin Jailah said (‘28). 

Being in advanced and harder classes can definitely be a lot but if you know how to manage the work load your life and mental health will be less stressed. Finding a way to balance things is very important. “Time management is honestly a big deal. Being able to manage your time wisely I use a planner and I personally think everyone should use one. It really helps organize and balance my school work as well as outside stuff,” Gyamfi Ivana said (‘28). 

Definitely being organized and using time management can help manage harder classes as well as bringing the stress level down. Everyone deals with “sophomore slump” differently and how they overcome it is also different. “My sophomore slump wasn’t as bad as some of my friends but for me what caused mines was harder classes and really big loads of homework. On top of that I had dance practices and performances as well as chorus and show choir competitions,” Chamber Freddi said (‘27). 

Overall, sophomore slump is something a lot of students go through, even if we don’t always talk about it. Between harder classes, more pressure, and trying to figure out our future, it makes sense that this year can feel overwhelming. But from these interviews, it’s clear that small changes like better time management or not being so hard on yourself can actually make a big difference. Sophomore  year might not be the easiest but it doesn’t have to define us. We just have to keep going and remember that we’re not the only ones feeling this way.