Personal Development
Whether or not your first year was a blazing success, sophomore year offers the opportunity to try something new.
Expand social horizons
Some students relish the greater autonomy--academic and social--of sophomore year. Others miss their freshmen floor and the numerous community activities, even when they are rooming with friends. Take steps to ensure that your friendship group isn’t set in stone after freshman year. Make it a point to eat meals with a variety of people and to try new things. Some ideas:
- Head to the Community Service office or the Campus Y. A common cause can be a great source of new friendships.
- Sign up for Acting I or ballroom or swing dancing. Join a new club or intramural sport. You’ll meet people in different ways in those kinds of classes or activities.
- Take a seminar-sized class. Small classes are a good way to engage with other students.
Strengthen time management and study skills
Sophomore year often brings new challenges associated with more advanced coursework and increasing responsibility in extracurricular organizations. You need to remember, from the beginning, to organize your time and to work effectively. Some ideas:
- Focus on setting priorities. Don’t lose sight of academics in the flurry of activities.
- Get a monthly—not daily or weekly—desk calendar. Note on it exam dates, dates papers are due, dates for scheduled meetings. It’s easier to stay on top of things when you have mapped out the ebb and flow of your commitments over the semester. You can see well in advance which weeks are going to be challenging and plan accordingly.
- Visit Cornerstone and the Writing Center for workshops on improving study skills.
- Establish a good study environment, whether that’s in your room, the library or the Center Court study hall. If you find you’re distracted when studying, relocate or change the environment.
- Rooming with friends can be both a blessing and a curse; deal with disruptions early on.
Keep yourself healthy
Sophomore year doesn’t have to result in “sophomore slump”. Recognize that some of the contributing factors are sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, high-risk drinking, and difficulties managing stress. And do more than just recognize it; do something about it. Some ideas:
- Use P.E. classes to jump-start an exercise program.
- Set clear expectations, early and often, with roommates and neighbors about respecting the need for sleep.
- Make sure that social activities help you recover from the pressures of school, not leave you needing more recovery time.
- Visit the Habif Health and Wellness Center.
- Take a class at the South 40 Fitness Center or make a habit of using the equipment there.
Explore St. Louis
With MetroLink conveniently located next to campus and a free Metro pass in your pocket, get beyond what’s within walking distance or on the shuttle lines. You already know the Loop, the Galleria, and Target; find something new. Don’t leave St. Louis never having ventured beyond a three-mile radius of campus. A few ideas for getting out and about:
- Buy tickets for a performance at the Fox Theatre. It’s a stunning venue, worth the price of the ticket for the building alone.
- Join The Outing Club and see something of the Midwest beyond the urban areas. • Head to a Cardinals game. Wear red.
- Visit the Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Volunteer for an organization that gets you out into the community. It never hurts to remind yourself that the entire world is not made up of the 18-22 year old demographic.
