By Elizabeth Fitzpatrick
Features Editor
A new school year means the return of the dreaded sophomore slump. Having made it through freshman year, sophomore students commonly face burn-out. At Washington College, while freshman are adjusting to a new experience and juniors and seniors are focused on their SCEs, sophomores might fall by the wayside. Fortunately, ResLife recently developed the Sophomore Year Experience, which kicked off this semester with the luau-themed sophomore mixer on Aug 27 in the Sassafras Hall First Floor Lounge.
According to Community Coordinator Samantha Flint, she was initially hired to work on the Sophomore Year Experience, which combats the sophomore slump by creating a support system for sophomores.
The Sophomore Year Experience began with the mixer in the fall and will end with the sophomore year celebration in the spring. According to Flint, the celebration at the end of the spring semester marks the halfway point of college and celebrates students’ accomplishments with games, food, and prizes.
Students themselves are excited about what sophomore year has in store. With one year successfully completed, sophomores feel confident about their place on campus.
“It feels like it’s a lot less stressful this year. It’s really overwhelming when you first get here, but now that we’ve been here for a year we know where things are. Being a freshman, you don’t really know where to start with anything,” sophomore Jessica Lindeman said.
For many, sophomore year provides clearer academic intentions. Although some students come to college with a clear idea of what they want to do, others discover unexpected passions after exploring different fields as freshmen.
Sophomore Joseph Atkins came in intending to major in physics but switched to political science and philosophy after enjoying a political science class freshman year. “I came in as a physics major, and I still really like the subject, but I really love philosophy and political science,” Atkins said.
Throughout the year, sophomores will receive a monthly newsletter that shares academic and career opportunities, as well as upcoming events that may be of interest to students. Sophomores will also meet with a Community Assistant twice a semester to check in.
The Center for Career Development also has a program aimed at sophomore students: Sophomore Professional Awareness and Readiness Kickstart. According to Executive Director of the Career Center Nanette Cooley, SPARK launched last year to extend the First Year Career Awareness Program into students’ sophomore year to help them stay on track.
SPARK requires students to meet with career coaches, update their resume, and attend a workshop of their choice. Students are also highly encouraged to apply for an externship, a one to three day observation experience offered for a variety of fields.
Overall, sophomores are feeling more confident, both socially and academically, than they did as freshmen. With clearer ideas about what to major in, where to live, and what clubs to join, as well as increased support from ResLife and the Career Center, hopefully no one will fall victim to the sophomore slump.
Photo by Elizabeth Fitzpatrick
Photo Caption: Sophomores Warner Quinn and Lexi Kinsey and junior Juliana Santiago chat at the sophomore mixer