Everyone throws around the saying “Sophomore Slump” as a
largely undefined phenomenon. Urban Dictionary gives the definition: “During a
college student’s sophomore year, their GPA drops after having a high GPA from their
freshman year.”Do we really not do as well in general coming
from freshman year to sophomore year?
As a sophomore in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
(CBE) I have not yet reached the core of my major’s curriculum when I will take
almost all of my classes in the CBE department. Thus far, I have had one class
in my major each semester, along with all of the general math and sciences
courses required across Engineering. I definitely had a rough adjustment in my
first semester freshmen year when I dealt with curves, competition, and exams
more challenging than I had never seen before. But I immediately realized why I
was so driven to work that much harder: I love math, science, and Engineering
courses and I strive to be good at what I’m passionate about.
I think this same motivation drives most everyone in the
Engineering School at Penn; passion is at the core of the undergraduate
experience here. So where does the Sophomore Slump come into play? It could
just be a coincidence that we get a little bit more comfortable and relaxed in
our day-to-day lives at school coming back the second year. But for me, it’s
been the opposite. I think we are so excited, thrilled, and a little scared freshmen
year that we feel the need to go above and beyond proving ourselves in our new
academic world. Especially in Engineering, freshmen finally have the chance to
explore new applications of their favorite fields. So,
I propose that we rename the “Sophomore Slump”, the "Sophomore
Spark." Let's bring the academic energy in our second year that we had as excited new students in our first year.
Remind yourself why you're working hard to begin with and bring the "spark" to re-ignite that passion you had in the first year!
Questions for Rebecca? Contact her at awe@seas.upenn.edu
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