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Wrap Up: 5 Lessons I’ve Learned From My First Semester of Sophomore Year

Wrap Up: 5 Lessons I’ve Learned From My First Semester of Sophomore Year

Sophomore year has been a rollercoaster so far. I’ve been extremely busy with extracurricular activities, school, and friends. I have learned a lot of valuable lessons when it comes to time management, taking care of yourself, and having a social life. Here are 5 lessons I’ve learned during my first semester of sophomore year. 

1. Don’t Over Commit Yourself

The first lesson I learned was not to over commit myself. The college student way is to join as many organizations and extracurricular activities as possible. I am definitely one of those students that have fallen into that trap. It’s all fun and games until you realize you haven’t had a meal all day or aren’t getting home until really late at night.

This semester I wanted to get as involved as possible, and sure I made some really great connections and friends, but I was exhausted every day. Sometimes even coming home to my roommates was too much social interaction and I would have to close and lock my door just to be alone for a few hours. 

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Not only was I socially exhausted, but I was drowning in work most weeks. This semester I was taking some pretty hard classes and had a lot of homework, but I was also attending meetings, going to cheer practice, and still trying to hang out with friends. I also had to find some time to eat. 

I became a master multitasker and often did homework as I ate, or would have a study date with friends where we would all sit together and silently do homework. Next semester I definitely need to work on not over-committing myself. Being exhausted all the time was no fun, even though I got a lot of benefits from the things I was doing.  

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2. Keep An Organized Planner

The second lesson I learned was to keep an organized planner. This semester I was packed down with work and meetings. I was never one to use a planner or an agenda, but I found myself confusing dates and missing meetings, so I knew it was time to get organized.

I bought a planner at the beginning of the year and it automatically became my best friend. Each class was color-coded differently so I knew what assignments were for what. I also would write due dates next to each assignment so I knew exactly how long I had to get it done.

One other thing I did that really helped me stay organized was that I would check off assignments when they were handed in. It was a visual marker that told me I got something done and no longer had to worry about it. Especially during midterms and finals, this was definitely rewarding to see things physically checked off my list. 

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My planner also had a calendar page for each month, along with individual week and day breakdowns. The bigger calendars I used to mark more fun dates like birthdays, TV show premieres, or lunch dates with friends. This helped me stay on top of things that I did on my downtime, and I made sure that I also designated times for me to just chill by myself.

3. Spend Time With Friends

One of the lessons I wished I learned earlier was to spend more time with friends. There were definitely some weeks where I literally didn’t have time to hang out with anyone. Mealtimes were designated for work and most nights I was running to meetings or practice. I also had days where I was feeling anti-social, but I do wish I had spent those days with friends.

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Going into winter break knowing that I won’t see some of my friends for a month (or more) really sucks. I am totally going to miss them and I regret not spending more time with them. Of course, schedules are hectic and people are busy at their own times, but I know I could have put in more effort.

Even spending 20 minutes grabbing a quick bite with someone could have really made a difference, but I would think of things too late. Next semester I am vowing to spend more time with friends. I love all of the people I have met in college and I want to make sure they know I am there for them. 

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4. Take Time For Yourself

One of the best lessons I learned was to take time for myself. One thing I did this semester, was to try to designate time for myself. There were a couple of nights every few weeks where I purposely didn’t schedule anything. I needed to be able to come home and just lounge around and watch TV or read. When I’m at home on breaks I have so much free time and I come to miss that a few weeks into the semester.

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Wednesday nights were mainly my “me” nights and I would celebrate that by watching TV and eating some of my favorite snacks. Although it was only for a couple of hours, sitting down and doing something I enjoy really helped me get through the week. Lucky for me, my roommates knew Wednesday nights were my “me” nights, so they would let me cry, laugh, and scream all I wanted. 

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Next semester I hope to do the same thing and be able to take some time for myself. I think it helped balance out my stress and made me want to be more productive so I could take some time off. Getting into the groove of things may be a little difficult at first, but once you get into it, it goes great.

5. Call Your Family More Often

One of the final lessons I learned was to call my family more often. Being at a school nearly 4 hours away from my hometown, I definitely rely on FaceTime to update my parents about what’s going on in my life. With a heavy school workload and a constantly booked schedule, I found it really hard to call my family sometimes. Finding a time to sit down to chat for an hour or so was rare, but when I did find the time, I would realize how much I missed my family back home.

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I would update my mom on weeks worth of news and life happenings because so much time would pass between the last time we talked. I wished I had made more time to call my parents because I was missing out on a lot at home. I felt really behind on family news because of my hectic schedule. 

I didn’t have the opportunity to go home until Thanksgiving, meaning I went over three months without seeing my parents, brother, or (most importantly) my cats. I realized when I went home how disgustingly homesick I was and I really did not want to go back to school to finish out the semester.

Being constantly busy and always on the go, I didn’t let myself, but my family on the back burner, which was not a smart idea. Next semester I am going to designate times during the week to call my family because I never want to feel as homesick as I did this semester. 

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Sophomore year has been a blast so far. I have made so many amazing memories and I can’t wait to make even more next semester. I also learned lots of new lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my college career. What are some lessons you learned during the school year? Let us know in the comments below!

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