Is Sophomore Slump Real?

Many Bellevue High students wonder whether “sophomore slump” is real. The short answer is yes. With growing demands and escalating pressure, it’s challenging to stay focused and keep your confidence up. To better understand the sophomore slump, we surveyed a few upperclassmen students to reminisce their own sophomore slump and to get advice for making it through.

“It can be tiring because there’s a lot of pressure and you don’t know what you want yet. It’s better to explore what you like and make a few of your own goals instead of trying to meet everyone else’s.” Senior Charlene Stolte said.

Many students are still exploring their own passions, with increased academic pressure. It’s not surprising that many students feel school is tiring and unmotivating. This helps explain how many students often feel burnt out or a loss of motivation when it comes to their sophomore year.

“Staying motivated during the hardest parts of the year, especially finals, was one of my biggest challenges,” junior Keila Kruler said.

Kruler’s experience is common for many students experiencing sophomore slump, highlighting how hard it hits finals week.

“I definitely feel sophomore slump has been affecting me,” sophomore Olivia Bussadori said. “Between tougher classes, activities and a heavier workload than last year, it can be really overwhelming.”

Sophomore slump isn’t about being lazy; it’s a response to heightened expectations. Recognizing sophomore slump as something that strikes most students can help make them feel less alone and remind them that struggling is normal this year.