Student Blog: The Sophomore Slump

For some reason, my school’s January break lasted over a month. Returning to school on February 3rd was an extreme whiplash. While other schools were well past their third week, I was beginning mine. 

January felt like sinking through the mud. It was slow and never seemed to end. February? February has been a race. It may have to do with the number of days in the month, or maybe it’s the stricter routine. Only time will tell. 

However, the last few weeks have felt very dull. There’s little excitement in myself and even less in my peers. It’s not unenjoyable, but it’s not something I look forward to either. The days are becoming a bit too routine, too predictable. The good news is that I’m taking Directing II, so hopefully that creative void my previous semester has been missing will be filled. Along with that, I’m joining a project as a production assistant. The creative void is slowly, but surely, being filled. However, this depressive air is still ever so heavy, and I know I’m not its only victim. 

Some may say this is the ‘sophomore slump’, so how do I deal with this phenomenon? 

1. Journal 

I say it all the time, but journaling is extremely therapeutic. Surprisingly, I’ve found myself journaling more often, without me even having to probe my motivation to do so. Ever since this semester started, I’ve just had the inspiration to write and have fallen into the routine of journaling every two days. And it helps, it helps to put all my thoughts down somewhere, it helps to not be straining my eyes on a screen, and it helps to just be in a place where I can talk through my emotions. 

2. See Theatre! 

I’m a big fan of rush and lottery tickets, so I always do what I can to see affordable theatre as a student. I do go to a performing arts school, so there are also countless performances and cabarets both on and off campus available for me to see. I’ve seen one Broadway show, worked a Staged Concert at Lincoln Center, and saw a school production. Because my school does four mainstages in the spring semester (two mainstage, two Studio Productions), the number of free shows I can see this year increases. It helps now that I’m working on a show and directing two scenes this semester to consume theatre continuously. 

3. People watch 

Today, I was walking to school during rush hour. The streets were the busiest they could be as everyone was leaving work and heading to the nearest subway station or bus. I found a moment of complete clarity in the fact that everyone is working as hard as they can to do what they need to, which may not always be what they want. Some are working away from 9 to 5 on a screen and meetings. Others hold a string of jobs together while working on their passions. A lot of people are stuck in the place they’ve always been and worry they always will be. Or, they enjoy what deal they have been given. Everyone is complicated and everyone’s lives are complicated, but everyone is in agreement that at the end of the work day, everyone just wants to get home. 

Unfortunately, some are begrudgingly leaving their homes for work. The world keeps turning, whether we like it or not. Until then, there’s nothing left to do then take it one day at a time. And figure out when the heck I’m going to rehearse my directing scene in two weeks. 

Signed, 

J.F