College is stressful. There is no doubt about it, especially in this time of online classes with a pandemic going around. I hear a lot of the term “sophomore slump” being thrown around here and there from my friends and peers, but I didn’t quite understand it or why it happens until this year.
I experienced this feeling of the sophomore slump at the beginning of this school year because in retrospect, a lot was going on and I felt like I just couldn’t keep up. My friends and I were unexpectedly kicked out of our house the same week that we had sorority recruitment, I had to find a place to live by myself for the first time, I found out I couldn’t take a little with the rest of my pledge class, and my friendships had a lot of pressure put on them after the housing got split up. I felt lost and didn’t even want to be at school anymore. I felt anxious and like I had no friends after my best friend had transferred, even though I was the one distancing myself. I noticed that many of my friends at other schools were feeling the same way. They were feeling lost and anxious all of the time but they had no idea why. I have now realized that this is what everyone was talking about. This is the sophomore slump. And even though we feel like we are experiencing it alone, we aren’t! Now, I think everyone is beginning to feel this sophomore slump, no matter what year they are because of COVID-19. Many of us have had to move back home when we were least expecting it and get used to this whole new routine of online school. We were all looking forward to finishing out the semester with our favorite people by our side, but now we can’t. This hits us so hard. This can cause us to feel alone while we have to socially distance ourselves and can cause us to feel anxious about our grades as we are getting used to a new form of curriculum. But what exactly are the true signs that we are experiencing the sophomore slump? Symptoms include:
The good news is, this slump doesn’t last forever and there are actually ways that we are able to pull ourselves out of it! It can be from something as simple as keeping a daily planner/journal to even going and talking to a therapist. Here are some of the things I have done and that my peers have dont to get out of their slumps! If you’re experiencing: a drop in grades Try: keeping a daily planner/journal A drop in grades can be really tough to deal with, but it’s never too late to try getting them up. Keeping a planner or a journal is a great way to keep all of your thoughts on track and keep you liable for your assignments because they are written down somewhere you can find them. Physically writing down what your assignments are also makes your brain remember them easier! With a daily planner or journal, you can also keep track of your mindset throughout the month with a “mood tracker.” A mood tracker can be helpful and let you know when you need to take a break and when you need to take time for yourself. Your mindset plays a major role in your grades. If you are feeling anxious or stressed all of the time, your grades are more likely to slip! If you haven’t read it yet, check out all of my tips for boosting your GPA here. If you're experiencing: lack of motivation Try: going for a walk or run Exercising is a great way to get your endorphins going. If you have noticed that you are lacking motivation lately, try and get yourself in the habit of getting out and going for a run or even just a walk. It is a great way to clear your mind and focus on taking care of yourself. Once you are done with your little workout, you’ll start to notice that you actually want to do more! I have a friend who was feeling unmotivated and she made it a habit to go to the gym every morning to start her day with a good headspace, which in return, helped boost her motivation! If you’re experiencing: a sudden urge to transfer Try: getting involved on campus If you haven’t rushed a sorority yet, or don’t think it’s your thing, you should still go for it! It’s never too late! Rushing is one of the easiest ways to get yourself more involved and create bonds with like-minded women! Not all sororities are the same which is why giving recruitment a chance is so worth it! Already in a sorority? Run for a position or keep your eye out throughout the semester for new positions that open up and apply for them! Honestly, this is one of the major things that pulled me out of my slump. I ran for everything I possibly could, and although I didn’t get any of those positions, I still felt better about putting myself out there and automatically felt more involved. If your school doesn’t have greek life, don’t fret! Join a club or find a place on campus where you can volunteer. Just making an effort to be on campus in general will allow you to feel more involved and at home! If you’re experiencing: anxiety and/or depression Try: finding something to distract your mind Like i said in my first tip, journaling is a great way to keep your mind on track and to get all of your thoughts out. If calling a loved one and talking to them about your day helps, then do that! Personally, my greatest distraction is keeping myself busy, which in all honesty is a big reason as to why I started this blog. I found that just my school work and my internship weren’t quite filling up the amount of time I would have preferred to keep my mind busy and stimulated, so I started a blog to try and help young women like myself! If simple distractions don’t work, speaking with a therapist could be very beneficial. I know many people who have both hated it and benefited from it, so it should never be ruled out until you try it! I know in the midst of all of the craziness that is going on in the world, it’s easy to lose track of what’s important - putting ourselves first. Mental health is so extremely important in college. We have surprises around every corner, and unfortunately right now that means cutting our semester short. However, we need to continue checking in with ourselves. What can we do that can allow us to avoid the sophomore slump. Take care of yourself! Draw a bath, slap on a face mask, and just go to town in your journal. You would be amazed at how much your mind will be cleared just after taking those 20 minutes to yourself! Stay healthy, stay happy, and never hesitate to reach out when you need to! xo, The Undergrad
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From stress to partying, there is no doubt that college can wreak havoc on our skin. I personally have had very acne prone skin since a young age and it took me years to figure out what works to control it. When I was going into freshman year of college, I felt like I had finally gotten my acne under control. Fast forward two months later, I had found myself in the same cycle of terrible skin, even though I had felt that I was doing everything I could to keep it under control. Little did I know, I was experiencing new kinds of stress that made my skin go crazy - and going to frat parties and wearing a full face of makeup didn’t help either.
From Christmas break to spring break, I dedicated time to getting my skin back in shape and I have been addicted to my skincare routine ever since. Now, do I still get bad breakouts? Absolutely! But I do feel like I have them more under control than I did before, and they go away much faster! I also have built up the confidence to walk out of the house without a single drop of makeup on because of how much this skincare routine has helped me! With that said, let’s jump right into it. take off your makeup everyday, but ditch the makeup wipes.
I cannot stress enough how important taking off your makeup at the end of every day is! Taking off your makeup at the end of the day is one of best ways to keep your skin clean and healthy and is the easiest way to prevent breakouts. The end of the day looks different for everyone. For some, it’s after their classes are done, but for others it’s after a night out with friends. If you put on your makeup right before you leave and take off your makeup as soon as you get home, it lessens the amount of time that the makeup sits on your face and can help prevent those nasty breakouts.
Now, you may be wondering why I say ditch the makeup wipes. Truth is, makeup wipes don’t get everything off of your skin! Yes, they can get the majority of your makeup off, but a much better alternative is a makeup eraser towel with some cleansing oil. Not only is this a much more efficient way to get your face thoroughly clean, but it also reduces the amount of waste you are emitting. The average woman uses 1-2 makeup wipes to take off their makeup, and some do this multiple times a day! That means you can go through up to roughly 60 makeup wipes per month! Not only does this get expensive in the long run, but that is so much waste that is released out into the world! Here are my favorite makeup removers:
Makeup Eraser
$20 Ulta | MakeupEraser.com
Neutrogena Ultra Light Facial Cleansing Oil
$9.99 Walmart | Target | Neutrogena.com don’t wear makeup every single day.
Like I said before, the less time makeup is on your face, the easier it is to keep it looking healthy! I know too many people that put makeup on every single morning, even if they are just sitting at home throughout the day. If there is a day where you know you won’t be doing anything, then there is absolutely no reason to not let your skin breathe for a day. I used to wear makeup everyday because of the insecurities I had with my acne, but as soon as I made sure that there were 2-3 days out of the week that I didn't wear makeup, I began to see a difference in my skin. Doing this also boosted my confidence because the more I went out in public without makeup, the more I felt comfortable in my own skin. Within a few weeks, I began to get compliments on how amazing my skin was looking, even without any makeup on and it made me feel the need to almost ditch makeup completely. Not wearing makeup became my form of self care and now I try to only wear concealer and mascara throughout the day unless I’m going out!
Here I am with no makeup July 2018 vs. February 2019:
All it took was cutting out wearing makeup as much as possible and giving my skin the attention it deserves!
don’t use harsh scrubs everyday.
Exfoliating is great for your skin, but not if you do it every single day. I exfoliate 2-3 times a week with a scrub-style face wash, but use a gentle cleanser the rest of the week. When I have a breakout, I swap my facial cleanser for an acne bar and it works wonders! Exfoliating everyday or using an acne bar everyday can dry out and strip your skin, but using a gentle cleanser helps keep the moisture locked in and will prevent damaging your skin! Many people think that you have to stick to only one product to wash your face once you see it working, however many face washes don’t target every need for your skin. Find a few products that work for you and implement them into your daily routine!
Here’s what works for me:
★Gentle Cleanser
★Exfoliating Scrub
St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
$4 Target
★Acne Bar
Truly Clear Acne Bar
$19.95 Amazon | TrulyClear.com moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
It's common to think that you don’t need to be using moisturizer or eye cream on a daily basis until you are older to prevent wrinkles. The harsh reality is that we are already at that age where wrinkles are beginning to form, so using an eye cream and moisturizer everyday makes a huge difference in the long run. I also like to incorporate sunscreen into my daily routine to give that extra layer of protection to my skin. However, you can’t skip moisturizing on days you use sunscreen! I typically use moisturizer, eye cream, and sunscreen at the start of my day and then just use moisturizer, and sometimes a serum at night! It is honestly two minutes out of your whole day, so it is an easy thing to fit into your routine!
Products I love:
★Moisturizer
Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Gel Cream
$24.95 Ulta | Neutrogena.com
★Eye Cream
Dr. Brandt Needles No More: No More Baggage Eye Cream
$42 Ulta | DrBrandtSkincare.com
★Sunscreen
Sun Bum Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 30
$9.99 Ulta | TrustTheBum.com
★Serum
Odacité Bl+C | Pimples Serum Concentrate
$36 Amazon | Odacite.com treat yourself to a face mask.
Treating yourself to a face mask 1-2 times per week is the perfect way to give your skin the reset that it needs. Even these past few days, I was going through a bad breakout that made my skin look dull and feel gross, but as soon as I used a mask for brightening, my skin began to heal itself before my eyes. The redness and size of my breakout had reduced immensely and my skin finally had that glow that I had been hoping for all week! I use face masks as a form of self care and a way to show my body the love it deserves. There truly isn’t a better feeling than drawing a bath, putting on a face mask and just simply ~vibing~. Do yourself and your skin a favor and make time to make this treat into a habit!
Masks I swear by:
★For Tightening and Cleansing
Freck Beauty Foreclay Cactus Clay Mask
$22 Urban Outfitters | FreckBeauty.com
★For Brightening
GLAMGLOW Flashmud Brightening Treatment Vitamin C Mask
$25 Sephora | GLAMGLOW.com
★For Hydrating
Karuna Hydrating + Face Sheet Mask
$28 (pack of 4) Amazon | KarunaSkin.com
Now, I am definitely NOT a skin expert, so you can take what I say in whatever way you want. However, these habits have been working for me and for the people who have helped me develop these habits. Yes, college is stressful and it takes up a lot of our time, but it is time that we put some of that stress on the backburner and focus on taking care of our bodies! Feeling confident in our own skin is what allows us to get our there and be boss ladies. We have the confidence to go for the things we want. Our bodies are our homes and we need to show it a little love and a solid skincare routine is the way to do that!
Have some tips you would like to share? Shoot me a message or comment below! Xo, The Undergrad |
AUTHORCamille Baron is a 20 year old attending the University of Utah and is in her third year as a Strategic Communications major. She strives to educate college women like herself to achieve their full potential in all aspects of life. ARCHIVES
July 2020
CATEGORIESAll Business And Professional College Culture Education Health And Wellness Self Care Travel |