<p>It seems like, for my D at least and some of her friends, the second year of college is less exciting than the first. The novelty has somewhat worn off and there are still 5 semesters of the same to go. I was wondering if you as parents had felt this at all, and if the whole purpose of Junior Year Abroad is not to take a break from college rather than acquire vital language skills( I have to say again that a a French citizen who has hosted a few JYA students, I haven't been too impressed with the intrinsic value of these programs).</p>
<p>My D continues to be excited about college in her 2nd year. She still really likes the place, pretty campus. Then, she is surprisingly excited about her classes. She has her favorite class (discovered in college that she loves Chemistry - not her major) and absolutely loves music classes (minor). She is very involved, barely has time and had to turn down some awesome opportunities because of time commitment to her current activities. She loves her job as Supplemental Instructor to Chem. professor, her volunteering at Crisis Center Hot line that requred tons of training and somewhat related to her 2nd minor in neuroscience. She is looking forward to trip to New Zealand for few weeks after school is over in May. She is excited about living in apartment with her friends next year (Junior) - signed up already.<br>
Getting involved in college, being busy is my D's way. She does not have time to be bored. It must be a way for your D to keep excitement about her life there. Her hobbies, non-academic interests, classes outside of major. Here is another example - D is excited about taking Paper Making class next semester. I wish your D the best!</p>
<p>My daughter is finding her sophomore classes to be more interesting and challenging. She is branching out to explore other area of studies, she is aiming for 2 majors and 2 minors (put our money to good use) For all the bad press of Greek life, it is keeping her quite involved with the school. They always have events to plan (formals, homecoming, scoping out newbies). She is also very busy with her jobs, both on campus and off campus. I think planning for her semester abroad to Australia is adding a lot of excitement to her life. It is a very large campus with many different schools, so it allows her to take course outside of A&S school. She meets someone new everyday and she wish she had more time for ECs.</p>
<p>I find she has a lot less time for me and calls home a lot less than she used to. I guess that's the way it is suppose to be. Our daughter is still very excited about her school.</p>
<p>This is one of the many reasons my son is now transferring as a Junior. He couldn't picture staying at the same school for all 4 years. For him, it was just more of the same thing over and over to the point where he was bored and looking for something new. However, he will miss his friends a lot so it's a tradeoff.</p>
<p>S1 has settled in sophomore year and is thriving--joined a frat, made some terrific friends, has solidified a major and seems very very happy. I agree about the study abroad thing, though--while he IS doing a short overseas trip at the end of Summer/before classes start as part of a course, the semester abroad he is interested in/ostensibly associated with his major doesn't have any intrinsic educational value--more like a vacation. We'll be discussing that over Christmas break.....</p>
<p>Son got an on-campus job and joined a club. He's more efficient at his work so there's less frustration at the little bits of college that don't work so well. He also attends colloquia put on by his department where they bring in guest speakers to talk on technical subjects.</p>
<p>The first year can provide a lot of excitement but the second year provides for more mature interests.</p>
<p>Thanks for your stories. Keep 'em coming. Maybe i'm reading too much in D's remarks and i'm the one who is having sophomore blues. Suddenly 4 years without her feels endless, and when I read the thread about college far away= settling far away, it makes it tougher. My sister went to college in the States and never came back, so I should be prepared for the worst although it's getting tougher by the minute to get a green card...</p>
<p>I'm way past this point as a parent, but it's called 'sophomore slump' and it's very common. Often it happens to kids who are still taking lots of required, gen-ed type courses. For these kids, getting into upper level courses in their fields of interest can cure the slump; there's no need to leave campus.</p>
<p>Some schools are a bit of a chore to get through, others are perpetually interesting. I did UG at one of the former, and Grad School at one of the latter, so I've seen both sides. It was a huge consideration when looking at OOS schools for daughters.</p>
<p>Do any of you think size of the school influences this? That kids at small schools feel they are seeing the same faces over and over?</p>
<p>It could be. Large schools probably have more clubs, activities and people.</p>
<p>Neighbor's D is struggling with sophomore issues at her LAC. Her biggest concern is that she has no idea what major she'll pursue. She got put in a dorm with upperclassmen and her roommate isn't on the meal plan so eating alone has been a big issue. There's a whole chapter on the "sophomore slump" in a book called, "Letting Go." It describes many of the problems, but doesn't offer many solutions.</p>
<p>D was not the happiest camper her freshman year at small (2000) LAC, partly due to bf back home, heavy social life left behind (with most friends attending local state U), and not the best weather (PNW rain). By end of year things had improved somewhat and returning sophomore year was easier - new roommate, more friends, kinda found her niche. Junior year has so far been spent abroad and though to some it might look like a vacation, the foreign language element has greatly improved enough that it will be a major point for future employment ( I guess this is my plug for study abroad and the benefits of :D ) Kids in high school tend to get themselves worked into such intense groups - formal or otherwise. Currently am working with a bunch who all want to go away to schools but every free moment during the school day they all pile into a room full of friends and camaraderie. Then they get to college and often don't find that readily available. Main thing is it does take work for most kids to fit in and be comfortable. It most often doesn't just happen. If your kid goes to a public school that is part of the National Student Exchange (National</a> Student Exchange - THE OFFICIAL SITES), that might be an inexpensive to try out a school in a different part of the country.</p>