There’s a reason they call it the “sophomore slump.” As I cap off my second year of college, I certainly relate. Nothing is quite as new and exciting as freshman year, but you are not quite at the finish line, either. The result: a feeling of being overwhelmed, and at times unmotivated, academically, socially and mentally. Yet, on the other side of crashing out, chaos and conundrum, there was plenty of room for learning, reflection and self-discovery this year.

There is no doubt about it—second year is hard, and when I thought having one year under my belt would make things easier, I was wrong. Organic chemistry reaction mechanisms slipped my mind no matter how much I drew them; upon finishing one difficult assignment, I was already chasing the next. My mistake: When things weren’t clicking, I refused to believe that I was feeling burnt out because the class content was rigorous. Instead, I told myself I wasn’t working hard enough. My friend’s words stuck with me: “Sophomore year is challenging—you are allowed to admit that.”

On that note, it is okay to feel overwhelmed. If anything, it can be comforting to realize that our peers are feeling the exact same way. Yet what was most helpful for me was putting my anxieties into perspective. A low test grade, a rigorous class, homework piling up? Start asking yourself: “Will this matter in two weeks? What about in a couple of years down the road?” It isn’t that our current struggles are invalid, but framing them in a bigger picture can help transform near meltdowns into more manageable moments.

My biggest revelation this year was perhaps realizing that I don’t have to do things just because I think I should. In the undergraduate experience, we are inclined to fill our schedules with clubs, work, extracurriculars and research—alongside being full-time students. This overload is problematic not only when our stress levels skyrocket, but especially when every activity begins to feel like a chore. My second year helped me filter out that noise, find my focus and lean into the things that felt meaningful to me. I created a STEM curriculum to excite students for science, took on the role of captain on my club soccer team and wrote for The Observer about topics I am passionate about. Soon, I realized time felt fuller not when I was filling it with more activities, but when I filled it with what I wanted to be doing.

Friendships were another area of growth. It is natural for friendships to ebb and flow, friends to come and go. This year especially, I felt like I was distancing myself from the people closest to me. We stopped talking as much, and the time to hang out was sparse due to our busy schedules. I quickly jumped to the conclusion that something was amiss on my part. Little did I know, a conversation over lunch revealed that my friend was dealing with personal anxieties I wasn’t even aware of. Our much-needed chat turned into a moment of growth and a commitment to check in on each other. That is all to say: you never know what someone else is going through. Silence doesn’t mean anger, but perhaps it is about time to pick up a conversation.

I am still figuring out the balancing act between academics and social life. This year, school definitely took the front seat. There were plenty of nights I skipped getting dinner with a friend to finish a paper, or weekends I spent studying in my dorm while others were out. While I finished my assignments on time, I regret missing out on certain moments I’d wanted to join. I’m now learning it doesn’t have to be all or nothing—there is room for both, and perhaps we can all work on finding that rhythm.

I’ve realized that sometimes the best way to do that is by being spontaneous. A late-night Eurowafel run with a friend turned into a memory for which I gladly sacrificed my studying time; an unplanned evening run became time well spent, not wasted. When consumed by our busy schedules, it is essential to leave some room for spontaneity, even when our to-do list says otherwise.

Lastly, amidst this emotional whiplash of my second year, the feeling of pride followed by waves of disappointment, the moments of success overshadowed by defeat and short bursts of motivation consumed by a loss of energy, it is crucial to hold on to positivity. My second year was far from perfect, but things have a way of working themselves out. Ultimately, it’s about how we face our challenges, turning them into lessons that help us grow. We wouldn’t want it any other way.