Trying to tackle the Sophomore Slump? Are classes getting harder? Looking for new things to
do? Is Usdan growing a little old? Are internship deadlines creeping up?
Fear not! As current Seniors, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you navigate this
academic year. Sophomore year can be a challenge, but there are many exciting opportunities
and things to do on campus. You don’t just have to get through the year but you can also love it!
Choosing a major
Major declaration. Two potentially scary words. Choosing a major doesn’t have to be an
intimidating process though. I remember going into my sophomore year I knew I wanted to be
pre-med but had no idea what I was going to major in. I thought to myself “Should I major in
bio? What about MB&B? What is even the difference between bio and MB&B??” Over drop/add
before the fall semester with room for two extra classes, I randomly signed up for Behavioral
Neurobiology and the History of Science. After taking those courses, I decided to become an
NS&B and STS double major. The moral of the story is don’t worry if you haven’t decided on
your major by the end of freshman year. Maybe your roommate seems to have known what
they’ve wanted to study since the 3rd grade but that doesn’t make you behind in the process.
Sophomore year is a time to explore lots of different departments. If you are having trouble
deciding on courses, this could be a time to check if you have completed your general education
requirements and choose a course in a department you haven’t tried before. Who knows, maybe
the course will end up being something you want to major in.
Career Center
Internship anxiety may be creeping up. Are your friends talking about summer plans? The good
news is you still have time to figure it all out.
I felt pretty discouraged sophomore year when I didn’t have much to put on my resume besides
my summer restaurant job. This is completely normal! Your second year is a great time to reflect
on how you are involved with the Wesleyan community, and figuring out new ways to pursue
your interests.
Don’t be intimidated to meet with an advisor at the career center to craft a resume, create a
LinkedIn profile, and chat about your interests. Most advisors are students themselves, and they
remember being in your shoes not so long ago. There are many career events hosted every week,
as well as career-oriented clubs to choose from. So many upperclassmen want to guide and
mentor underclassmen, and form connections. Now is a great time to explore; you don’t have to
commit to anything! Here is a link to career-oriented clubs on campus.
Wesleyan also offers Summer Grants to help you fund an internship or pursue an academic
interest throughout the summer break. There are also many internships and research positions
available on campus during the summer if that would be of interest to you.
Consider an on-campus job that aligns with your personal and professional interests. There are
several IT positions, TA/CA roles, and research opportunities that may strengthen your resume
while giving you more involvement at school.
Study Abroad
Considering studying abroad? Now is the perfect time to make an appointment with the study
abroad office and explore different programs. Wesleyan provides several information sessions on
affording study abroad. There can be various language requirements for different countries and
majors and it might be helpful to consider these factors sooner rather than later. Applications for
the fall of your junior year can be due as early as sophomore winter, and it would be a shame to
miss a deadline. I do wish I had mapped this out earlier in my second year and that I could have
planned accordingly. You may also be able to study abroad during the summer or winter breaks
if you want to maximize your time at Wes.
Finding New Things at Wes
● Feeling bored of the same activities? Sophomore year is a great time to pursue leadership
in clubs at Wesleyan. What if the club you want to join doesn’t exist? Now is a great time
to create one because you have more of a foundation here at Wes. If you feel like
something is missing, there are probably several other students with similar interests
feeling similarly who would be excited to join your club.
● There are also many opportunities to give back to the Middletown community.
Wesleyan’s Jewett Center for Community Partnerships has over 20 student-run Literary
and Civic Engagement programs. Volunteering might be a rewarding solution to engage
with the broader community, and some volunteering programs compensate students with
work-study.
● Have you considered joining a student forum? Student-run group tutorials are a great
opportunity to meet new people outside of your potential major/minor, and explore new
material in a less intimidating, pass/fail 🙂 environment. And you can earn credit doing so!
Certain recent forums include The Social Psychology of Survivor, Service Dog Training:
Canine Behavior, and Breaking Down The Beach Read: How to Read and Write a
Romance Novel.
● Hopefully, you are enjoying having more meal points at your disposal. Now you can
explore different study spots like Espwesso and Story and Soil. You can also participate
in a co-op for fresh farm produce, kombucha, coffee, and meat if your heart desires.
● If you are interested in film, consider volunteering to help with a senior thesis project.
● Wesleyan has many student dance groups such as Collective Motion (you may have heard
of CoMo), open to all dance experiences/backgrounds. Latin Ballroom also offers open
classes to all students. Fusion, Precision, Burlesque, and Xtacy are audition-based.
Wesleyan’s Intro to Dance classes could be another way to explore different activities,
while also receiving credit.
Research Opportunities
Getting involved at Wes doesn’t just have to be through clubs. You can also join a research lab!
Even though you haven’t declared a major yet, you can still check out the different departments
at Wes to see what professors are researching. If you see one that looks interesting to you, email
the professor letting them know that you are interested in their work and would love to hear more
about it. Depending on the professor, labs can be taken for credit and/or potentially paid. Also,
check out a couple of labs to get a sense of the type of research you would like to do.
Not a stem major? There are still plenty of opportunities to do research with your professors. I
am a research assistant for the Delta Lab, performing data analysis for Wesleyan’s Media Project.
Developing strong relationships with your professors is a great way to do research later on.
We hope this survival guide offers insight into all the amazing opportunities at Wesleyan, and we
encourage you to take advantage of them. You never know who you could meet or what you can
accomplish by putting yourself out there. If you have any questions/academic concerns, please
feel free to make an appointment with either of us by shooting us an email.
(ccarragher@wesleyan.edu and sgresiner@wesleyan.edu )
Best of luck!
Sophia and Cornelia