As a freshman, I quickly realized how hectic college would become.

Many of my sophomore friends were swamped with work and heavy course loads. They were involved in a multitude of activities, and were constantly trying to manage those, their classes, and their social lives.

Fast-forward a year and I now see myself in this same position. The Sophomore Slump is real, and it is a struggle that I wish upon no one.

The Sophomore Slump includes a lack of sleep, time, and energy along with a genuine lack of interest in doing most things. It can happen to anyone, and there’s a likely chance that it will happen to you.

Luckily, there are seven warning signs of The Slump that can help you prepare for what’s about to come.

1. Lack Of Free Time

The Slump often begins with little free time. You are so overwhelmed with so many things that it can be difficult to find some time to spend with your friends, but also just spend time alone too. If you find yourself running from one thing to the other and using your room as a simply a storage facility, you may be heading down a path towards The Slump.

2. Lack Of Sleep

If you have very little free time, you most likely don’t have a lot of time to sleep. Whether it be because you are up late for a student org or up late finishing homework that you didn’t have time to do before, you may be spending some late nights in a place other than your bed.

3. Having An Endless To-Do List

With so many things to cross off of your to-do list, it is practically never-ending. Once you have accomplished one thing, you have one more thing that has to be added and accomplished.

4. Not Being Able To Hold A Conversation

Since you don’t really have a lot of time, you don’t really have time to talk. If you find yourself unable to hold a conversation or not speak like a human, you may be in The Slump. Words are hard, okay?

5. Losing Track Of Your Calendar

At the beginning of the semester, you kept an organized and neat calendar. It was organized and neat mostly because there wasn’t much on it, but if you’re in The Slump, you probably forget where you even put your calendar. Your schedule is a complete mess and changes on a daily or weekly basis. If people even so much as ask you what your schedule is, they instantly regret asking once they are greeted with a laundry list of activities.

6. Constantly Watching Your Health

Once you realize you are in The Slump, or are at least getting there, you start to realize how much of a toll it could take on your health. Whether it is a wake-up call from waking up with a runny nose, or someone saying you need to watch yourself, you suddenly find yourself constantly monitoring your health. You have a vitamin regiment, take Airborne weekly, and instantly take ibuprofen when you have a headache.

7. Doing Everything You Can To Avoid The Slump

The Slump is not something you want to experience. It sucks and it is difficult to manage the stress and toll it can take on you. Denying The Slump is just one of the many warning signs of it. You can try your hardest to avoid it, but it’s still going to hit at some point (unless you’re a superhuman).