Sophomore-Year Student Life

Referred to as the “sophomore slump” or the “forgotten year,” sophomore students are likely to disengage with the university (Freedman, 1956). Second-year students may face challenges associated with self-authorship. Self-authorship allows individuals to manage interpersonal relationships and expectations through self-selected values, beliefs, interests, and understandings of the self in the world (Kegan, 1994). The second year of college can be a time where students learn more about themselves, test assumptions about the world, gain energy, and acquire the ability to make decisions for themselves (Schaller, 2018). Fifty-seven percent of second-year students rely on external sources in their decision-making process, and 43% struggle to find their own voice (Magolda, 2009). UC San Diego provides students with holistic experiences to reflect on their personal, academic, and professional development.