Sophomore Year FAQ

Hello everyone!

I am now officially one quarter done with my sophomore year. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but time is flying by. I figured I would answer some common questions I hear or questions that I would’ve liked to ask before entering this year. If you’re a curious freshman or a sophomore just wanting to see someone else’s perspective, keep on reading.

Is it a lot harder than freshman year? Unexpectedly, yes. I thought freshman year was hard in the moment, but academics-wise it was a lot easier. I was swamped with work from the first week of school this year. That being said, freshman year has its own challenges with the adjustment to high school and everything that comes with that, so I guess it kind of evens out.
Do you really start to hate freshmen as soon as you’re not one anymore? Kind of. The whole joke/thing about hating freshmen isn’t really a major thing as I’ve mentioned before, but it’s definitely there. You begin to realize how much you’ve matured since being a freshman and how annoying you were last year when you see the incoming class, but it’s not like you automatically hate all of them. I’ve actually met a few really kind and amazing freshmen!
Is it easier to get leadership positions/get involved? Definitely!! I think it’s more natural since you’re more familiar with all the activities and options available at your school. I’m kind of shy and not a natural leader in general so I haven’t really experienced this benefits of this, but I know a lot of people in my grade have been able to start clubs this year or initiate change in some other ways, which is pretty cool.
Have you maintained a relationship with your freshman year teachers? I have, but not with all of them. My geometry teacher is currently on maternity leave, and I was never a big fan of my science teacher. That being said, I try and visit my English teacher often because I absolutely adored her and miss her class a lot, I have the same Spanish teacher as I did last year, and I tutor in the history center at my school which is run by my old AP Human Geo teacher so I still talk to him when I’m there. I really loved the majority of my teachers last year and I honestly do miss their classes, so it’s important to me to go catch up with them once in a while.
Do sophomores have more school spirit? Some do, but honestly not the majority at my school. I was hoping we would since as freshmen everyone is clueless and doesn’t know whether it’s “uncool” to participate in spirit stuff, but I think it depends on the spirit “culture” at your school in general; our rival school is known to be amazingly spirited throughout all grades so the legacy always carries over, but our school is kind of known for being a bit lame with that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, the seniors are super spirited, but you still won’t catch the sophomores being even close to winning the spirit competitions.

These are just a few common questions I often pondered before the start of this year, so hopefully it can help some of you out there. Fellow sophomores- let me know if you agree or disagree with any of this and go class of 2022!

-Brooke