15 Helpful Tips For Sophomores In High School

With the goodbye of the freshman year of high school comes the hello of the sophomore year. High school is the most happening time of a person’s life. That’s why we understand why the high schoolers out there couldn’t be any more excited and giddy to kickstart another year of beautiful high school memories. Ticking off a few things from your freshman year bucket list, sophomore year is all set to welcome you with more goals and aims. 

But, before we begin with our usual charade of tips and advice, we would like our dear teen readers to take this time to give yourselves a huge thumbs of appreciation. You all have successfully made it past your freshman year. Woohoo! These young learners truly deserve the highest appreciation for facing the typical high school challenges head-on.   

I am sure that high school is no big deal for you by now. For some of you, It’s probably not even a thing to be bothered about. After all, you have already aced your freshman year from A to Z. How hard could things get in sophomore year, right? However, a few useful tips c You might believe that sophomore year will be as easy as freshman year, but it will not. 

Some tips for sophomores to follow for a successful high school experience

Your sophomore year could get a little rougher. You will be juggling between a lot of activities from volunteering, yoga, music, classes, sports, social life, and work to teachers who could go a little hard on you since you aren’t the freshman baby anymore. Life is always full of surprises. It will catch you right on the spot when you least expected it to be. Therefore, a little preparation could always save you from landing in a huge dump. So, read some expert tips on managing your sophomore year. 

1. Get serious about academics.

Freshman year was only the beginning point of high school. It was all about acquainting yourself with the life of a high-school student. That’s why it does come across as being easy. But things are bound to get serious once you enter your sophomore year. You are expected to take your academics seriously now. This is the point from where your grades will start counting. The grades will determine whether you will land your dream college or not. Therefore, you simply can not afford to take your academics lightly.

2. Researching colleges 

By this time, you must have figured out where your interest lies. If you have, then a big thumbs up; if you haven’t, it’s also okay. But you do need to know that it’s high time you start experimenting with different things to figure out what you might like to do with your future. 

Based on your interest, prepare a list of colleges to which you would like to apply. Pour all your heart and soul into researching colleges on your list. And if you could travel and visit those colleges between breaks, that’s a brownie point for you. 

3. Pursue extracurriculars that interest you. 

This is a piece of golden advice. One that will benefit all high schoolers. A very important piece of advice: you can join as many clubs as you want, but always make sure that your interests align with the core purpose of those clubs. Don’t pursue activities that do not personally interest you because they will not be sustainable in the long run. 

Even if you are pursuing those activities just for the records, you will eventually realize that those activities have no substance. It will only be a waste of your most precious time. 

4. Take a language course.

Being bilingual is the new norm in today’s global world. It will not only give you an extra edge in your college applications, but it is a practical skill that will find its use sometime in the future. 

Therefore, take a language course if your school doesn’t provide one. And if it does, then make sure you take that class seriously. Don’t just go there for the sake of going and passing the exam. Doing this will surely leave you with a heap of regrets later on. 

5. Get familiar with SATs and CATs.

If you are sure you are not going to a community college, you seriously need to familiarize yourself with these tests because you have to face these test one day in the future. So why not prepare for it as early as possible, when you still have the time and energy? Therefore, take the PSAT to understand where you stand now and where you need to be for the real test. 

The more you study, the easier it will be for you to prepare for the real test. 

6. Take up volunteering opportunities. 

You are well aware that you must complete a certain amount of community service to graduate high school. So, if you haven’t started volunteering in your freshman year, the sophomore year is the second best time for you to start volunteering. 

Junior year is the most difficult high school year. You will be neck-deep into your academics and work and will have no time to volunteer. Therefore, do it while you still have things light on you. Nursing homes, daycare, and community centers are the best places to find volunteering opportunities. 

7. Develop a good relationship with your teachers

Take advantage of the guide that is right before you. Talk to your teachers if you need help, take their input while applying for colleges and club memberships, and talk to them outside class about everything under the sun. 

The time you will invest in building this relationship will not only land you the best-written recommendation you can ever get but will also make you acquire the hard-to-acquire skill of approaching a professor in college. What could be better than this?

8. Explore leadership opportunities

Leadership is a skill that is endorsed almost everywhere. That, too, for all the right reasons. It develops confidence, builds your network, sharpens your problem-solving skills, makes you more responsible, and many more. Therefore, you need to involve yourself in leadership opportunities. Take the opportunity to be a club leader, face the challenges that come from being a leader, and give yourself the courage to take some risks for the right change. 

9. Read, read, read, and take your readings seriously. 

You can pass your exams by skimming through summaries and notes from secondary websites, but you are doing this at the cost of learning nothing. Therefore read as much as you can. It will make life easier for you in college and help you grasp complex concepts on your own.  

10. Set the boundaries

All things said and done; you don’t have to go extra hard on yourself. You are 16 or 17 only, and school is not the only end for you. So go out and use your free time to explore things you enjoy. As we said earlier, high school is the most happening time. Everything will work out, so don’t panic, take it easy and take some time off to enjoy life on your own. 

Five bonus tips to save you from the great sophomore slump:

1. Make good friends. This is one piece of advice that never goes wrong. Making a few good friends is so important in school. Because you will be going through many challenges in school, school friends are meant to help each other through these challenges mutually. 
2. Learn self-care. You will be running after a lot of things in your sophomore year, but your self should always come first on that list. School is not worth sacrificing your happiness and mental health. Therefore, if it gets hard, learn to slow things down. 
3. Get your life organized. You already know that sophomore will be a lot messier than freshman year. So prepare to wade through all those confusion by planning and organizing your agendas and priorities. Use binders, notebooks, reminders, and calendars to make your life as easy.
4. Exercise. Trust me, the stress that everyone puts on exercising has proven to have positive results. It not only helps you stay fit and active but also refreshes your brain and increases your overall mood. Therefore, adding exercise to your daily routine is a big YES!
5. Enjoy the moment. In the end, what truly matters is that you enjoyed and lived through every moment of your sophomore year. So, do things you like, take short breaks, and keep moving and aiming for the best. 

Summing up,

So, live your sophomore year, and live it right! We hope these tips will make things easier for your sophomore year. While during the sophomore year, it’s all fun and games, and you still have 2 more years to go before you face the real world in college and internships. However, being prepared and being a little extra cautious about this year can act in your favour. Moreover, keeping a checklist ready for the sophomore year can be advantageous for you as a student. Hence, keeping these tips in mind will act as fruitful for all the budding adults. All the best!