Sophomore year is a hard adjustment from middle school. The work you are expected to do doubles in size, and this can be very stressful. You are no longer a part of a small Unami or Tamanend family, and that might seem frightening, but you will certainly find your place at CB South. As a junior at South, I know what it’s like to have been a sophomore — the confusion, stress and uncertainty about your future. I hope to provide helpful advice based on my own personal experience and the advice of others.

First of all, you don’t want to stress too much during your sophomore year. It’s a time when making mistakes is acceptable. Sam Dunlap, a junior at South, said, “It’s the year before everything becomes more serious.”

Your junior year can influence your future, but your sophomore year is a time to be free and get a feel for high school and CB South. Don’t get me wrong, your schoolwork is always important. It is important to “make sure to have a good balance of your academic life and your social life,” said Shruti Viswanath, junior.

You should do your best in school, but don’t get too worked up if you don’t get perfect grades. With so many things happening in your life, it can become difficult to perform well at school. It is important that you manage your time wisely.

“While you want to have fun, you are also in high school. Manage things wisely, don’t do anything last minute, study, and prepare,” said Sam. If you aren’t as involved as you would like to be, join a club that interests you.

“Don’t be afraid to make new friends because the people at South are very friendly,” said Shruti. Usually people in the club you join have similar interests to you, so you could make a lot of new friends and have a lot of fun. And with so many clubs at South, there is bound to be one that you will enjoy.

Finish your sophomore year with no regrets–try new things, be bold–and you may just end up surprising yourself with what you can accomplish.