Sophomores, It's Going to Be Okay. Sincerely, a Tired Junior

Needham High School students, as brilliant, caring, and kind as they are, seem to be big fans of intimidating younger students. 

Any sophomores who have done NHD will know what I mean. As freshmen, they likely heard the familiar refrain from sophomores: “NHD is the WORST THING EVER. You’re never going to sleep, you’ll probably get an F-minus-minus-minus on your outline, and if you misspell a single annotation, your entire history grade is screwed and you’ll never be successful in life.” But was it really the worst thing ever? I mean, maybe. Although for most people, it bordered between frustrating and exhausting, the most memorable feeling was the one of pride once you’d finally turned the project in.

Junior year, despite warning cries and tales of sleepless nights and endless APUSH readings from the upperclassmen, is largely the same. Tiring, occasionally infuriating, and certainly challenging (take it from a girl who wrote “I promise I studied but I literally don’t know anything please be kind” at the top of her recent chemistry test), but absolutely survivable. You will make it out alive and feel proud of yourself for all of the new skills you’ve acquired, and you will have slept. This is coming from a girl who’s absolutely made her fair share of mistakes this year; I still came out alive. However, here are some things that I wish my lovely-but-sometimes-terrifying junior friends had told me before I plunged into junior year: 

1. You will adjust to harder accelerated and AP classes. They may feel like a lot at the beginning, and you might see some grades that you’ve…never seen before pop up in your Powerschool! But continue to believe in your abilities, and you’ll soon find yourself getting used to the rubrics, key terms, study methods, and expectations. Give yourself time to adjust, and things will get easier! 

2. You can decide how you approach the college process. If you have a “dream school” that you’re excited about, push yourself to get the best grades you can and strive for those top SAT scores! If some self- reflection reveals that going to a certain type of school means a lot to you, do everything in your power to get there. Just make sure that every time you push yourself, it’s really because you want to, not because you feel like you should. Even if you have high expectations for yourself and your future, it’s okay to take a deep breath and remind yourself that you’ll end up exactly where you need to be, that you cannot control everything, that you are smart and capable and human; a few mistakes are not going to ruin everything. No matter what your goals are, you should strive for excellence in the areas that you care about and feel proud of what you’re able to accomplish, whether or not those things are considered “good for college.”

3. It’s okay to set boundaries. Yes, your family members are most likely going to ask about college every single time they see you. As cringey as this sounds, if you’d prefer not to discuss the specifics with every member of your extended family, I highly recommend practicing some ways to set boundaries. My mom and I spend some time thinking through what I might say in these scenarios, and now I have a few responses in my back pocket that I can use to politely end these conversations when they get to be too much. Your family members remember how stressful this time of high school was, and they will probably be more understanding than you’d expect. I also think it’s important to set these types of boundaries with your parents; if you’d rather they didn’t share your scores and college lists with certain friends’ parents, respectfully let them know. Also, it may seem like an unavoidable topic, but it’s absolutely possible to avoid talking about college with your friends if you want to! Everyone will be in the same boat, so take some time to consider how you want to approach things and maintain honest communication with your friends when conversations become too stressful. 

4. It’s okay to adjust your expectations of yourself. Sometimes, it’s going to feel like the rest of the world expects a lot from you. However, I wish I’d spent more time reminding myself that, as a young adult, I am allowed to set my own expectations for myself, and adjust them as needed. You’re allowed to give yourself grace for a bad grade or a night of procrastination, even if the rest of the world seems to expect perfection. You’re allowed to be proud of grades that your sophomore year self would’ve recoiled at; in fact, you should be! Classes are getting harder and you’re learning important skills, so take some time to be proud of yourself. 

5. Don’t procrastinate. If you’re a chronic procrastinator, don’t panic! Find some time over the summer to set routines and practice some strategies that might work for you. If you’re not a procrastinator…junior year might just bring out some new procrastination tendencies, so I’d still recommend working on those routines and figuring out what type of planner and calendar systems are going to last you through a busy year. Don’t get mad at yourself if you have a night or two of last minute assignments, but avoid that whenever you can, and get back on track as soon as possible!

6. Ask for help when you need it. From your teachers, your friends, your counselors, and your family. And help others whenever you can! The more you and your community members can lean on each other, the easier the year will be.

Sophomores, you’re going to be okay. Relax this summer and try to block out all of the noise by focusing on doing what you need to do to feel prepared going into this school year. Know that you’re more smart and capable than you realize, and take some time to feel proud of yourself for all you’ve accomplished during your first two years of high school and all that you’re going to learn in 11th grade. You’ve got this!