Sophomore Year (A Year in the Middle)
7 min read•july 11, 2024
Riya Patel
Riya Patel
Sophomore Year (A Year in the Middle)
“Field Notes is a collection of articles curated by students and teachers from around the world detailing their academic experiences.”
Ah, Sophomore year.
Throughout the year, you’re in the middle, no longer a fishie, but still an underclassman. Although this is true, sophomore year is a very important step in your life. This year consists of many classes that will help you in your junior and senior year. During this year, many more options for AP classes will open up to you.
Have you ever heard of AP World History, the history class that everyone’s talking about? Well now, you will be able to take on the challenge of tackling this course.
Besides taking on challenging courses, sophomore year will also provide room for you to participate in a variety of clubs, where you will be able to meet new people and build lasting friendships.
Taking On AP Classes
Nearing the end of my Freshman year, I met with my counselor to determine my courses for the upcoming year.
For me, I chose to take 2 AP classes this year: AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP World History. I knew these courses were going to be very difficult for me as they both were for college credit. Once the year started, I realized that the transition into these classes was a big leap from Freshman year.
Although I did take one AP class that year, AP Human Geography, I still felt like Alice in Wonderland – but instead, lost in the world of AP.
In terms of AP World History, it felt as if I was being drowned in a sea of reading guides, textbook chapters, SAQs, and essays. At the beginning, time management was a big struggle for me. As I wrote my SAQs and my essays, I would always run out of time to write, and would be left having to submit unfinished work. I didn’t want to do the same for the AP test as well. When I asked my teacher what I could do to fix this problem, he said, “You don’t always have to write more to earn the more points. You could write less and get the same amount of points.” At first, I questioned this statement. What in the world does he mean? Don’t you have to write more to show your understanding of the topic? But, it wasn’t until the end of the first semester, that I understood what he was trying to say. As time passed, I realized that instead of writing every little detail I remembered about the topic, I could write about the broad scope which it encompasses. From then on, I started to memorize key concepts and put events into place based on the dates they occurred, instead of spending my time memorizing the small details.
As for AP Spanish Language and Culture, well, I don’t speak fluent Spanish, neither do I live in a Spanish-speaking household. For me, taking the course was the equivalent of climbing a mountain. I already speak three languages, and learning a fourth was going to be very difficult, especially since I didn’t have exposure to it outside of school. To help myself prepare for the test, I started to watch a Youtube channel of a lady who spoke in both English in Spanish, named Superholly. She often did videos comparing both cultures, helping me gain the culture aspect of the test. To prepare for the multiple choice and audio sections, I did the practice tests in the textbook. And for the speaking and essay, I practiced by calling my friends, who were also in the class, to talk to them in Spanish, texted them in Spanish, and even recorded myself speaking in Spanish.
For you, it’s a matter of finding your own way of studying. AP classes are ultimately all about learning, so, find a method that works for you, start early, and enjoy it while you can!
New Classes, New Friends
In my Freshman year, I started out as a Pre-IB student, and all of my classes consisted of other Pre-IB students. Throughout the year, I had built relations with others who thought about going into IB, like myself.
As Sophomore year rolled around however, although I was still in Pre-IB, the counselors decided that they wouldn’t group everyone from Pre-IB together, leaving me with only a few friends from the previous year. Although I did not meet all of my friends on a daily basis, I was able to grow my relations with the ones I did see everyday. These people continued to teach, help, listen, encourage, and support in every aspect of my school and personal life.Without them, I wouldn’t know what I would’ve done in Freshman or Sophomore year.
Not only did I grow my relations with friends from the previous year, but I also was able to connect with others. Specific classes, such as AP World History and Pre-AP Chemistry, helped me become closer to my classmates as I realized that I wasn’t the only one struggling. We all were struggling collectively, and we were there to work as a team.
To be honest, I’d say Sophomore year was the best year for me, in terms of making friends. In your Sophomore year, don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone, be yourself, and put yourself out there! You won’t regret it!
Everlasting Opportunities
Not only do you receive more opportunities to make friends, but you will also be able to join more clubs and obtain leadership positions. For me, the two clubs I was involved in were HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and Debate.
In HOSA, I was able to build upon my passion for the medical field through multiple volunteer opportunities, fundraising, and competitions. One thing which made me feel closer to my passion for the medical field, and specifically Pediatric Oncology, was becoming an ambassador for the club’s national service project fundraiser.
This year, all HOSA clubs throughout the United States were raising money for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
As this is the career path I want to follow, I took on the role of becoming an ambassador and individually helped my HOSA chapter raise approximately 700 dollars. I also helped plan the “Pie in the Face” event, where we raised about 200 dollars as a school. This is one experience that transformed my view towards networking between people and teamwork. It also transformed my view on Pediatric Cancer as I got to learn that there aren’t many medicines made to help cure cancer in children as there are in adults, which is why this foundation was created.
Growing closer to this club has proven very beneficial to building my own journey towards my potential career, hence, next year, I will to serve as the club’s Historian!
Through Debate, I was able to expand my horizons. When people first meet me, they see me as a reserved person, who doesn’t really voice her opinions. I wanted to show myself and push past my comfort zone by taking on the challenge of public speaking. At first, it was tough, as Debate isn’t just raising your voice to make it look like you’re right based on your opinions. Instead, it’s thinking of logical arguments to persuade your judge to vote for you, while being constrained with a time limit – all while speaking fairly loud. Joining the team as their Historian helped me not only grow my speaking skills, but it also helped me improve my documentation skills. I was able to collect photos, quotes, and videos of my teammates throughout the year, for me, my teammates, and my coach be able to look back at and cherish those memories.
As you transition to Sophomore year, I recommend you try to find clubs that you enjoy, and join them! Even if there isn’t a club you are interested about, try creating one. All you need is a passion for the club and a sponsor!
Managing the Chaos
With all of the things I mentioned above, AP classes, friendships, and clubs, it can sometimes be difficult to manage the balance between school and personal life.
For me, to manage my school life, I used a bullet journal. Bullet journaling not only kept me organized, but it also helped me relieve some of my stress. I was also able to learn calligraphy because of it! Anyways, using a bullet journal really benefited me, as I was able to keep track of every test, quiz, and club event that was coming up.
While focusing on my school life, I also had time to hang out with my friends. I made an effort to attend people’s birthday parties and have small gatherings with them. Any time we saw each other was great, as we usually didn’t see each other on a daily basis and we were able to catch-up.
During your Sophomore year, I’d say to find a way that you’re able to organize your school work and studies, while putting aside some time to hang out with others. It might take a while to find that balance, but once you do, you’re all set!
Good luck on your sophomore year! you’ll be great!