What is the first thing that comes to mind from the word “slump”? It could be a constantly-ignored alarm at 6 a.m. or the screech of a school bus about to be missed. It could also be something more extreme, like an all-nighter for a test, a crying session after a pop quiz or a conflict with a friend. All of this correlates with the burdens and aspirations of an average high schooler.
It has been a little over a month of school with people pivoting through tests, friendships, activities and goals. With this in mind, it is time to consider the mentality and outlook sophomores at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
Sophomore Aishani Uddaraju shared her thoughts on the school year so far.
“There is a drastic change in the difficulty of classes from freshman year. For many kids, it is their first year taking an AP class, and understanding how to self-study and do well on tests has been difficult,” Uddaraju said.
Freshman year is a transition year with students hustling between buildings on an open campus they are unfamiliar with. It is a time of experimentation with trial and error; sophomore year, on the other hand, is a dive into rigorous workloads and new challenges.
A similar opinion was expressed by sophomore Sanvi Parikh, who spoke on balancing schedules.
“Everyone is trying to juggle harder classes with extracurricular activities. But besides the workload, I am excited for another year of sharing fun memories with my friends,” Parikh said.
Demanding coursework is a repetitive them, but there are some welcomed changes that come with being a sophomore. Social life is a vital part of high school that keeps people at ease; from joking around at lunch to waving in the hallways, it serves as a bridge of interconnection.
Sophomore Sumedha Singh also addressed the rigor of AP classes.
“It is a huge jump from freshman year. I have to work harder to get the grades I want and went from taking three honors to all honors and three APs,” Singh said.
Thoughts have been addressed by a couple of sophomores, but let’s see what a junior has to say. Junior Dhitika Madduri reflected on her sophomore year. “It felt really cool to not be the youngest. During the year, it was easier to adjust than when we were freshmen, but the classes were a little harder,” Madduri said. Coming from a junior, 10th grade seems to possess greater expectations but less of a transition, thanks to the foundations laid in freshman year.
On the contrary, certain students were informed that sophomore year would be the easiest. Others were told that the easiest would be freshman year, with other perceptions considering senior year as a cool-down period. But truly, there is no “easiest” year in high school. Every year has its benefits and difficulties with a variety of opinions shared; it all depends on the student. Some might view sophomore year as a sudden jump while others might view it as a small shift.
As grueling as sophomore year may appear, it is a time of growth, leaving people on roller coasters of success and failure but still possessing the courage to keep moving forward.