Sophomore year is full of learning moments and can tend to be quite stressful. Kids come into the school with little knowledge of the layout, how to adjust to the fast pace high school learning and are often very nervous about getting involved.

Every upperclassman had their own fair share of difficulties about the high school during their sophomore year, due to their lack of experience, whether it was their study skills, involvement or school spirit. It is necessary for our new sophomores to receive the essential advice to improve their year and overall high school experiences.

Sophomores tend to be timid when it comes to school involvement and spirit, mainly because they are still settling into the school. Junior Lindsey Gibson was reserved when it came to getting involved with the school like joining clubs as a sophomore.

“I always thought that the clubs were more geared towards juniors and seniors and not towards sophomores. I didn’t join [any clubs] until the last week of school. I got invited into National Honor Society and now I’m in Big Viking Little Viking,” Gibson said.

Clubs are often dominated with a majority of juniors and seniors, making sophomores often hold back on joining. Despite what sophomores may think, clubs are welcome to all grades and accept everyone.

There are many things that senior Brandon Hanrahan wishes he knew his sophomore year, one thing being the type of classes and Sno-Isle programs offered.

“I wish I knew about math construction a little bit sooner, or the different programs at Sno Isle so that I could have taken them a year sooner and wouldn’t had have to wait,” Hanrahan said.

If he had looked into the programs and classes further, he would have known about them, but often sophomores do not know how to access this information, which can be found in the Counseling Center. Although he is in the program now and loves it, not having the knowledge of said programs held him back a little bit, since he would like to use those skills in his future.

A tough part of entering the high school is discovering how to navigate the campus. Cavelero is one large, indoor building that is very simple, but the high school is far from it. With the multiple buildings, endless maze of the 100 building and many portables, the complexities make it incredibly difficult to navigate.

“ [I wish I had known] the layout of the school and the way it works,” Hanrahan said. Like all students, Hanrahan wished to know how to actually find his classes within the maze.

Involvement can be terrifying, especially as a sophomore. New cheerleader and varsity softball player, senior Ashlyn Lee knows the brunt of it.

“[I wish I had known ] that it’s not a bad thing to be involved, and no one’s going to tear you down,” Lee said.

It can be scary for sophomores to get involved when they believe that the upperclassmen are looking down with them. The blissful reality is that the upperclassmen -as shocking as it may be- cheer on the sophomores who try out for sports, join clubs and cheer until they lose their voice at football games. Involvement is so amazing and all upperclassmen love to see you put yourself into the school. Sophomore year is scary, no one likes to be the youngest in the school, but you’ll learn so much about yourself and the school as you go on. Just remember to put yourself out there; the student body loves to see it!