1. Get involved in what interests you. 

Mason offers a variety of activities– many of which will be transitioned online seamlessly for the upcoming school year. From Crime Time Club to Model UN, there are lots of places you can explore your interests. While the sports season schedules have been edited, many teams are holding preseason practices. Sophomore year is a great time to start involving yourself in the Mason community. 

2. Don’t limit yourself to befriending only 10th grade students. 

As you continue your time at Mason, you’ll take classes with a larger variety of students in different grades. It’s exciting to meet new students with new experiences. You can receive helpful advice or give some! 

3. Try to get as much sleep as you can! 

The combination of academics and activities can cause a healthy sleep schedule to be difficult to obtain. However, due to the lessened rigor of Mason activities, there is more of an opportunity to create routines. No more late night games or bus trips to competitions means you can have a more consistent sleep schedule. 

4. Start narrowing down your classes to what interests you the most. 

Sophomore year seems relatively similar to freshman year– honors classes are offered in the English, math, and science departments. However, you are also eligible to take an honors language or social science course. So, don’t take Honors Chemistry just because you took Honors Biology. Sophomore year is a great year to figure out what interests you, and what doesn’t, before you decide to pursue Mason’s IB courses. 

5. Don’t push your MYP project to the last minute.

While it’s unclear what the format of the MYP project will be for this year, it is important to spread whatever work you have throughout the year. Some aspects of the project can be completed last-minute– the poster or Google Slides presentation– but it’s difficult to write your September journal entry in the middle of March. If you spread your work out, you’ll have much less to do when the showcase rolls around.