Every year as a Lasso tradition, we publish advice for each grade for the start of the year, by writers who just finished that grade. You can read advice for seniors, juniors, and freshmen here.

From Greek sophos meaning “wise, clever” and moros meaning “foolish, dull,” a sophomore is a wise fool.

Try new things and find out what interests you.

It was really easy to get by freshman year without having an extracurricular or club, but now is the time to join one that actually interests you. Actively participate by looking for leadership positions and you might find a new passion you didn’t know existed. 

Another way to pursue your interests is through your elective. You can find friends in any class, but you only get one course that you have full control over, so choose the elective that YOU want to do.

It can also be helpful to connect schoolwork to your own interests. It might be hard to write an English essay for Dr. DeFazio about a story you didn’t like, but connecting the text to a theme or topic that genuinely interests you makes the experience easier and much more enjoyable.

Be ready for a heavier workload.

The courses sophomore year are generally more challenging than freshman year, requiring more time for homework and studying. It’s important to stay focused and do the work on time – even missing one assignment or set of notes can set you back a lot. In addition, make sure you spend more time actually doing the work than complaining about the workload. It’ll go by so much faster if you just put your head down and get it done.

Take advantage of sleeping time.

Look, we know how easy it is to stay up until 10:00 doing homework and then start falling into the endless hole of TikTok just to look at your clock and see that it’s 1:00 a.m.. While having some time to yourself is important, don’t forget to get enough sleep. Your body will thank you for it in the morning and school will definitely go a lot smoother if you have a good night’s rest under your belt.

Don’t delay your Personal Project work.

Take it from the hundreds of past sophomores who waited until the night before to write their report and prepare their presentation — the MYP Personal Project is so much easier if you use the time given to you. It can be really easy to let the work get away from you, but if you embrace the Personal Project, you will actually get something out of it. Rather than spending the time given to you during Stable Group (block 8) to watch Netflix or catch up with your friends, spend it working on your project and you’ll thank yourself later.

Start considering whether or not you want to go “full IB.”

When you choose classes for junior year, you need to know whether or not you want to become an IB Diploma Programme candidate, which will affect your courses for the rest of high school. Whether or not the IB Diploma is “worth it” has been discussed every year, but it essentially comes down to your personal work ethic and desire (or lack thereof) to receive the IB Diploma. You should consult counselors, upperclassmen, or teachers along the year so you can be prepared to make the decision in the second semester.

Get a job (if you have time).

Falls Church small businesses are hiring all the time. While you think it might just add an extra complication if you’re already busy, most places hiring for part-time work are very understanding of a hectic schedule and will try to work around that. Having a job is a great opportunity to meet new people, as well as gain an experience you’ve never had before. Plus, earning some extra money doesn’t hurt either.