Sophomore Year. Woohoo!! I’m not at the bottom anymore (sorry Rachel). One year of high school down, three to go! Starting sophomore year is a bit strange because you definitely are not a little freshie, but you also aren’t an upperclassman yet. It’s kind of like being the middle child on campus. But, it was great to be back at Rancho to see my friends, people I had classes with, and my previous teachers. It was fun walking on campus already knowing people and having those, “OH MY GOSH, I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!” moments with them…even though 2 months really isn’t that long.

The biggest advantage of not being a freshman is knowing the campus. One of my favorite parts of the first day of school was looking around at all the students walking through the halls with their faces glued to maps….an obvious sign of a freshman. It was funny to me because that was totally me last year carrying my obnoxiously bright orange map of our campus.

The first day of school is all about discovering who you are going to spend the next 10 months with- both in classes and at lunch. When you think about it, you spend a lot of time with your classmates during the school year (small piece of advice… really get to know the people in your classes and build friendships with them. It will make going to that class just that much more enjoyable). I know I probably look like a freak, but I like to scan around the room and see who I know, who I’ve heard about, and who I’ve never met, before I go to grab a seat. This year was so different from freshman year because I actually recognized most of the people in my classes instead of walking into a room full of strangers.

Sophomore year is a bit more challenging because you have to prepare for junior and senior year. That means more difficult and individualized work. Teachers want sophomores to break out of the formulaic routines (except in math… ALWAYS memorize your formulas!) to showcase each student’s’ individual personality. I’m really excited for what this school years holds for me.

To all you Coyotes, look forward to high school, but enjoy the moments at Day Creek. Some of my favorite memories have sprouted from DCIS and I hope you are able to work hard to succeed, but also have fun and build community with those around you. I look forward to reading all about your different experiences that our Howl writers capture. I hope you all have a fantastic school year!