Sophomore year: Service Learning and finding your passion

When most students think of freedom and choosing from a larger selection of classes and service learning, sophomore year is what comes to mind.

Unlike freshman year where students are required to take certain prerequisites, students in their sophomore year are given more freedom with the classes they choose. Senior Juliana Cui recommends having a well-balanced schedule that reflects students’ interests.

“It’s important to have a very well-rounded education before you go to college just so that you are prepared for anything that is thrown at you,” Juliana said. “Again, don’t pick something that is going to look good on a transcript or impress someone at an admissions office.” 

Along with choosing classes, students must choose a service site to volunteer at for their sophomore year. Juliana recommends starting early and keeping an organized schedule. She also emphasizes keeping track of hours at the beginning of the year so students can ensure they finish on time. For incoming sophomores, she recommends looking at the list of service sites early on to get a sense of what options are available. 

Along with service learning, sophomore year is a great time to take on different leadership roles within U-High. Senior Devyani Dharaniragada became a leader for the Social Justice Week committee and led a workshop for Social Justice Week. Along with this, she completed an internship through the Civic Engagement program over the summer.

“I’ve always been a little bit more on the shy side, so really stepping up to be a leader in the club taught me a lot about myself and what my role is within the community,” Devyani said. “It taught me a lot about collaboration and that line between being someone who’s approachable as well as someone who’s a leader.” 

According to Juliana, it is common for students to feel stressed during their sophomore year, especially with the load of service and their accelerated classes. In order to fully enjoy sophomore year, Devyani reccomends a planner to help balance schoolwork and social time. 

“Recognize that social stuff is also a priority aside from schoolwork. I think that was something I had to realize really late in my career,” Devyani said. “It’s really hard with all the schoolwork that Lab gives to really set aside time for yourself, but I think that’s super-duper important.”

While U-High is academically rigorous and known for having a lot of work, students should not overlook their mental health and make time for friends and family.

“I feel like sophomore year is the last year before you are completely stressed and loaded with stuff to do,” Juliana said, “so I also wish that I was a little less uptight and enjoyed it more before it ended.”