It’s that time of year, school is starting back up! And for sophomores the school year is important; you’re taking classes to get credits, you might take the PSAT, you’ll have tests and finals, and you’ll probably get a decent amount of assignments and projects. The year may seem really stressful, but there are ways to help. Here’s how I got through my sophomore year:

• Get plenty of sleep. On the few days I didn’t get enough sleep, I would feel tired and less motivated to pay attention and do assignments in class. As for the rest of the days, I would feel energized and ready to learn. If you don’t get enough sleep you won’t be ready to take on sophomore year’s challenges!

• Drink plenty of water. This may seem like strange advice, but drinking water actually helps me feel like I am able to remember lessons and study for tests easier. Also, going without drinking water made me feel like my brain didn’t want to keep as much information. Remember, water is good for you and your brain!

• Don’t be afraid of asking for help. Whether I was confused on a lecture or I didn’t understand a project, I would find the answer by asking my teachers or classmates. Teachers and classmates are there for you to ask for help, why else would they be there? We all will always have questions we can’t answer, so just ask!

• Use time wisely. I wish I could go back in time to last school and tell myself to not waste my Academic Lab time by playing games or talking to people! If I had used my time wisely I wouldn’t have as much homework to do at night. Sometimes I would have so much homework, that I could’ve done in AL, that I would just do it the next day before school. The work was done but the quality could’ve been better. So I strongly recommend to all incoming sophomores to use your time wisely because it will only benefit you!

• Study and memorize. I wish I would’ve studied more often; even if I studied the day before a test, there was always that question I would have to no idea what the answer was. Before a test it helps to go through notes and read through them a few times over. Doing this will help your brain memorize those notes better and will help you get better test scores!

• Don’t rush. Each school year I always have that handful of big projects, but I never rush. If a big project is due next week you’ll be tempted rush through it just so you’ll be done. Even though this doesn’t seem like advice, I feel like rushing through projects weakens the potential of quality I can put into it. I’ve noticed if I put good quality into anything that my self-esteem and attitude towards that thing would increase. This is can also benefit in other areas of life besides school!

• Think ahead. Ask yourself, “If I do this, what would twenty years from now me think?” Would they answer “I regret doing that” or “I’m glad I did that”? I hope thirty-six year old me tells me that it was a great choice. All actions cause a reaction. Don’t do anything you would regret. Making good decisions will only help you now and in the long run!

• Have a positive thinking of school. You may think sitting at a desk for eight hours is really boring. It does get boring if I don’t have a positive view of school. Think to yourself that “I can learn new things” and “I will be able to do this now”. Having a positive view of something will only make your experience better!