Firstly, in sophomore year, you should take the opportunities handed to you instead of squandering them. Join that club, join that sport, take a risk. Freshman year was your excuse to be timid, but now you need to step out of your comfort zone. It’s ok to join something your friends aren’t and it’s fine to be bad at something. Starting early can only benefit you and your future, so try something new, and you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Next, know how to manage your time. It’s easy to procrastinate and it’s easy to fall behind. For many, you’re taking an AP class with a drastic increase in workload that was not present in freshman year. Because of this you might get overwhelmed and want to stop, but if you take one day at a time and know how to schedule your day, you will find that your anxiety and stress will ease as the days pass by. Managing your time is a life skill and the earlier you learn it, the easier your life will be.

Burnout is common and is completely avoidable. Know your limits and how to say no. It’s hard to say no to going to that football or volleyball game and FOMO is real, but it’s not as important as your mental well-being. You’ll go down a rabbit hole of wanting to do everything and end up doing nothing. Anxiety takes away motivation and depression takes away happiness. Don’t let school be what breaks you. It’s important, but you are more important. Take each challenge with a deep breath, and any bad grade with perspective, because you’re only halfway through high school.

Change is scary and sophomore year is full of changes but don’t let yourself waste the time you have because you will never get it back. Take what you have with open arms, both the good, the bad, and the ugly, because sophomore year is the beginning of your freedom, and you are now in control.