TO THE CLASS OF 2018:

Congratulations! You survived freshman year.

Many people perceive sophomore year as the easiest year of high school, and while it’s much easier than freshman year, you shouldn’t have the mindset of “Oh, it’s sophomore year, I don’t need to try.” Instead of simply doing the bare minimum and scraping by with a B, put in some effort and I can guarantee that your grades will go up an entire letter, at least. Sophomore year is good for students that may want to jump into a higher level class, because the classes are typically easy enough for you to do that. I highly recommend doing that if you’re interested in the subject, as it looks good on your transcript and I believe it’s important to challenge yourself.

As a sophomore, you have much more leeway than you did last year. You now have the chance to leave your classroom during Pascack Period and attend Learn to Learn classes, where you can learn about a specific topic that you’re interested in without stressing over any graded assignments. I implore everyone to use their newfound freedom to participate in more activities and clubs and remember that this is a privilege!!!!

The final thing I want to quickly talk about is a topic you’ll become all too familiar with for the rest of your time in high school – COLLEGE. Sophomore year is not the time to start freaking out about college or having an official list of where you’re applying (trust me, it will change). However, if you do decide to visit a school or two over Spring Break (like I did), it won’t hurt. Thinking about college as a sophomore is smart because it motivates you to do well and think more about what you want to do as an adult. Just make sure to remember that you have over two years before applications are due.

If there’s anything I want you to take in from my advice, it’s this: Don’t slack off but don’t stress out. Be productive and use Pascack Period for its intended purposes. Thinking about college is fine, just don’t freak out about it. And most importantly, enjoy your sophomore year! Junior year is right around the corner so have fun while you can.

If you have any questions, need advice, or need some help in classes (given that I took the class), you can contact me via my school e-mail. Hope you all have a great sophomore year!

Ya Boy,

Jackson Cianciulli

Class of 2017