Now that I’m well into my second year of college, I’m able to look back on my high school experience and reflect upon the things that I did or didn’t do.

The transition from middle school to high school is a universally daunting experience. Rest assured that you are not alone in your nerves.

There are few concepts that feel so important yet so confusing to most high school freshmen than that of the GPA. Standing for “grade point average,” your GPA is a black-and-white summary of your academic achievements.

Don’t be alarmed because you can prepare to combat junior year in no time! Here are some of the ways sophomores in high school can be ready for next year.

While, inevitably, there will be nerves and challenges involved as you get accustomed to your high school and find your people and routine, there are certain ways to make getting involved in your high school easier. Here are seven of those ways: 

Summer is the perfect time for this! During this time you can explore your interests outside the classroom and attain valuable experiences as a student. Rest assured that doing so does not have to take away too much time from having fun in the sun during your summer vacation.

I too have been in that situation; in fact, out of the eight colleges that I applied to, I was waitlisted to five of them. Fortunately, I got into all of my safety schools but none of the schools that were initially my first choice. 

Once you’ve been accepted and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s easy to want to sprint to it. But, you still have a quarter left of your senior year so, what do you do?