As a little girl, I clearly remember preparing for two of the biggest moments of my life:  my wedding day and the day I turned 16. I always dreamt of a huge sweet-16 party with elephants and chocolate fountains, gold chains swaying from the ceiling, and (thanks to MTV’s Sweet 16 TV show) I always imagined hiring Britney Spears to perform at my party, but the age 16 crept up on me so fast, that I sadly didn’t put my big party into action. I’ve realized that so much more comes with turning 16 other than a huge, money-guzzling party, though.

I can now get a decent paying job. I can get my license (only 49 practice hours to go!). I can drop out of school… something I’m probably not going to take advantage of. And on top of all those things, I’m finally in my sophomore year of high school, meaning that I have already survived freshman year!

Sophomore year, feels so weird. I mean we’ve already achieved getting to know the school, but I feel that we’re still looked upon as the “youngsters” along with the freshman. We are just starting to really become individuals and get involved in high school too. I feel as if this year is kind of for nothing. Freshman year is for transitioning into high school, junior year is for testing, and senior year is for college applications, but what’s the point of sophomore year?

Well, I’m starting to believe that this year is for life lessons. We’re getting our license and gaining the ability to get a job. It’s as if this year is to get us involved in the world, not just school. I guess you can say this will be one of the most enjoyable years of high school, because all the other grades have a lot more pressure on them. The age 16 represents more than just a headline word in a hit TV show; it represents our own transition into the real world, and I believe that this grade might be one of the most important ones in high school. It carries a lot more life lessons and involvement than all of the other three grades.

There’s so much excitement that comes with turning the great age of 16. I mean who doesn’t look forward to FINALLY getting to drive themselves around, rather than having our parents lug us in their mini vans. Or the fact that we can get a real, paying job to earn OUR money, rather than our parents giving us money. I’ve always loved the concept of turning 16 and being in my second year of high school. In my opinion sophomore year has gone a lot smoother than good old freshman year. I know this year is kind of like a stress reliever from freshman year and kind of giving us a tiny break, because junior year is going to be so much work. So, I guess sophomore year really does have its benefits.

What do you guys think the importance of sophomore year is?