If you were to ask most Seniors at Magnet what their favorite year was in their high school career, I believe the majority would say Sophomore year. Maybe it’s because they were no longer the youngest in the school; they were finally starting to understand how to balance Magnet schoolwork and their social lives or not having to worry about college yet. Maybe they didn’t appreciate it until the pressure of schoolwork began to ramp up during Junior year, along with the stress of college and testing. Whatever the reason, Sophomore year seems to have a reputation amongst current Seniors for being the best year at Magnet. With that being said, is Sophomore year at AMHS still living up to the hype? To find out, let’s look at some opinions from current Raptors on how they feel about their Sophomore years. 

First, we talked to some Seniors to prove our predictions about their favorite year correct. When asked what her favorite year at Magnet was, Street Wilson said, “Sophomore year because everything was easy.” She felt there was less homework overall, and not having AP Seminar or AP Research was a big factor. Nikos Paraschos had a similar answer as he stated, “Sophomore year because it was so fun because John Thomasson and I had a Minecraft world together.” He mentioned his friendships strengthening this year while he also agreed with Street’s comment on less school work due to the absence of the AP Capstone classes. Quinn Enright also said that Sophomore year was her favorite because she was “secure in who [her] friends were,” and life at Magnet both socially and academically was more consistent. Street, Nikos, Quinn, and many more Senior Raptors reflected on the simplicity and pure joy of their second year at Magnet. 

To see if this was the same for students outside the Senior class, we asked some Juniors what the most enjoyable grade at Magnet was for them. While there were mixed responses, the majority of these students agreed that their Sophomore year was the most memorable and pleasant year. Charlie Clause stated that Sophomore year was his favorite because he “had the greatest teacher of all time Mrs. Phillips. Also I got to become friends with Carson Clark, the smartest person of all time.” Apparently Sophomore year is also a great time to make new friends and great relationships with teachers(this is great in preparation for letters of recommendation)! Sophia Easterbrook mentioned that her favorite year at Magnet was Sophomore year because it was easier than freshman year and she had such a great group of friends. How sweet! Hannah Collins attested to this as well saying her favorite memories at Magnet were made during Sophomore year with her friends. Another Junior, Paul Simmons, says Sophomore year was his favorite because of the lighter workload and because he and his friends had the most fun at football games and during sports seasons. Paul’s friend, Bennett Bair, noted that Sophomore year was his favorite because it was his first year playing golf which was very fun and his work wasn’t too hard. Starting new sports is very common Sophomore year because after freshman year, students are often more comfortable with starting new things at Magnet! Also, it seems like a common benefit of Sophomore year that the best memories are made due to the establishment of friend groups.

It seems that Sophomore year lived up to the hype for this year’s Juniors, but what about the Sophomores themselves? To find out, we asked current Sophomores how they feel their year is going to see if it is living up to expectations. When asked if her year was going better or worse than expected, Logan Taylor said that her Sophomore year has been significantly better than freshman year. She said it “started out so much easier, and [she] was more involved with the school” than her previous year. Additionally, she felt that by Sophomore year she was able to get a hang of work at Magnet and figured out the best ways for her to eliminate the majority of her stress. Yay Logan! On the other hand, while Sophomore year is still her favorite, Sophie says that in her opinion, classes are actually harder and “Sophomore slump is real.” Unfortunately for Sophie, Junior year will only be harder. However, thanks to her teachers, friends, and apparently some juicy freshman drama, she is still enjoying her Sophomore year at Magnet. Last but not least, Addy Kattler gave a similar response, agreeing that her study habits have improved now that she knows what she is doing and is more confident in her work. Emma Miars says she is loving Sophomore year so far because the girls tennis team has been very successful, winning a state championship! Willy Wilson says he loves Sophomore year because of the teachers, but he is sad because it is his last year going to the same school as his older sister, Street Wilson. Riley Browder relates to this statement because he says although Sophomore year is going great so far, he is missing his brother, Lucas Browder, who graduated last year in the class of 2024. While there are certainly some exceptions, it seems that the majority of Sophomores are enjoying their second year at Magnet as we predicted.

Some common themes we found throughout students’ responses were that Sophomore year is great because Raptors start to feel more settled in and confident in their routines, and also the year when they get to try out new electives and really explore their interests. Plus, it’s a time when friendships deepen, and school events like football games and semi-formal make it all even more exciting. Sophomore year brings about many new opportunities, allowing students to split their focus on both academics and extracurriculars. Students often gain more independence, and they start to understand how to manage their time better. It’s a year of growth, both socially and personally, with plenty of memorable experiences. In conclusion, our prediction that Sophomore year was the superior year at Magnet was proved correct from Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors alike and it is definitely living up to the hype!