The sophomore blues

By Alessia Vu

Life sucks.

It was 11:30 PM as I gloomily sat in my chair, staring at the scattered and messy papers on my desk with my pencil in my rusty hand. It was 3 hours ago that I started my homework yet I deeply contemplated what to do. My eyes averted to the ceiling.

Can I really survive?

Work after work, it never stops. Hell, I forget what today is because of it. Then, the sudden revelation came to me that I’m a sophomore this year. I was only halfway through my high school years.

As of 2024 to 2025, being in 10th grade was exhausting. In August, it was only the beginning and essentially I ended up doing good during the first semester. I had good grades but what tired me out was the amount of work I had to finish by the next class.  

Of course, there were other sophomores who faced the same problem as me. Just like my friend, Amiel Carrillo. During her free time, she makes bracelets for fun and watches shows for enjoyment (currently it’s South Park, she just got back into it).

But despite having two years left before graduation, she didn’t feel optimistic about it and neither did I. I was paranoid and afraid that if I wasn’t focused enough on my studies, my goals would be farther away from my grasp. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one.

Carrillo: “Personally, I find it quite stressful being halfway into graduating because of the constant work assigned.”

Other than the pile of work, grades were also prior and it’s not easy to have all A’s. Carrillo faced academic problems as not only does she have to finish work within the due dates but maintain great grades.

Carrillo: “I’m starting to notice a decline in my current grades and I definitely need to improve more on certain classes.”

According to her, she says AP Pre-Calculus gives her a difficult time. With the AP exams coming up soon, she needed to understand concepts and finish her work in time.

Additionally, an article from Healthline.com reports over 70% of students (including sophomores) struggle with schoolwork as 56% put homework as their top stressor. So, how did Carrillo manage her time? 

Carrillo: “I usually take some time to rest first, and then do my homework. And in terms of my social life, it kind of depends because I often use it whenever.”

Fortunately, we both have time to spend with friends as we talk to them or to each other everyday in and outside of school. So, there is some freedom during sophomore year. As long as you do your homework and be productive then there is nothing to worry about.

However, there are times where we get overwhelmed. I usually do. Even though I prepare myself for a new day, I can’t help but be submerged into this endless and repeatable cycle. I predicted this would eventually happen and for my next two years of high school but I never knew how I would feel. How I would control myself from procrastinating and losing my streak of being productive.

Yet, I found myself watching on Youtube or reading novels online while listening to pop music. My mom would scold me for being on my device everyday although it helped me from staying sane. I would laugh, sing, and indulge into the content I see on the media. Carrillo was the same.

Carrillo: “I often cope by scrolling on social media because it helps me distract my mind from feeling negative.”

Reflecting from her mistakes, she gave advice for incoming sophomores too. She didn’t want them to end up like her or just a lazy person failing in high school. 

Carrillo: “Manage your time wisely and do not procrastinate because you will end up doing more work at the end of the day which gets more exhausting.”

Most people procrastinate, they always do. Trust me, you don’t want to stay up and waste your time. 

But why was I doing school? Couldn’t I just stop?

To live a good life is by working hard, nothing is ever easy from mine or anyone’s experience. I believe pushing myself to a spot where I’m at my lowest point is just the beginning. My parents have had it harder, I’ve seen it: one has a job and the other takes care of the kids aka me and my siblings. 

The thing is, going to college, getting a job, buying a house? They were all I settled for. I couldn’t stop right now, that was pathetic and unreasonable. 

Why stop now when you’ve already started something? The motivation to achieve at least something memorable to where it will stay with me forever, was what ignited my steps of a journey.

Life sucks.

But, not all life sucks when you have something you want to achieve.