Sophomores in Quarantine: A Troubled Transition

I suppose all things considered I, along with the rest of my class, got pretty lucky in the grand scheme of things. In the midst of the chaos, the sophomore class is in a bit of a sweet spot. We aren’t freshmen who are upset about missing out on a good portion of their first year as high schoolers. We don’t have the stress that the juniors do about AP tests, ACT/SAT, or college tours. And of course we don’t have it nearly as bad as the seniors, who are losing prom, graduation, and their final days as Cresskill High School students. So yes, all things considered, sophomores are pretty lucky.

However, those sophomores—like myself, unfortunately—who are yet to get their driving permits are in for a bit of a setback. My drivers education class was supposed to take the written test on March 25th, and schools closed on March 16th. So no driving for us sadly. It is especially saddening since now would be a perfect time to learn how to drive with the lack of cars on the road. 

Many sophomores are also concerned that the transition from sophomore year to junior year, an already tough one, will be very stressful and they won’t be prepared. Junior year is notorious for being the most strenuous year of high school, and it is upsetting to know that we have missed out on our last few months before that burden. The thought that we have to enter the most demanding year of high school after not being in school for months is a scary one.

Moreover, we are missing out on a lot of foundational learning that will be needed for more advanced classes we will be taking next year.

Sophomore Ashley Spindler expressed her concern that we “may need some of the things we are learning now for next year and might now know them to the full extent we need to.” It is no debate that it is more difficult to learn new material via online school, and sophomores can only hope that our teachers next year take that into account.

Luckily, we are all going through these troubled times together and can expect that there will be some leniency next year for all grades as we have all been put at a disadvantage in one way or another.

Sophomore Lola Ellis described her worries about the subject as “not knowing what’s going to happen next and missing out on what’s supposed to be the best years of our lives.” Lola is correct about the fear of the unknown and the sadness that comes with missing out on a part of our high school experience. However, we must stay positive and remind ourselves to look at the bigger picture—that we are healthy and very fortunate to get an education at all.