Sophomore year is awkward. It’s the seventh grade of high school, where there’s nothing special to look forward to in comparison to other grades.  Seniors are the top dogs, Juniors are frantically preparing for tests, and Freshmen are optimistic and bubbly, unaware of what lies ahead of them.

For me, this was my first normal year of high school. I finally got to experience all of the events I had missed last year; activities like Homecoming and pep rallies that all combine to create the quintessential high school experience. 

Within crowds of painted-faced students clapping and cheering in the stands, I had ironically never felt more isolated. I wondered if high school was for me, or if I had some insurmountable character flaw that caused me to be down and anti-social.

I couldn’t rally myself up like others when I went to Pack the Den–alone, that is, because my friends are all colossal nerds that do not care for sports. 

Surprisingly, many students at Grandview feel the same way. When students walk into the halls of Grandview, they are bombarded with countless ideas of what it means to be a Wolf: go to many school events, get involved in every activity possible, and ideally join a sport to give the school another shiny trophy to display in a case.

It’s not necessary to do everything. You can have a great experience in school without being super outgoing and without going out to every event. I don’t even think that I’ll go to Homecoming next year, which many people would shun as it is deemed to be one of the most special events you can go to.

You don’t need to stick to clichés to have a good time, but make sure not to be too cynical. Take the chance to try new things, even when it is out of your comfort zone. I signed up for Newspaper on a limb last year, and I found a great community of kids who are just as excited about writing as I am. Doing new things can help you to find a place where you belong at Grandview.