Are Sophomore Sessions Useful?

Sophomores+are+required+to+attend+five+sophomore+sessions+during+their+free+hour.

Casey Butner

Sophomores are required to attend five “sophomore sessions” during their free hour.

At BSM, sophomores are required to attend around five “sophomore sessions” each year. Mostly run by the counselors, these sessions aim to prepare students for their future as early as possible. Topics discussed range from internships, national exams, and most importantly how to prepare yourself for college. Although these sessions are well intended, some students have different opinions on whether or not they are useful.

One big concern with sophomore sessions is that they take place during students’ free hours. Catching up on homework, studying, or chatting with friends is much more favorable with students rather than discussing their future. In a survey sent out by the Knight Errant, only 7.7% of sophomores enjoy sophomore sessions. “It’s gotten to the point where they are honestly not useful or fun at all,” sophomore Claudia Williamson said.

Recently, one sophomore session was run by 4 college students who were in a recovery program. They talked about chemical abuse, and how using alcohol and drugs in high school changed their life. While this is informative, students felt this topic to be redundant and not useful at all. “Some are really pointless like the one about drugs and alcohol…we all know to not do drugs and alcohol. There was no point in that,” sophomore Lauren Carlson said.

There was one we did a while ago where we learned how we are supposed to apply to college, and it helped me because I didn’t know much about that,

— Claudia Williamson

Another common feeling among students is that these sessions cause unnecessary stress; and that they force the college pressure way too soon. As 15 and 16 year olds, it’s difficult to know what their plan in life is. Instead of taking countless tests to see where you belong in the world, many students believe that finding your place is a natural process. Focusing more on what they can control during their time as an underclassmen is easier and more valuable. “We’re sophomores. We don’t need to be doing this yet,” Carlson said.

These sessions are not all bad, they do have their pros. It is clear BSM is passionate about helping students with their future, as 25.6% of students said that they feel sophomore sessions are preparing them for college. It can be an eye opening experience, especially for students who don’t know a lot about the college admission process. Personality and career tests can display a student’s strengths and weaknesses, and give them some direction for what they want in life. “There was one we did a while ago where we learned how we are supposed to apply to college, and it helped me because I didn’t know much about that,” Williamson said.

Sophomore sessions have proved to be a controversial topic among students. With their many pros and cons, there is a question over their worth and effectiveness. “I’ve learned some things but I’m not sure if I would voluntarily give up my free time for it,” Williamson said.