Hey, sophomores! Junior year is right around the corner, the day has finally come! To help you prepare for your junior year and your last building here at North Allegheny, here are some tips.
First and foremost…the stairs. Advice: appreciate the ramps while you still have them. I miss a lot of things about NAI, but there’s not a single thing I miss more than those letter-coded ramps. It can be hard waking up first thing in the morning, and the last thing you want to do is walk up three flights of stairs to get to your first period. If you’re lucky, your first period will be on the first floor. You’ll get used to it eventually, but it is one of the many adjustments you’ll have to make when transitioning to NASH.
However, stairs are not the only addition you’ll find at NASH. You’ll also notice vending machines on display throughout the first floor.
Though there are numerous vending machines displayed around NAI, at NASH, you’re actually allowed to use them! Most, if not all teachers, will allow you to visit the vending machine. Personally, I wouldn’t go during classes, but a study hall or your lunch period is a perfect time.
As for your education, go easy on yourself. Yes, you may want to swarm your schedules with Honors and AP classes to stand out on college applications, but do not do so at the expense of your sanity.
As tempting as it is, it’s not a wise decision to add a bunch of AP and Honors classes to your schedule. Though it seems worth it to slap a few AP classes on your college applications, it can be extremely draining. As a sophomore, you’re probably constantly hearing that junior year is the hardest year; however, it’s not necessarily the AP and Honors classes that add to that plate of stress. As a junior who only takes two honors classes, I’ve experienced stress levels that are just as bad as my friends’ stress levels, and their schedules are filled to the brim with AP courses.
If you do ending up choosing those AP and Honors Classes, they won’t be the only thing driving you crazy — because at NASH, there is also a parking lot.
One of the biggest adjustments I had to make when transitioning to NASH was the parking lot. My older brother had warned me it was a madhouse once the clock struck 2:15. He was right. The chaos of the parking lot is inevitable, but if there’s anything you could do to make it a little easier, it’s backing into a spot instead of pulling straight in. That way, you’re able to just pull straight out of your spot. Also, what we call the “ghetto” lot is not as bad as people make it sound.
Now, for the most important thing that has been on every sophomore’s mind… the lack of windows. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are very few. Most of them are on the third floor. However, it definitely was not the first thing I noticed when I walked through the halls of NASH. Chances are, you’ll be so busy trying to find what floor your class is on that you won’t even have the time to think, “Wow, there are barely any windows in this building.” In my opinion, it really doesn’t make a difference.
Transitioning from NAI to NASH is definitely a huge change. It may be difficult at first, but at the end of the day, you’ll understand why NASH is my favorite school I’ve attended at North Allegheny.
