Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study (generally referring to high school or university study).[1][2] The word is also sometimes used in the USA as jargon for the second album released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a professional athlete.[3]
The word comes from Greek, sophisma ‘clever device’ from sophizesthai ‘to devise, become wise’, and the original English spelling was "Sophumer". [4] It was not until 1726 that the spelling was established in America as "sophomore."[5][6]
Education
High school
In the United States, the 10th grade is usually the second year of a student's high school period and is referred to as sophomore year. High school sophomores are expected to begin preparing for the college application process, including reducing and focusing their extracurricular activities.[7] Most students reach the age of 16 while they are sophomores. The year is considered a watermark for independence, closely connected with getting a driver's license in most states. The PSAT, a college preparatory exam taken across the U.S., is now most commonly taken during a student's sophomore year. Students at this level are also considered to be developing greater ability for abstract thinking.[8]
College
In the U.S., colleges generally require students to declare an academic major by the end of their sophomore year.[9] College sophomores are advised to begin thinking about career options and to get involved in volunteering or social organizations on or near campus.[10]
Sophomore Media
The 1911 Sophomore class of Riverside Military Academy in Macon, Georgia
References
- ↑ Concise Oxford English DictionaryOxford University Press. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ↑ Merriam-Webster onlineMerriam-Webster.
- ↑ Merriam-Webster onlineMerriam-Webster.
- ↑ "Your Argument..is so sillie, as that not some exq[u]isite Sophister, but any punie Sophumer may at first sight discover the feebleness of it." Oxford English Dictionary (1989)Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Agel, Jerome. Test Your Word Power (in en)Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-345-30897-9.
- ↑ What’s the origin of “sophomore”?. The Straight Dope (26 December 2001).
- ↑ Sophomore Year: Time to Narrow Down Your Extracurricular Activities. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ↑ Sophomore Year: Between Lark and a Hard Place
- ↑ Do I Need to Declare a Major on My College Application?Princeton Review. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
- ↑ Yale UCS - Year by Year Guide - Sophomore Year. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
