Walking the halls of North Atlanta, many Warriors are looking back at how far they have come. From preschool toddlers to high school teenagers, they have made significant transitions. Currently, the class of 2025 is amid their progression toward their junior year. With many pathways, the stakes have risen for sophomores while choosing schedules to support the success of the rest of their high school careers. Counselors are hard at work, and sophomores grapple with difficult decisions that all juniors and seniors once had to make.

As students, the Warriors have gotten used to selecting schedules since middle school. However, the scheduling process for juniors and seniors at North Atlanta is entirely new. Since North Atlanta is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, students can choose from various programs. Dubs like sophomore Charlotte Akins feel upperclassmen and counselor support is essential to making an informed decision. “Once you choose your path, you can’t switch out of the program,” said Akins. “You’re in that pathway for the rest of high school, so it is crucial that you feel confident about your choice.”

Significant transitions in school began for some with the switches from elementary to middle school and others from middle to high school. The jump from sophomore to junior year was just as important a transition for many Dubs. Dubs heavily weigh scheduling decisions as students prepare for post-high school plans and involve themselves in more activities and out-of-school commitments. Teachers, counselors, and upperclassmen help prepare them for their senior year as the topic of college approaches. The classes students take in junior year constitute a significant factor in the process. “Junior year is the year you may start to seriously consider the process of applying for college,” said sophomore Evan Dickson. “It’s important for colleges to see what you do before you make that application.”

While sophomores struggle to choose, juniors and seniors look back at the decisions they once made. With the interconnectivity of the Dub network in mind, North Atlanta provided sophomores with a panel of upperclassmen who offered advice for determining their schedules. Sharing their experiences in respective pathways has helped many sophomores make sound judgments for the remainder of their high school careers. “Junior year leads you to where you want to be in college and your career,” said senior Anna Clare Hull. “As sophomores, it’s good to know what you want to do and what classes will support your goals because it’ll be easier to rule out what you are less interested in.”

As the next school year approaches, sophomores feel the pressure of the impact of their selections on their futures in high school. However, their choice is much easier with the help of counselors and trusty upperclassmen. Class of 2025, hang in there and remember: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.