DEAR FRESHMEN: The most important thing to remember as you embark on your journey at SJA is this: the seniors are tall, but that does not mean they hate you. The opposite is true, in fact. We love our freshmen! Whether you are coming into the year with your pals or by yourself, I promise that you will make friends. It is so easy to find a friend or group of friends you click well with because there are many amazing people at St. Joe! One way to do this is to join clubs (I know everyone probably tells you this, but it’s TRUE). I can guarantee you there is at least one club that will peak your interest, so join one during club week. Do not be scared to try new things and get involved. Now, in terms of academics, it is my personal belief that we have the best teachers in the world, so use them as resources anytime you need help! They are always attentive and eager to help with any questions. While navigating your new time at St. Joe, be sure to enjoy all the big milestones (Mission Week, Killa Villa, Funderwear, Freshmen mixer, and many more). I promise you do not need to be scared because the most daunting part of your freshmen year will undoubtedly be making the three floor trek up to your lockers every day. Prepare to enter sophomore year with thunder thighs.

SOPHOMORES: You did not think we were going to forget you, did you? Although it may sometimes seem like sophomores are the forgotten middle children, that is not the case! You are not yet upperclass women, but you are on the upper end of the lower class women. Help the freshmen out this year because you can remember what it was like to be in a new environment. This is a good year to try and feel out your role at St. Joe. Be more adventurous in your involvement at school: run for office of some kind, join more clubs, try out for a team, write for The Voice (shameless promo), or anything else you want to try! Sophomore year is jam-packed with a lot of fun and a lot of work. Hello, driver’s license and honors classes. You may be taking some harder classes this year, and your teachers may expect more of you, but it is nothing you cannot handle. It will only help you prepare for next year. Enjoy and cherish your time on the second floor because it is the only year you have quick access to both the library (get your study on) and the theology wing (get your prayer on).

JUNIORS: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. That’s what I kept telling myself last year anyway. That’s a joke! You will hopefully still find ways to make those while juggling your schoolwork. Another joke! In all honesty, junior year is oh, so fun. Your classes will absolutely be harder this year, but they should be, and you learn to roll with it. Try not to take everything so seriously and allow yourself to have fun. Junior year is an amazing time for what I like to call the fluidity of friendship. You’ll find yourself becoming friends with people you never would have expected. Just let it happen; It’s a beautiful thing. The key to having a successful junior year is to find a balance between work-time and you-time. This year is a good time to start thinking about college, but don’t let it stress you out too much. Try to see some of the colleges that come to St. Joe to at least get a small idea of what you’re looking for. Other than that, you all have been doing this for long enough I do not think you need much more advice. You only have two more years left at the “greatest all-girls school in the state,” so please, please try to enjoy every moment.

SENIORS: You girls don’t need any more advice, do you? You should know this stuff by now.