The stigma around your junior year of high school is incredibly real. The amount of work that goes into your year is too much to list. Some of these for me included, SAT studying and testing, AP classes, and the final exams, along with looking at colleges that I might want to pursue.
This is only the school aspect of this, of course, taking these rigorous courses is hard but I believe the hardest part of your junior year is the socializing. You go through a lot of changes within your friend groups especially because you are figuring out what you want to let go of going into your last year of high school. Other things that go into the socializing part of junior year are joining clubs or sports and having to have conversations and make relationships with people that you may have never talked to.
Even though I do not believe that academics is the hardest part of junior year, it has become frustrating. Studying for the SAT five to six days a week and then getting your score back and not being happy with it, is so disappointing. SAT and ACT run you for your money that whole year. I thought of my scores for months on end after it came out and how I wanted to get better. It was the same thing with AP testing, I think that I am more confident in those since you have a teacher whose goal is to just get you to pass this exam. For the SAT, it is more of ‘do it yourself’, which is why I believe it is harder for me.
In addition to this, one thing about your junior year that is dreadful is it is your last year with your seniors. If you have up-and-coming senior friends, make sure to cherish their friendship and try to hang out with them as much as you can. Not saying that they will just disappear once they graduate, but when you have a different lifestyle than others it is hard to hang out or even reach out over and over again. Stepping up and becoming the highest you can get in high school is scary, especially for me because I always looked up to my upperclassmen friends and it is very worrisome that there will be no one to look up to when it comes to my senior year.
Next year I will be doing new and exciting things like getting into more clubs, having a new job, and also taking some college classes. All of these I have to learn before I master them and I am excited to see where they take me.
For my last summer as a high school student, I will try to enjoy the freedom and my friends that I have gotten closer to this year. I’m going to be working, going on a trip, and hanging out with my friends as much as I can. I am excited for this summer to give me new experiences that I have never had.
I know many people feel like this but, I still feel like I am a freshman so moving into my last year of high school is frightening. I am the same and different from them in some of the best ways. I have loved my high school years so far because every year, I get closer to myself. Figuring out who you are is hard but high school will make you do that. If you want to better yourself and become the best version of yourself, this place is where to start.
