Every year of college gets a little crazier. There are new challenges around every corner as you move through your four(ish) years. I'm not even 1/3 of the way through my junior year and it is already very stressful. There are a lot of challenges that many juniors in college have to face.

1. Summer plans

As the leaves change and it gets colder outside, it's hard to think ahead to the summer, but some deadlines are already approaching! It's time to apply to every internship you can find. To apply, you need to know what you want to get experience doing and where you want to spend your summer. Many of these internships require custom cover letters or statements - which take time to write!

2. Graduating on time

While planning which classes I will take next semester, I had to think ahead at what my next three semesters will look like. Realizing I only had three semesters left to finish my two majors and my minor stressed me out. While I have time for everything, it depends on if my university holds the classes I need when I need them.

3. Graduate school

I'm stressed about this summer and the rest of my time at Butler, but I'm also worried about what I'll be doing AFTER I graduate. I want to go to graduate school but I can't even decide what for, much less where I want to go. Not only do I need to look into where I'd like to go, but I need to build a resume that would get me into these schools!

4. GRE

On the topic of graduate school, it's time to think about the GRE! I just lovvvved taking the ACT four times, so I'm very enthusiastic about the idea of taking another standardized test. I recently got a GRE prep book and realized how out of practice I am with math. Juniors have to start thinking about taking the GRE if they want to go to graduate school.

5. Thesis

I have to write a thesis! Not every student has this struggle, but many at least have to decide if they want to write one. There are a million questions that come along with writing a thesis. I need a topic, and an adviser, and a realistic plan, and I need to do research and a million other things! I have two majors, so I even have to choose which major I want to dive more into. The concept of writing a thesis is mind boggling and completely scary!

Those are just 5 of the things currently on my mind as I push through my junior year of college. While all of this is very stressful, it's exciting too. I'm planning my future and it currently feels like there are a lot of possibilities. I'm looking all over the country - and out of the country - for internships and graduate schools. Junior year is hard, but I'm excited to tackle a lot of these stressors.