As I am struggling to finish my summer assignments before the first day of school, I have come to the conclusion that the word that will describe my junior year of high school will be “hectic.” Everything and anything I do is in preparation for applying to colleges that are getting progressively more difficult to get into.

I have made a regrettable decision to take five AP classes out of my six total classes. Most of the classes I have signed up to take are no joke, too, including AP BC Calculus, AP Lang, AP Chemistry, AP Physics and AP Computer Science Principles. My grades in these classes will define what colleges I will be able to apply to. When I first signed up for classes, everyone asked me what I was doing taking five AP classes. They all said things like: “Take it easy. You need to actually pass your classes,” or “Good luck with that,” or my personal favorite “Are you sure you can do that?” The doubt that was pressed on my ability to succeed only encouraged me. I wanted to prove to everyone who had no faith in me that I was capable. However, now as I am finishing my assignments for the summer, I realize I have a lot of things going on this year, and maybe, loading up on AP classes wasn’t the best idea on my part.

However, these AP classes aren’t the only things I have to worry about. As a junior in high school, standardized testing becomes a big deal. Most people want a perfect 36 on the ACT or a 1600 on the SAT so they spend a big chunk of time prepping for these assessments. Also, we can’t forget about the PSAT. My mother has been talking to me about how important this assessment is since probably the summer before my freshman year. I do see her point, though. It would be pretty nice to get the National Merit Scholarship and even if I don’t get that, qualifying for other scholarships would be great, too. In preparation for these exams, I have acquired many SAT and ACT books to study with. This is another super “fun” thing I will be doing this year whenever I get a break from everything else going on.

Another thing to add to the already growing list of things to accomplish during my junior year is to be active in multiple types of extracurricular activities. It’s important to get involved in your community so lots of community service is necessary whether that be through clubs or on your own. I'm planning on getting my Girl Scout gold award. And, I'm balancing being part of my school's marching band. We have practices twice a week, sectionals once a week, a football game every Friday and sometimes, competitions on the weekends. This doesn't allow for much time elsewhere. I also plan to join more activities that represent my interests so that doesn't leave much breathing room.

Regardless of everything going on, I know I will survive my junior year of high school. I just need to try my hardest and give everything my all. If I don’t, my junior year will turn into a hot mess right before my eyes.