If I had a dime for every week I've wanted to write about my junior year progress, I would be rich. But it can't be that way, and when looking back on how the school year has been so far, I feel generally satisfied with how I've been handling life. Assessments have been fair, assignments have been the proper length and the school day doesn't feel dreary. At all.
In comparison to how tired and overwhelmed I felt last year, this year reminds me of being a freshman. Where I felt scared more by the advice I was given than the actual classes themselves. So if you're in the same boat as I was and want to know if those scary tips you were told by past juniors are true, here's a guide to debunking what you've been told!
No, the workload isn't tough unless you want it to be.
You're probably thinking that I'm crazy.
"The workload isn't tough." Seriously? Seriously.
There's a difference between loading work onto your schedule and simply taking up activities that you can manage properly. If you're genuinely interested in giving yourself the toughest class schedule and applying to every single extracurricular you can think of, good luck on balancing your work. You have to think smart here.
No, classes are not difficult if you choose the right combination of them.
If your classes work well together, great! All your information will connect, and your year can be significantly easier. You want to be strategic with which classes are best for your year because you don't want to have to juggle different fields at the same time.
Yes, extracurricular activities are more time-consuming than schoolwork.
You'd be surprised at first, but when it comes to making weekend plans, you can't go anywhere because you have volunteering to do for a certain club. Not that there's anything wrong with this because these activities are usually fun and integral in developing your personality skills!
Yes, AP Calculus BC is interesting. Not terrifying.
Of all classes, the scariest by-far is AP Calculus BC. But because we're debunking junior year myths, if your math schedules permits you to take AP Calc BC during this year, take it. You just have to be logical and ready to apply math to physics, one of the best fields of study.
Yes, your teachers are extremely supportive.
Your teachers know that you have a lot on your plate, and being a junior means you earn respect from the people around you. Everyone knows you're going through a lot of pressure from yourself and from others, so teachers are always there to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.
Do not take advantage of having their guidance because they want to make life simpler for you, not make it a shortcut to the finish line.
Yes, you will lose friends. But they weren't your friends in the first place.
If you lose friends, the biggest reason is because you've realized they're friends with you only to use you. It's true; this is a huge problem with competitive grade levels.
Now that it's junior year, the true personalities of the people around you will show, and you will see who they really are. And for some people, that means exposing the ugly truth that they're constantly scavenging for a way to the top. Don't be that person, and don't be friends with that person.
Yes, competition suddenly becomes apparent.
People don't like to admit this about themselves, but competition dictates everything about their lives. Even their social lives. For some reason, people find it important to make it known that they are "in it to win it," though everyone's going through the same struggle.
Yes, you will have some nights without sleep.
This just happened to me the other night. Time management is essential to your junior year success, though there are some days where no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get in all your work before midnight.
No, life is not overbearing if you think smartly.
Prioritize education over all else. Education is integral to future success, and if you're debating whether to study for a test or watch a television show, study for that test.
Yes, people will attempt to steal your work.
This is a huge problem I've felt the need to talk about.
So many people will ask you late at night to send work to sheets they haven't done yet, and they happen to get upset when you refuse to do so. You just have to ignore their reactions because the end result of giving up the work you put in so much effort for is just giving others an advantage. You don't gain anything from it, and they get an easy way out.
No, lunch is not always a free period.
Use it to study on tougher school days! That's some of the biggest advice you can truly use.
Yes, you are always hungry.
There's really no explanation for this except you're always preoccupied with work that you don't have time to eat. If you're not studying, sleeping or doing anything else, eat!
No, the SAT is not impossible.
Don't get it twisted; the SAT is not an impossible test. If you practice properly, it's pretty much a standard test. Yes, coming in to take a test on a Saturday morning isn't ideal, but if you know what you've signed up for, it doesn't matter.
No, the ACT isn't impossible either.
In fact, if you're looking for some advice to get the ACT done without any worries, check out some tips I suggest following for a comfortable experience!
No, colleges will not like if you join every extracurricular activity.
Neither will you. You'll be spending every minute of every day running to the next location you've volunteered for, and at what cost? A simple addition to your never-ending list of activities? You'll regret joining every single club if you don't choose a select few that truly interest you.
Yes, your people skills will pick up tremendously.
This comes from becoming conscious of the way people act. You'll pick out those who use others, those who truly appreciate you and those who you'll be friends with for the rest of your life.
Becoming cognizant of these different personalities will boost your own because you'll realize there are layers to each person's character that are reflected in your own spirit.
Yes, your favorite classes will be surprising ones.
I was terrified of taking AP Calculus BC when I first signed up for it because I had been trained for years to respond to it negatively. Everyone said that it was painful, that it was impossible. But it has been one of the best classes I have ever taken, hands down.
Yes, waking up early every morning is a chore.
There's a point in October when you suddenly feel the work piling on until you can't see in front of you anymore. And the nights will become later, the assignments harder. But you can pull through, even if waking up is the worst part of the day. That headache you get as soon as you sit up will disappear within half an hour, and you won't feel so horrible anymore.
No, junior year is not suddenly the most difficult year of your life.
Don't let that cloud your judgement. You're going to have a great start to the year, regardless of how exaggerated people make it out to be.
Yes, there are tough decisions that come with working hard.
Especially when it comes to helping friends out. It's one thing to send notes once and not have to do it again, but it's another thing for a friends to persistently ask for answers to questions and end up not having a reason as to why they didn't do their own work. Be true to yourself, and if you ever feel uncomfortable doing something for another, don't do it.
Yes, you will have a much better year than people say you will.
There's nothing more that I can say except junior year is memorable for all the right reasons.
