My version of hell would probably be junior year on repeat.
It might seem like I am exaggerating because there were some positive aspects of this year, but as the last week of my junior year begins to enclose, I realize that I have had the worst time in my high school career these past nine and a half months. From the first day in August 2012 to today, just a couple days before the year ends, I have not had a moment when I could say ‘Hey, I’m doing alright.’
The hard work that comes with the second to last year of high school is not out of place; it should be expected. But the problem is the hard work ends up going above our expectations. The important thing is to not hope for a fun-filled year because you will probably be disappointed; I know I was.
Nearly every minute of my life this past year has been panics, worries, and stress about every single thing you could possibly think of. Junior year has been a struggle not just because of school, but because of ideas beyond school. Ideas and concepts that we were barely exposed to until this year began. And the sad part is that nobody realizes it until they are in the midst of it all. I understand that school isn’t supposed to be easy, but it’s not supposed to render us sleepless either. It isn’t supposed to make us feel upset or depressed, just because the education system in this country is based on such ethics as judging people on numbers.
Let’s go over some of the struggles of junior year.
1.) ACTs/SATs: This is the year — the year everyone is warned about because of the infamous ACT and SAT that students all across the country are required to take in order to be eligible for college. The funny part is, ACTs are actually not that difficult to take. If you were to sit down and just take the test, you would realize that it is not an extremely challenging exam. However, the pressure that comes with these exams is excruciating. I am not even ashamed to admit that I have wept some tears over the possible thought that I might not be able to get into the college I want, just because of my ACT score. That really scared me, and it angered me. Why should a number decide who I am? Colleges may review applications holistically, but in the end, if it comes down to a person with a 32 and a person with a 29, guess who they’re going to choose? Some schools won’t even consider you if you don’t have over a 31 on your ACT, such as Northwestern. These sorts of requirements that different schools put out add to the pressure that we have on our shoulders for a good ACT score.
And that brings me to my next point.
2.) Expectations: It’s junior year and you’re going to be expected to know what you want to do with your life. Unfortunately, not every single one of us is lucky enough to already have life figured out by the age of 17. So, because of that, we’re called undecided and confused teenagers, and that really makes you feel like you’re going nowhere in life. For those people who realized what their calling is, junior year might have been the golden year , but for many of us that isn’t true. It isn’t right for everyone to expect us to already know what our majors should be; many students end up switching their majors in college anyways. But the stress and tension that teachers, counselors, parents, and even fellow students dump on you about majors and colleges just takes away a lot of happiness that could be in your life and replaces it with apprehension.
3.) The classes: For many juniors, this was the first year taking an AP class. For even more students, this was the year they took physics, one of the most difficult science classes, that requires a really skilled teacher who is actually good at teaching. This isn’t a subject you can just teach yourself. The courses that are offered this year are much more intense, and they require work, real work. That does not mean staying up 24 hours the night before it’s due. For those of you taking AP U.S. History next year, keep in mind that those outlines are not going to do themselves, and if you want to get a decent amount of sleep (which is rare), you should probably do them over the course of the three weeks during which the unit is covered. Your teacher may or may not check them on certain due dates, but they’ll definitely be due on the day of the test. And, if you’re taking GAW (Great American Writers), please don’t wait until the night before to write your paper. Procrastination won’t get you anywhere during junior year. We all do it, but we all regret it. As for physics, it really depends on the class you’re in and how well you grasp the concepts you are taught. Of course, it does depend on other factors, but physics was the hardest class I took this year, and it wasn’t only because of the concepts. These three classes involved the most work for me this year, and next year you’re also going to have classes that will just punch you over and over again. It doesn’t get much better throughout the year; second semester nearly killed me. There is also a problem because not everyone understands how much the students have to go through. I remember having an APUSH test (which lasted for two days) and a physics test in the same week right before an ACT. There were weekends where I was drowning in so much work, I had to put off sleep just to get it done.
Those are a few big ideas. The daily torture that many of us have been through this year was enough to probably scar us for life. It has been grueling year that will always live in the back of my mind. I am ecstatic that I am nearly done with this year, but I know that I would have wanted someone to give me a heads up on what was to come. Freshman and sophomore year are blow offs compared to junior year, and if you think sophomore year was hard, just wait for junior year. But, before you get completely frightened, let me tell you that there are some nice parts to being a junior. The topmost being the fact that you have less than two years left of high school. In my case, I developed more of a social life, and that really helped me get through the darker times of the year.
The important fact to keep in mind is that no matter what happens, you are not unintelligent or inadequate just because you happen to get a couple bad grades on a couple assignments, or even a lower ACT/SAT score. If you try your hardest and do the best you can, nobody can take that confidence away from you; it all depends on what you make of your year. What I mentioned above is something that you may or may not have complete control over, but it’s not necessary that you let a couple grades bring you down. Don’t let your teachers’ comments make you feel inferior. Don’t sell yourself short just because you didn’t do so well on that one test. How much you know cannot completely be evaluated through a test taken within 42 minutes or four hours.
Junior year is a significant year, and it is necessary that you take it seriously, but the most important thing is to expect it. Expect the worst but hope for the best. It is not all negatives, but those do outweigh the positives of the year. Remember to work your hardest, and in the end it will hopefully all be worth it. When you’re done, you will feel accomplished. And that is one of the best feelings in the world.
Good luck sophomores! And freshmen: be warned.
