5 Things To Expect from Your Junior Year, by Jessica Houghton, ’17

Junior year is notorious for being the worst and best days of your life.  You’re not at the bottom of the food chain, but you are not quite at the top.  You’re driving and exploring a new-found independence, and starting to make life defining choices.  On the flip side you’re finding yourself loaded with new responsibilities and the pressure is on to get good grades for college.  Here are five things to expect from your junior year.

1. Your Tuesday night homework load just got real.

All of a sudden, you are finding yourself loaded with complex literature to read and annotate.  Your teachers are not going to hound you about when your big project is due, so it’s up to you now.  You’ll have to start taking notes that you are not going to get rewarded for grade-wise, but trust me, use them!

2.  Everybody wants to know where you are going to college, what job you are going to have, and your social security number.

Just three months ago, everyone saw you as a cute, sweet, little sophomore.  Now they want you to have your whole life planned out.  But the truth is, you don’t have to know anything yet.  So then you can just be like, “…dude…chill.  I’m like twelve.”

3.  You are going to change…a lot.  Try and be open-minded!

Granted, you change every day with every new experience.  Expect to see things differently as you get older and you start having to deal with more responsibilities.  In addition to that you are going to start expanding your studies and learning new materials that will change your opinions about certain things.

4.  You are going to have to start depending on others.  

Junior year is a challenge in itself.  Expect your classmates to be your brothers and sisters throughout the year.  They’re going to see you more than some of your actual family.  You’ll laugh together, you’ll cry together, fail together and succeed together.  Be sure to be kind to everyone and go out of your way every once in a while, you might need them to return the favor.  Make good relationships with your teachers.  If they get to know the real you, and you work hard they will be there for you.  You might need to request deadline extensions from them.  Be real and be truthful.

5.  You’re going to have lots of opportunities, take them all!

High school is the best place to try new things.  Try every sport, visit every club and go to the sporting events.  Connecting with your classmate isn’t just fun, it’s healthy.  Find the balance between school and fun.  You’re only a kid once, and only a junior once.  Make the best of your year by getting the best grades you can and then having the fun you deserve.  Work hard and play harder.