Junior Year Stress

Jasmina Singmouangthong

You have gotten through freshman and sophomore year. You made friends, lost friends, cried, laughed and struggled through those years. All high school levels can be difficult, but junior year is the hardest according to Emmeline Avila, class of 2018. As junior year comes around, we are loaded with homework, drama and stress. Do you hear past juniors telling you that junior year is the hardest?

  “Well I thought junior year is harder because my classes now, as a senior, aren’t as hard and stressful as junior year. But then they are both equally hard because being a senior means passing all your classes to graduate and being a junior means doing good on the SAT,” says Avila.

  You get a lot more responsibility; work and the curriculum is harder especially when students start taking AP classes.

  “It’s even harder when you play a sport or work after school,” says Hana Angel, class of 2019.

  Some students are still trying to figure out how to manage their time with homework, sports and work. Staying up late doing the work, trying to get enough sleep and then the day just repeats itself for the rest of the week. To finish assignments, do you have to put everything you want to do aside?

  “I stay up really late doing homework. Sometimes, I’m so tired that I don’t do my homework. Coming to school the next day.. It’s very hard to concentrate,” says Angel, “Sometimes I do fall asleep and miss out on the lesson.”

  Procrastination is something a lot of people struggle with in school. There are so many things we would like to do besides doing homework or studying for that test.

  “If my procrastination level is 1 through 10… it would be an 11,” Angel says while laughing.

  Most juniors would say 11th grade is the hardest year because students start taking AP classes, the tests are harder and worry about passing the SAT tests. But junior, Mya Torres believes junior year isn’t any different than any other year.

  “We all have tests every other day and homework every night. The hardest part is getting enough sleep the night before to go to school and learn about each subject,” says Torres.

  Shatavia Oliver, class of 2019 also agrees that junior year isn’t that hard.

  “I don’t get a lot of homework and I don’t take AP,” says Oliver.

  Being a junior is a lot. It can be easy or hard. Students who want to go to college strive to do their best. Students also start looking at colleges and try to figure out what to study for. Some advice to get through the year is get as much help as you can and highly focus on what you need to get done. It’ll all be over soon. Good luck!