While we tend to excuse seniors for their lack of effort towards the end of the school year as just another sign of “senioritis,” the poor juniors who sit just beyond them are left behind in the sympathy department. While juniors tend to go through the same mental blocks as the end of the year nears, they don’t have the same cop out that the seniors do.
During sophomore year, when we were all pumped and eager to take on that important junior year that we’d heard so much about, we were awash with energy and hope. The shiny thing that is AP courses drew many of us in without us realizing the reality we would come to know as simply too much on our plate. Once students start their junior year they begin to feel this looming. As the year progresses so too do the assignments, which start to pick up and increase in intensity. Then, as exams approach, we realize that the simple high school years that we had once enjoyed had turned into stressful times that cause many of us to start procrastinating on our work.
This harsh reality seems to be the same for many high schoolers as they enter the dreaded junior year. From being an underclassman to now thinking about college and life after high school, junior year proposes its own challenges aside from just schoolwork. As colleges become more competitive and top spots start to get filled, junior year tends to be a hustle year for many trying to make their mark and increase their chances of getting into highly selective schools. With the pressure of heavy loaded assignments, SATs, AP exams, sports, and the added stress of quickly approaching college application deadlines, junior year can overwhelm many students and cause them to burn out before their final year of high school.
Meryl Abrahm shares that her junior year experience, for the most part, “has been fine.” She does note, however, that the adjustment from her classes sophomore year to this year “was difficult,” specifically taking AP Chemistry, which was one of her more challenging courses.
Similarly, junior Eshitha Pedapudi shares that “compared to freshman and sophomore year, junior year has been the most challenging.” As someone who is taking multiple AP courses, Eshitha feels that it has been time consuming “studying for each class while also managing responsibilities outside of class.” Eshitha shares that as Class of 2025 vice president and as someone who is frequently involved in her church, it has taken time to “learn how to balance all of it.” Furthermore, she explains that she is nervous for next year to start applying for colleges and writing essays. “It just seems like a lot is being dumped on us at one time,” she concludes.
As the year comes to an end, the Class of 2025 will soon be in their final chapter of high school. While this year posed many academic challenges, it has made our class more resilient and will have prepared us for next year and the many more years to come.