6 Things I Wish I knew my Junior Year of High School
When I look back on my Junior year, I remember how terrible of a year it was for me. I went to an academically rigorous high school, and I let the academic pressure get to me personally. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions because no one warned me of the difficulties that were lying ahead of me. I want to use this entry to advise (maybe even warn) future high-school juniors. Junior year can make or break your high school career, but once you know how to tame the beast, you'll be slaying your way into your dream school.
1.) It's the hardest year: I had a very steady sophomore year: I came out with all A's and B's, my math class was easy, and I could practice viola for 2 hours after school everyday. Even though my high school had a seven-point grading scale, I still had high expectations for my grades. I would not be happy with myself if I got a B on a test, and getting a C on anything was like staring a mid life crisis in the face! I started junior year with this sense of overconfidence; I did not know that I was walking through the calm before the storm. Once I entered Hurricane Junior, I found myself glaring at all of my teachers whenever they gave us our homework assignments.
I was okay with B's on tests. I was usually too tired to practice after school. I wanted to murder the seven-point grading scale. I tried to force myself to like precalculus, believe me I tried, but it didn't work. I overate to calm myself down. The only thing I would cry about was how unfairly difficult my classes were. I really wish someone would have told me that Junior year is the most difficult year in high school, but when I figured that out, it was too late.
2.) The procrastinating needs to stop this year: The most valuable lesson I learned in AP Spanish Liturature was if you want to get rid of a problem, you have to conquer it during its beginning stages. As a junior, I was a victim to the procrastination syndrome. When I got home from a hard 7-hour day of school, I was so tired that I would spend 30 minutes catching up on social media, walking the dog, or making a snack. Then, I would take a nap until dinner. After dinner, I would watch some Youtube videos and chat online with my friends. Then it would hit me: it's 9 o'clock and I haven't started on any of my homework, and even worse, my precalculus test is tomorrow. I would have to cram everything and I would get to bed by at least 1. Unsurprisingly, I would feel like a zombie the next day. It was March or April of that year when I learned that the procrastination had to stop, and luckily, I found ways to stay on task*. Don't be like Junior Kt. Find ways to deal with your procrastination issues.
*To read more about my anti-procrastination routine, click here!
http://sushiknittingowls.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-recipe-for-night-with-no.html
3.) Prioritizing is crucial! When I was a junior, I thought that two aspects of my life could get equal priority: academics and viola. Little did I know that this is impossible; I did not know that academics should be my top priority, even over viola. Whether you like it or not, you should always put academics first, especially during this difficult year, because it will be your grades from Junior year that your dream school will notice first.
4.) Get your College Board tests over with! I regret not taking my College Board tests during junior year. I started studying for the SAT and the ACT my senior year. I did not know that I would have to take two two-hour tutoring sessions a week, study for at least an hour everyday, while finishing college applications on the side. I did not know that my college applications would be so time consuming, and the college essays took away precious minutes from my study time. Looking back on junior year, I could have spent at least 30 minutes a day studying for those tests, and doing this would have improved my composite scores. Because I started studying late for these tests, I didn't get as good of a score as I would have if I had started studying for those exams junior year. If you start studying for these tests junior year (or maybe even the summer before), you will be very satisfied with yourself.
5.) You need to make time for your friends and family: Humans depend on the emotional support of their loved ones, especially when the going gets tough. Because my academics and extracurricular activities completely consumed my time, I could not find a way to make time for my friends. I felt isolated and I missed my friends so much. I also couldn't spend a lot of time with my family. I was so stressed about school that I would not say a word at the dinner table. Junior year was the loneliest year of my life. But this loneliness can be prevented if you make time to see your friends and family. It will be likely that they'll need your support too!
6.) This quote:
1.) It's the hardest year: I had a very steady sophomore year: I came out with all A's and B's, my math class was easy, and I could practice viola for 2 hours after school everyday. Even though my high school had a seven-point grading scale, I still had high expectations for my grades. I would not be happy with myself if I got a B on a test, and getting a C on anything was like staring a mid life crisis in the face! I started junior year with this sense of overconfidence; I did not know that I was walking through the calm before the storm. Once I entered Hurricane Junior, I found myself glaring at all of my teachers whenever they gave us our homework assignments.
I was okay with B's on tests. I was usually too tired to practice after school. I wanted to murder the seven-point grading scale. I tried to force myself to like precalculus, believe me I tried, but it didn't work. I overate to calm myself down. The only thing I would cry about was how unfairly difficult my classes were. I really wish someone would have told me that Junior year is the most difficult year in high school, but when I figured that out, it was too late.
2.) The procrastinating needs to stop this year: The most valuable lesson I learned in AP Spanish Liturature was if you want to get rid of a problem, you have to conquer it during its beginning stages. As a junior, I was a victim to the procrastination syndrome. When I got home from a hard 7-hour day of school, I was so tired that I would spend 30 minutes catching up on social media, walking the dog, or making a snack. Then, I would take a nap until dinner. After dinner, I would watch some Youtube videos and chat online with my friends. Then it would hit me: it's 9 o'clock and I haven't started on any of my homework, and even worse, my precalculus test is tomorrow. I would have to cram everything and I would get to bed by at least 1. Unsurprisingly, I would feel like a zombie the next day. It was March or April of that year when I learned that the procrastination had to stop, and luckily, I found ways to stay on task*. Don't be like Junior Kt. Find ways to deal with your procrastination issues.
*To read more about my anti-procrastination routine, click here!
http://sushiknittingowls.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-recipe-for-night-with-no.html
3.) Prioritizing is crucial! When I was a junior, I thought that two aspects of my life could get equal priority: academics and viola. Little did I know that this is impossible; I did not know that academics should be my top priority, even over viola. Whether you like it or not, you should always put academics first, especially during this difficult year, because it will be your grades from Junior year that your dream school will notice first.
4.) Get your College Board tests over with! I regret not taking my College Board tests during junior year. I started studying for the SAT and the ACT my senior year. I did not know that I would have to take two two-hour tutoring sessions a week, study for at least an hour everyday, while finishing college applications on the side. I did not know that my college applications would be so time consuming, and the college essays took away precious minutes from my study time. Looking back on junior year, I could have spent at least 30 minutes a day studying for those tests, and doing this would have improved my composite scores. Because I started studying late for these tests, I didn't get as good of a score as I would have if I had started studying for those exams junior year. If you start studying for these tests junior year (or maybe even the summer before), you will be very satisfied with yourself.
5.) You need to make time for your friends and family: Humans depend on the emotional support of their loved ones, especially when the going gets tough. Because my academics and extracurricular activities completely consumed my time, I could not find a way to make time for my friends. I felt isolated and I missed my friends so much. I also couldn't spend a lot of time with my family. I was so stressed about school that I would not say a word at the dinner table. Junior year was the loneliest year of my life. But this loneliness can be prevented if you make time to see your friends and family. It will be likely that they'll need your support too!
6.) This quote:
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