What if the hardest year of high school?
What would you consider the hardest year of high school to be? Some say freshman because of the new environment, people, and expectations, others might say senior year because of “senioritis” or stress about graduation. What if I told you it was actually junior year?
Junior year is widely acknowledged as the most stressful year of high school due to the introduction of more serious and challenging work as well as college preparations for senior year. This on top of the pressure of employment can create a tense environment; junior year is an introduction to “adult problems”. Many juniors have to start thinking about money and what the future entails, which for many is still to be decided; I remember thinking to myself “such a wide variety of options but only two years to really decide?”
Some could argue that it’s all about preparing yourself, parents saying “start thinking about this stuff now.” Unfortunately at 15 it didn’t seem that important, I had video games to finish, not essays. Ultimately junior year is the year school work becomes more rigorous and you’re constantly reminded that college is approaching and you need to pick soon, as well as outside factors like employment or getting a license become more real for people.
Despite it all junior year is still a year to meet people and learn new things and I’m so glad I got to see it through to the other side and see what opportunities are waiting for me. A wise master once told me “The best part about junior year is if you’re lucky you only have to do it once”.
