If you’re a junior, you have definitely heard the phrase “junior year is the hardest” or ‘junior year was my worst year” once or twice within the past few months. While yes, your second-to-last year of high school can be fun, it can be very stressful. You have AP classes to attend, homework for all your classes, some have a job to balance, friends to hangout with, and to possibly take a big test such as the PSAT, the ACT, the SAT, the NMSQT, or the ASVAB. You aren’t required to take said tests, but a lot of students take them to test themselves if their parents make them take them. 

“It’s been extremely stressful,” junior Grace Richardson said about her year so far. “Getting the work done on time is extremely stressful, especially trying to balance stuff with my job and keeping up with other things in my life.” 

Junior Jack Lee also replied to this question saying, “This year has been quite stressful I think so far.” 

Some classes this year are also at the highest level that they can be, not I, not II, but III, unless the class has a 4th level, such as English or a world language. Richardson was also asked what classes she was taking this year, replying “I’m taking Algebra II, Chemistry, and I also take dual enrollment through SCC.”

Lee then replied to the same question stating, “I take English III, Algebra II, Chemistry and Government.”

This is usually the schedule for students in their junior year of high school: English III, Chemistry or Physics, U.S. Government, and an Algebra II course (Algebra II, Formal Algebra II, or Advanced Algebra II). 

When asked to elaborate on the difficulty of these classes, Richardson replied, “It’s not that these classes are difficult, it’s just that the workload from these classes are large. It’s difficult to finish all the work with the other things going on in my life.” 

If you’re a junior, you most likely have a job, have friends who want to hangout, and maybe you’re in a club or after school activity of some kind.

“I do theater after school, and I do have a job. It makes it difficult to do homework sometimes,” Lee said. 

It’s very tough. A lot of sophomores look forward to their junior year but don’t realize the stress of it all as well. You should make sure you stay on top of your work.

“It’s getting done, but I could definitely do better,” Richardson said about her work ethic. “It’s not the best ‘Grace’ work.” 

However far along you are in high school, whether you’re a junior who relates to this story, or a sophomore preparing for junior year, or a senior who’s already finished their junior year, or a freshman reading this to look ahead for the future, try your best to stay ahead!