Emma Lynch

Junior year can be stressful, but with the right resources it can become easier to manage.

I say this with full confidence: junior year is the absolute worst. Juniors have probably heard it a million times already because for many people, it is the most difficult year in high school. Classes become significantly harder, and schedules become overloaded with AP classes, extracurriculars and volunteering. Truth be told, students who never had to study before now will most likely need to, and that can be a difficult learning curve. Trust me, I would know. However, there are several ways to ease the stress and burnout that comes with this year. The following are a few crucial “do’s” and “don’ts” to manage this new workload and shoot for success. 

 Do: Shoot for the stars

Junior year is hard, but that difficulty results in an immense payoff. This year, students typically start loading on more AP classes. I took four AP classes my junior year, and the hard work I put in yielded positive results on my exams, making them the most rewarding part of the school year. If students are up to the challenge, taking on more rigorous class material alongside trying new classes and activities is what makes junior year notable. 

If students want to participate in a class that has a prerequisite, this is the time to take that prerequisite so they can participate in their desired classes the next year. Likewise, trying out any new extracurriculars is also a good idea this year. Many juniors are new members of National Honor Society, and extracurricular clubs such as Key Club or Environmental Club are good ways to log those pesky volunteer hours needed for NHS. Junior year is the final full year that colleges consider during the admissions process, so make this year count. 

Don’t: Neglect self-care

While studying is important, juniors’ saving grace during a stressful time will be a dose of good old-fashioned rest and relaxation. The biggest mistake I made was devoting too much time to coursework while neglecting myself and my relationships, which led to intense burnout. 

To combat this, a good rule of thumb is to dedicate a specific amount of time each day to doing something relaxing or fun. Whether this is watching TV, hanging out with friends or another hobby, find something to do other than school work. Even with upcoming deadlines and looming exams, spending that bit of time to focus on self-care will recharge those social and academic batteries and reset anyone’s brain to relieve some of the stress that comes with this challenging school year. 

Do: Figure out how to study

Studying was an intense learning curve for me during my junior year. I had never felt the need to seriously devote time to studying before becoming a junior, and I quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of content I was expected to learn within a single class period. However, this content quickly became more manageable after I found study methods that worked. 

Everyone learns differently, so that means that everyone has to find different ways to study. Personally, I found the Pomodoro Technique, a method that breaks study time into 25-minute intervals with short breaks in between, to be the most effective for reviewing material. In order to review most effectively, it is important to engage with the material, meaning taking notes while studying or creating practice sets on a website like Quizlet. 

For AP classes, there is an infinite amount of online resources to review material, including AP Classroom, which includes information on the entire course and exam. Personally, I have found Fiveable very helpful in summarizing information and helping me engage with the material, as it includes practice questions as well as unit study guides. At the end of the day, no matter what resources someone uses, all that matters is that they are reviewing and understanding the material. 

Don’t: Overload a schedule

Though AP classes and extracurriculars are important, loading up a schedule with as many as possible can be unnecessarily stressful. Especially if a student has responsibilities outside of school, a jam-packed schedule will slowly but surely begin to feel unmanageable throughout the year– even with efficient study and homework methods. 

Since the school year has already started, juniors should consider their class schedule and seriously think about what they can and cannot handle. If a student is signed up for several AP or Intro to Advanced classes, they should gauge the amount of homework that has been assigned within the first week and compare it to the amount of time they truly have for coursework. 

In some instances, it may be beneficial to switch out of a class, especially if around three or more classes on a schedule are already strenuous. In this situation, a student could try to switch into an on-level version of an AP or intro to advanced class, since they often teach the same material at a slower pace. Another option for AP students is to continue taking the class, but forgo taking the AP exam. This would decrease how much actual studying and test preparation would need to be done, especially in the second semester. 

While junior year can be incredibly stressful, with the right resources and state of mind, overcoming all of that extra schoolwork can become much more manageable. With the correct state of mind, study methods and schedule, junior year can be a wonderful experience.

Contact Emma Lynch at [email protected]