Though many people speak about the hardships of junior year or how it’s their “worst high school year,” senior year is where the true hardships and pain are hidden away. Now, I’m not diminishing the rigor of the 3rd academic year of high school, but the differences between the 4th are rarely talked about.
During junior year, a student will be hit with numerous different obstacles that they must overcome: academics, athletics, etc. The course load will obviously increase as a higher standard and knowledge requirement advances. There’s no denying the increase in difficulty. It could even increase tenfold by taking AP or IB courses. There are a plethora of AP and IB classes that can be taken throughout high school but junior year is where the heat starts to pick up. Not only does the curriculum increase in size and difficulty, certain teachers don’t give leeway with due dates or the amount of work that is given. The teachers will hold you to a higher standard all together. Especially if you’ve taken AP or IB classes in your previous academic years. The stress and adrenaline levels really start to pick up during junior year, but it’s really the beginning of the worst to come.
When you begin senior year it starts smoothly. You’ll think you have nothing to worry about and the difficulty won’t be as draining. That is until the second week arises. Your counselors and deans will hit you with a LOT of different things that need to be done, so you can graduate. I thought it would be simple, but I was truly mistaken. You’ll need to start applying to colleges, look for scholarships, keep up with your studies, keep up with your clubs and athletics, and even your outside life which will only start to deteriorate after the first month and a half. You then have to take into account that many students are taking AP and IB classes, so the course load is larger than the average senior. You then also have Seniors that wish to graduate early so they can get out quicker, start working to save up for college and continue in life. But please don’t get me started on Prom…
Planning for your future while executing necessary steps is a stressful topic that is hardly talked about and needs to be implemented during freshman and sophomore year. It allows for breathing room, less stress levels and way less sleepless nights. It should be the primary factor that is brought up to prepare students down the road for success.
