To my sophomores transitioning into junior year and asking yourself, “What’s it like going to be a junior?” It’s hell. Well, that’s a little dramatic of us to say, but it is rocky. I would honestly compare junior year to a bottomless well: no matter how many buckets of hours and effort you draw from it, the work never seems to lower. To avoid falling behind and to what I call “the academic trenches,” here are some strategies we wish we followed this year:

1) Academic Focus

Although you are a junior and still have time, you need to consider college: not just about applying, but about what colleges look at specifically. Colleges LOVE to look at your grades during your junior year and at the difficulty of your classes. If you’re planning on taking AP courses or any kind of honors, good for you! Although it definitely is a handful and can either make or break your GPA. If it’s not your thing, don’t worry about it. Colleges also like to see extracurriculars of any kind.

1A) Make Habits

Get yourself a planner or just make one on a Google Docs. This will help you keep track of all your assignments easily. Google Classroom does notify you when assignments are due, but it’s easy to miss it and then have a miniature heart attack because your 50 point assignment was due at 8 A.M. and you didn’t see the reminder.

1B) Make Relationships With Your Teachers

It’s easier said than done, I know. I can absolutely understand why the whole concept is terrifying. Coming from someone who struggles with making connections, it’s always better to have at least one trusted adult. “What if there’s a teacher I can’t connect with?” Yes there is! I told myself the exact same thing but you’ll find at least ONE teacher you can really get along with. It doesn’t even have to be a teacher you know, it can be anyone in our building. I mean, that’s what happened to me at least. Shoutout to Mr. LoAlbo who isn’t even my teacher yet but still became my safe space.

But that’s besides the point, let me explain why these relationships do matter. Let’s say you’re struggling with your workload and just can’t seem to get your work in: you need to communicate with your teacher. A student with a better relationship with a teacher will have a better chance at getting an extension because they’ll understand more where you’re coming from. Now, I’m not saying to use this all the time because that’s just abusing the trust and the bond, but if you really are struggling, I’m sure the two of you can come up with a compromise.

2) Prep For Your PSAT/SAT/ACT

While these are optional, it is still a good thing to take or even consider. A preliminary SAT is a practice version of your SAT. It serves as a tool to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. It also helps you feel more confident when it comes to taking the real SAT because you’re familiar with the language and format already.

What about the actual ACT? What benefits do they have? They’re the thing that’ll help you get into college. Now, this is guaranteed because times have changed and SOME colleges might not even care about it. But if you do end up taking it, the higher the score you have, the bigger chance you have at getting accepted. In addition, you could also get scholarships. Colleges typically use these scores to give away scholarships that can help with your tuition or even a full-ride.

3) Protect Your Free Time

While I know almost everyone has an extracurricular activity whether that be a sport or even one of our many clubs, you have to find a way to balance it all. Yes, that’s easier said than done and it does get more and more tumultuous as time goes on, but you always need some sort of balance. If this means taking a break for a season, take the break. It’s definitely not going to be a walk in the park balancing a long practice and then doing your four assignments that are due the same night. Hey, I could be wrong and you can do it by some miracle. Either way, prioritize yourself first before jumping into all the other stuff Brewster has to offer.

4) College Essay Planning

Senior year may seem like it’s light years away. I mean, we are giving you advice for your junior year, after all. However, as your junior year progresses, it’s a good idea to think about what you’ll want to write your college essay on. If you do take Jazzy’s advice, which you should, and form a good relationship with your teachers and your future teachers they can be a big helping hand into writing your essay. It’s never too early to start seeking help or brainstorming ideas. This essay is a big deal and the earlier you get started on it, the better off you’ll become at the start of senior year. I really wish I took the advice to write my essay at the beginning of the year just so I could get ahead of the game. Now, I’m stressing what my essay will even be on and wish I had listened to my peers and guidance counselor.

5) Get Involved In School Activities

I understand that you may not feel comfortable trying to involve yourself in other activities that your peers have gotten involved in. However, I say make yourself slightly uncomfortable and go for that activity you’ve been eyeballing! Let me explain what happened to me when I decided to take that leap of faith. Ever since I was child, I was always trying to teach myself gymnastics and flaunting my flexibility. But, I never had anywhere to actually show off my skill other than my living room. I never really thought about gymnastics after that, until I was given the chance to join Brewster’s gymnastics team. On the first day of practice I was very nervous, most of the girls on the team already had a higher skill level than me. Yet, despite my nerves, I was met with a very positive environment and my teammates and coaches were all really positive and supportive people. Although I wasn’t the best, I went everyday because I genuinely was happy to be a part of a team with my friends. It was the perfect outlet I needed when school got too stressful.

6) Stay Connected With Friends

Junior year will be the busiest year in high school. It’s going to be the year colleges look at your progress through that entire year, it’s very important you take it seriously. While you will be very busy, you should always make time for you and your friends to hang out and talk. Talking with friends will immediately help with the stresses of the workload you get for junior year. The more you make plans with your friends, the more you will feel the weight of junior year’s expectations start to feel lighter and bearable to continue on. The strength of a friend being there for you will be a huge factor to you.

Not only will junior year be your busiest year but it’ll be the most memorable year of all. So, take it from me and stay connected with those friends because as you can see me and Jazzy have come a long way this year and will definitely still be going strong for the years to come!