Junior year is the beginning of the end of high school and is often deemed the most stressful year. This is the year that many students think more seriously about college, take AP classes, and prepare for the SAT. Additionally, students have to balance school with sports, jobs, extracurricular activities, and social lives. Lots of people get scared for junior year before it even starts.
In my opinion, junior year was as bad as people make it seem, if not worse. The work was harder than in freshman and sophomore years, which was expected, but a lot of the time it was way more difficult to manage than I was used to. It constantly felt like there was one thing after another. There were a lot more quizzes and tests than in previous years.
Maintaining focus was difficult, and a lot of the time I found myself giving up, especially on studying. Sometimes I would open my folders, look at my study guides, then choose peace by closing said folders. This peace did not last for long, because when I saw the bad grades get put into PowerSchool, I got even more stressed out. I got more bad grades in junior year than ever before.
Thinking about AP tests and the SAT made it even more overwhelming. The results of these tests are important for life after high school; it was an added stressor. SAT scores can impact college admissions, and passing the AP tests with a score of three or more is required to earn college credit for the class.
Despite junior year’s bad reputation, some people enjoyed it.
Junior Zoe Blatnik said, “Junior year is actually good.”
Some students think that tests are the hardest part of junior year.
Junior Cleona Denman says, “After you’re done with SATs, the stress is gone.”
At Waterford High School, all juniors were required to take the SAT on March 19, 2026. Therefore, some people may find the last three months of school relaxing.
Others believe that staying on top of your work can make it easier.
Junior Cassey Skyla Sionson says, “You just need to turn in assignments on time.”
Some people find turning in assignments on time easy, while others think it is stressful. There are still people who think that junior year was as bad as people made it out to be.
Senior Zaydin Martinez says, “Yes, junior year was as bad as people made it seem. There was too much work.”
Some people do not agree with the belief that it is the most stressful year, while others do. The best thing you can do is try your best and stay on top of things without letting yourself get too overwhelmed.
