Someone requested this and I’m assuming they meant Junior in high school (Forgot to save the message! Sorry!), so here’s a post for all you juniors!
I’m a senior in high school, so I am a sort of a veteran. I came out with the battle scars to prove my status. I had a tough time in Junior year, so I feel that I have the experience to give advice. But don’t let that scare you! You may not necessarily have as hard of a time and, if you are worried, I am going to give you the tools you need to make this important year a little bit easier on yourself.
This post is a list of advice and resources I would have given myself before starting my junior year and all the things I would have done differently.
1. Don’t be so hard on yourself! This first piece of advice is so important! We are our own worst critics, but sometimes we can unintentionally paralyze ourselves by doing so. This can cause so much unnecessary stress and hinder productivity! Remember that sometimes your best is indeed your best if you’ve given 110%. Don’t be afraid of failure, either! Failure is a good thing. Failure is a catalyst for progress. We learn more when we fail! If you bomb a test or don’t quite get a concept on the first try, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Instead, relish that opportunity to improve yourself.
2.Only load your schedule with difficult classes if you know you can handle them! During Junior year, students tend to load their schedule with difficult classes because they think colleges will think higher of them. That’s not necessarily true! Take classes that challenge you, but balance your workload! If you do more than you can handle, you will get stressed and it will negatively affect your mental and physical health. Think twice before taking AP classes and use your best judgment. If you don’t like science or math, why take AP chemistry? On the other hand, if you love art, but you hate making artwork under a fast-paced schedule with tight deadlines, don’t take AP drawing. Consider your personality and likes/dislikes before choosing rigorous courses. (sidenote: I have no experience with IB programs so this may not be the best resource)
3. Now is the time to start considering colleges if you plan on pursuing higher education! You don’t have to be dead set on which colleges you are applying to, but now is the time to start looking. You start the application process in the fall of Senior Year, so it’s better to be prepared! This is the one thing I actually did my junior year that just about saved my life. If possible, schedule college tours. Find a way to introduce yourself to admissions reps of colleges you are considering. Look around their websites. Consider what type of environment you are looking for. Sign up for information packets that you get in the mail. Informing yourself about all your possibilities beforehand will make the application process much easier when you actually have to start applying. Another thing that can be helpful is attending Summer Intensives or programs for juniors. This may not be affordable for everyone (I certainly couldn’t participate in these!), but when it was too late, I heard that often people get substantial scholarships to attend these. These programs can give you a glimpse at what college life may be like in general and/or at the college you are looking into. Some colleges give scholarships to freshmen who attended one of their summer programs. A good source to start looking for colleges you may be interested in.
4. If you plan on taking the ACT/SAT, start your preparations early. My school had me take a practice ACT test each year starting my freshman year. I know so many people who advise against starting too early, but it helped me a lot. It may not have helped me too much content-wise, but I learned how to take the test which is, in my opinion, most important. I only have experience with the ACT, however, so you may have to look for SAT resources on your own. Some tips I’d give for the ACT is:
-Get yourself a good practice book. Don’t bother buying them unless you know you will use them a lot. Often you can find them in a public or school library. Get older additions for cheaper on the internet if you insist on buying them. They can be pricey. I used books provided by my school.
-USE THE PRACTICE TESTS! And routinely take the practice tests as close to real-life conditions as possible. I cannot stress how important this is. The ACT is all about pacing yourself and learning how to take the actual test. Often, you can also find past tests online.
-Focus on the content areas that you struggle in first. Sometimes, you may have to re-teach yourself things you’ve previously learned in class or learn things that you haven’t learned at all! I struggled in math and science, but my school hired a prep teacher who could only prepare the class for the English and reading sections. As a result, I scored in the 30s for those sections but my science and math were barely a 20! This brought my score way down and there was no way I could improve them in a few months because my skillsets in these areas were extremely lacking! It’s better to put most of your focus on the subjects that you struggle in! It may be frustrating, but if you persevere the preparation will pay off. That’s not to say that you must only focus on your weakest areas. It is also important to review your strong subjects and fill in learning gaps there, but learning how to battle the test proficiently will help greatly improve your scores if you already have a knack for those subjects!
-Take a prep class if your school offers a free one. I had the privilege of being able to do so. It’s worth it. Do it. And actually engage yourself in it. It’s easy to just get by in these types of classes, but you must fully immerse yourself in order to gain any benefit from them.
-WHEN TAKING THE TEST DO NOT LEAVE ANY ANSWERS BLANK! YOU DO NOT GET PENALIZED FOR WRONG ANSWERS!!!!! ANSWER EVERY SINGLE QUESTION EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO GUESS! MARK THE ONES YOU DON’T KNOW IN YOUR BOOKLET AND MOVE ON! IF YOU HAVE TIME, GO BACK TO THEM, BUT DO NOT LEAVE ANSWERS BLANK. I REPEAT. DO NOT LEAVE ANSWERS BLANK!
If you have any additional questions about the ACT my inbox is open! I am also thinking of making my skype or kik available for anyone who wishes to receive help in the English and reading portions.
Act Test Guide!
Here’s a potentially useful post for all the SAT takers out there!
Free ACT and SAT prep materials
Should You Retake the ACT/SAT?
5.If you struggle with any mental health issues, now is the time to get help. You will not do well in this trying year if you leave these issues unaddressed. Please refer to my mental health post. (note: My main blog is currently on hiatus, so some of the links may not work correctly unless you are using the mobile tumblr app. )
6. Remember that school is not everything. Schedule downtime. Take frequent breaks. Do things you enjoy such as hanging out with friends or watching movies. You must gain experiences outside of school!
7. Learning how to manage your time is crucial! Don’t procrastinate! There are loads of posts floating around tumblr on different ways to do this!
Some good ones:
Minimalist School Organization
The pomodoro technique (my favorite way to break study sessions into manageable chunks)
Developing Self-Discipline
Time Management Hacks
There are plenty of other posts floating around tumblr describing different ways to manage time, including planners, printables, bullet journals, etc! The important thing is figuring out what works for you! And for the love of god, always schedule in at least 7 hours of sleep. Do not skimp out on your sleep. It is essential for good grades!
Remember that you really don’t have to adhere to any complicated or fancy techniques for this. All I use is a simple planner and a pencil! I write my to-do list down in my planner, put important dates on my calendar, and cross each item off as I complete them! The key is learning what to prioritize and sticking to your routine.
8. If you haven’t already, learn how to study effectively! The general rule I live by is to work smarter, not harder!
Taking Notes that Work
How to Study Like a Straight A student
Things top students do Except the part on not doing all of your homework, do all of your homework you slacker. That stuff can make or break your grade!
9. If you haven’t yet, start looking for things to add to your resume! This can be any extra-curricular activities or jobs! Warning! Don’t do things because you think they will look good to colleges! Do things that you are passionate about! Colleges would much rather see that you are passionate about something than that you joined every single club and attained every leadership position in hopes for the “perfect college resume”
10. Review your graduation requirements and the course requirements for the colleges you may potentially apply to senior year! This is self-explanatory. Work with your school counselor to figure out what kind of schedule you need to complete this step. Remember that different schools and states have different requirements.
This is all I have to say at this moment! This is pretty basic, but I hope it is helpful! If you have any suggestions for this post or future posts please refer to my ask box! Thank you for reading!
