This is an ode to all the sophomores that are entering their junior year. Firstly, congratulations on making it halfway through your high school career! Secondly, get ready for the most jam-packed year of your life. Personally, I do not know how I made it through junior year, especially with how many times I have cried and given up on classes, but if I can do it then so can you, so here are some tips for surviving your junior year.
- Take time for yourself and do not forget to relax
In high school, predominantly in junior year, students find themselves crammed with homework and responsibilities left and right, making it hard to take care of themselves; this can lead to a steep decline in their mental health. I always recommended taking one day out of the week completely to yourself. Personally, I find by doing this I have a day to recharge and sleep! I highly encourage you to do the same and take one day out of the week for yourself.
- Do not over study
I have an AP lang argumentative essay tomorrow, I must study for at least a couple hours. Wrong, never do that. Yes, you should study as much as you can, but you should avoid studying for more than five or six hours as this can lead to burnout and cause you to lose the information that you have learned. So that lang essay that you needed to write tomorrow along with that test in history and assignment due in physics? Take deep breaths and only study for a few hours, I promise that it will be okay.
- Make those memories with friends but also have a to-do list
To reiterate, taking care of yourself is important, so if that means hanging out with your friends then yes by all means do that, but also have a to-do list. While hanging out with friends is beneficial to your mental health, it will not complete those 8 assignments that you have sitting in Canvas. If you are like me, seeing all those when you are out with friends will freak you out and ruin your mood. Instead, I find that when I have a to-do list of assignments in my notes app I am much less anxious because I know exactly what I have to do when I get home.
- Exercise
It cannot be emphasized enough how vital physical activity is to maintaining both physical and mental wellness. I myself run every Monday and Friday, and on such days after my run, I feel really invigorated and prepared to work. Unsurprisingly, I’m writing this article after taking a shower from a run, but exercise is important no matter what you do because as a junior, you no longer have a PE class that will hold you accountable for your physical health, so it’s critical to form habits now so you can keep them for the rest of the year. Additionally, it can increase your focus and support your education which is equally vital.