Junior year is widely considered to be the most grueling year of high school—for good reason. It lies between Senioritis and the more laidback first two years where there are less opportunities to participate in AP classes.
Hence, if you’ve packed your schedule tight–like I did–you’re in for a treat. Late nights, tired hands, shared struggles—such are the defining moments of Junior year. Last year, I took 4 APs: Physics, Lang, Calc AB, and APUSH. While I cannot claim to have the hardest classes, I feel I am well-prepared to offer advice.
My one piece of advice: Study for Tests
While this may seem obvious for many, it was not for me at the beginning of my Junior year. Previously, the only test I had really studied for was the AP World History exam. Other than that, I mostly coasted with the information I had learned in class. This changed with the first few tests in Physics and Calc AB. Studying for the unit tests became a necessity. Each year, the first physics test plays out notoriously poorly. The final for AP physics averaged around 50%. Students that are used to getting high grades with little to no self studying should find themselves turned around in Junior APs. Also, while under Ms. Kerr’s APUSH class, students are not required to turn in notes. Consequently, close to no one wrote them. While I felt confident throughout the year, and treated APUSH more as an on level class compared to my other more strenuous classes, I felt hilariously unprepared for the AP test. This led to my studying a ton before the exam. So my advice to you juniors: stay on top of your work, do not be lazy, and study for tests before the grades come out and you wish you had.