The 2024-2025 school year is coming to a close very shortly, marking the graduation of the Class of 2025 and the eventual promotion of the Class of ‘26 as the new senior class. Many exciting events await these hopeful juniors as they transition to the next school year, including the annual senior sunset and sunrise events, committing to a college, and the grand finale—graduation. Despite all the upcoming excitement, the promises ahead would not be possible without the work these dedicated juniors are putting into their studies now.
Junior year is a time for many changes—bigger courseloads, new extracurriculars, and the ever-present threat of exams. Juniors not only prepare for the required reading and writing SOLs, but the even more stressful SATs and ACTs. Though many colleges did away with standardized test requirements at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools like Harvard and Yale are slowly bringing back the requirement for newer graduating classes. The Class of ‘26 will certainly be no exception—this year’s junior class has been putting in the work in order to excel in these tests. Junior Ella Bober, who took the SAT for the first time in March, is certainly feeling the added pressure. “I have only taken one SAT, but I am finding it incredibly challenging to find time to study for it in addition to everything else I have going on,” Bober expressed. The pressure of the SATs on current juniors has led to students taking on extra studying to assure that their scores are up to par. Junior Lily Lins plans to take her first SAT in June and is using the free, online Khan Academy program in order to prepare for it. “I definitely think it’s helpful. There’s a ton of practice questions and there’s a lot of videos,” Lins expressed.
With the expansion of course load variety, many juniors have elected to take four, five, and even six Advanced Placement (AP) or Dual Enrollment (DE) classes this year. The dedication juniors are putting into their studies means a handful of them will be juggling several AP exams come May. These exams are not for nothing, though—passing or high scores on these exams can be used as college credit at certain universities, allow students admission to international universities, and give them the opportunity to waive certain curriculum requirements. Lins has noted that one of her more difficult classes, AP Language and Composition, has challenged her in her writing abilities. “That’s definitely a hard class, but it’s definitely helped me improve my writing a lot,” Lins claimed.
As both an accomplished student and a dedicated swimmer, Bober has to constantly manage her schedule to make sure her AP/DE homework is manageable. However, the work is sometimes hard to tackle. “Especially during midterms and at the end of a quarter, I have a tendency to get less than five hours of sleep a night,” Bober said, “which can be incredibly draining and negatively impact my performance at swim or in school.” Bober and other hard working juniors are hoping this dedication will pay off in their senior year.
Heading out of the school year, juniors are excited to take advantage of the time and opportunities the summer break will bring them. “Over the summer, I’m taking Personal Finance and Econ as an online course, and then I will probably just keep up on my reading and study for the SAT again,” Lins shared. Some are hopeful for the opportunity to separate themselves from a few of their academic responsibilities for several weeks. “Taking some time to destress and reorganize will be a great way for me to prep for another year of challenging academics,” Bober explained.
There is also much to look forward to in the fall for these hardworking juniors. The senior class famously gains class-specific privileges not granted to underclassmen, including the ability to eat lunch on the outdoor patio, leave class three minutes early, and opt for an early release or late arrival instead of a study hall. Lins shared that she was expecting “more freedom, and also a little bit less stress” going into her final year of high school.
While heading on this journey from junior year to senior year, students are reflecting on what matters most to them and how they want to spend their future. For Lins, Bober, and others, the road ahead might seem daunting, but the challenges they have faced are only a reminder of how much they have accomplished. “I think my junior year has been a little bit stressful, but I feel pretty successful. It’s making me feel pretty good going into senior year and confident about myself and my grades,” Lins smiled.