As NVD enters marking period three, the juniors have experienced the struggle that junior year holds. 

Junior year not only has the most academic pressure out of the four years of high school, but it’s also the time when students begin all of the college preparation. 

Additionally, students begin preparing for standardized testing, which is time-consuming and takes a lot of focus.

The conversation of college is everywhere around them, whether it’s from guidance counselors, parents, or friends, it is guaranteed to become a constant thought in students heads. 

The American Institute of Stress states, 55% of juniors feel stressed and anxious about maintaining satisfactory grades. 

The pressure is held high for junior year, which is tough for students to deal with, however, there are many strategies to deal with stress. 

Chloe Poirot, a junior at NVD, claims that the best way to deal with the work of her junior year has been to manage her time well. 

Poirot says, “I think junior year has been harder than past years mostly because of the number of tests and workload. I deal with the workload by time managing well. I set aside time when I go home to spend time only focusing on my homework and blocking out any distractions.”

Another junior at NVD, Marco DeCroce, talks about the negative effects that junior year can have on students, “Myself being a 3 sport varsity athlete and having to manage my school work is very hard on my mental and physical health. Being able to manage all the work and sports is tough on student-athletes or other students who are struggling at home or with other outside conflicts,” DeCroce said. 

Making sure that the workload is manageable can be challenging. Students can’t control how much work they are assigned, but they control how to manage the time they have to complete this work.

“Time management is the most important for your physical and mental health,” DeCroce said.

It’s all about how students spend their time. Juggling schoolwork, sports, after-school activities, and more can be challenging. However, if juniors prioritize a certain time of the day to complete homework, they will have time for friends and social activities.

“Being able to have time to be social and see friends and family is very important in my life to help relieve my mental and physical struggles throughout the work-filled weeks,” DeCroce said.

Once students hit junior year, parents naturally expect more from them. Their responsibility level rises and they are expected to handle things on their own. Students experience a new chapter of their lives once they turn 17.

“I think junior year is a big maturing year because this year is a big step in growing up. It’s the year people get their license and have more freedom but on top of that, the responsibility for the amount of work increases,” Poirot said.