In the 2023-2024 school year, the class of 2025 at Herriman High School is made up of around 850 students. Often, junior year is considered one of the most difficult yet important years of your high school career. As students begin a new school year, juniors share their different perspectives about school.
Juniors are in the awkward stage of high school where they are not new to it, but not close enough to the finish line. Like any other year, junior year has many ups and downs that make it hard to nail down one emotion. Many juniors such as Drew Hammon, expect an increased workload from sophomore year because of the ACT and more rigorous schedules. Regarding the ACT Hammon says, “It’s like a looming evil creature on the edge of your mind at all times.” Many new juniors share the same perspective of the ACT being a big scary test that will be the cause of their demise.
Makayla Slade, a current senior, compares how she felt about the ACT before and after taking it saying, “Before taking it I was super worried about it and studied for hours stressing out about it and after taking it I felt mad at myself because I felt like none of the studying I did, prepared me for the act.” She goes on to say “[succeeding] was more about testing strategies because I ran out of time and almost everyone I knew ran out of time as well.” The ACT is a big deal because of its importance to prospective colleges. Many juniors spend hours studying, but they still don’t get a score they’re happy with. Unfortunately, this year, the juniors will have to take the ACT just like every other class before them. The ACT is one of the biggest downsides to junior year for many students.
Another thing that makes junior year particularly stressful is the difficulty of classes. One anonymous junior, who is already feeling the stress of the new school year, says, “I think being a junior is the most stressful year of high school. This is the year that colleges look at the most.” they also said, “overall the workload is just insane and sometimes feels like too much to handle and it’s only the second week.”
Despite the intensity of junior year, it also has many perks. Since most Juniors are 16 or older, a large majority of students have their license which gives them a freedom found only behind the wheel of their first car. Having the ability to drive allows students to get to and from school without relying on someone else or the bus. Students are also able to enjoy the privilege of leaving campus to go to lunch every day. Though driving isn’t exclusive to juniors, it’s seen as a big change between sophomore and junior years.
Back to school is also very different once you’re entering your first year of high school. Many students have some of the same teachers as the previous year and already know their way around the school, which eases the anxiety of starting a new school year. Clark Warren, another HHS Junior, says, this “I feel like this year being a junior is different because first of all, you’re not part of the youngest group of people at the school anymore.¨ Moving into your second year of high school you gain respect from your peers as well as teachers., ¨Also, I know the school now. Like I know where classes are, how the schedule works, and which lunch to go to. Another thing is that I know more people now. Whether it’s teachers or just other students. Thinking back to last year the majority of people were strangers. Going into this year knowing more people will help me get through the year because I won’t feel so alone or by myself.” A lot of juniors can relate to this statement as they enter a new school year, but not a new school. When everything is familiar it makes the transition a lot easier.
Junior year is definitely memorable. It brings students one step closer to graduation and a future beyond high school – a reality that is both scary and exciting/. Even with all of the stressful things, students are able to find the good and have fun in their junior year.
