Now this might seem like a random time frame to be talking about, but there’s reason to it. The second semester of your junior year, at South and elsewhere, is arguably the most critical period of your high school career: you’re likely taking the most APs, it’s time to take the SAT or ACT, and college applications might start to creep into your mind. Put short, if there’s any time to put 100% effort into high school, it’s this specific semester.
Starting with AP tests, you should realize that at South specifically, the typical APs taken junior year are the ones that really can count towards college credit, think Lang, Bio, or maybe even Calc AB or BC. Here’s my biggest tip: Figure out if the class you’re taking actually prepares you for the AP test, and whether the tests in that class are made up of real AP-style questions. This matters. Seriously. If the tests are real AP questions, then the way you’ve been scoring is probably a good indicator of how well you’re doing. If not, you might have to do some preparation on your own.
On the topic of testing, don’t procrastinate on standardized tests. At the very least, try not to. If you really want a good score, one bad test might mean you have to wait a month or two before you get another shot, and if you wait until after your junior year is over, time will run out before you expect it. You might also be thinking about the fact that many colleges nowadays are test-optional, meaning you don’t need to submit a standardized test score to apply. My advice? TAKE THE TEST. Think of it this way. It’s technically optional to have good grades, good extracurriculars, and good essays when applying to colleges, but that doesn’t mean you ignore it. In the same way, don’t ignore testing.
Last but not least, college essays. Is it early to start thinking about this? Yes, and if you’re like me, you may not touch a single supplemental essay until your senior year starts. College shouldn’t be a stressor to you your junior year, but here’s what I want you to do. Start thinking. This might start to get emotional, but stay with me. Start thinking about your life; think about who you are, what makes you who you are, and what you value. For a lot of you, this is probably not something you care about often, but the hardest part of college applications for many isn’t the writing, it’s the storytelling. Instead of doomscrolling everyday, take some of that time to think about how the different parts of your life have affected you, your abilities, and your attitudes.
Now I know I just spent a while telling you how important the second semester of your junior year is, but for some relief, I want to end this by telling you how unimportant it is. At the end of the day, this is just a small portion of your life, and if you think you’re screwing something up, it’s likely not a big deal, and just know that you can soon enjoy the luxuries of a (relatively) stress-free post-college application senior year.
