Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock has been warned about the trauma of junior year. Upon entering high school, almost everyone has an interaction with an upperclassman or teacher who has heard the words “just wait till junior year!” The struggle of 11th grade is so widespread and acknowledged that juniors who pass by each other in the hallways seem to always exchange a mutual facial expression that says “help me” which is almost always returned with the expression that says “how can I help you if I can’t even help myself?” The stress of junior year is so heavily anticipated that even if it wasn’t stressful, the uproar and talk of it would still be stressful. Nevertheless, most will make it out of the year feeling accomplished and relieved. As Seniors look back on their 11th-grade year, these are the many tips of advice that they wish they had known when it mattered come to mind:

“Just take a deep breath and chill because it will be over soon.” -Jake Whitman

“Don’t forget to take time for yourself, and make new friends outside of your normal circle.” -Rakel Solis

“Don’t Procrastinate!”-Ava Walker

“Homework is more of a recommendation than a necessity.” -Sarah Weber

“Put in the effort, but don’t beat yourself up if you fail.”-Caroline Peter

“Take your SAT and ACT prep seriously.” -Kristen Gload

“Time management is key.”-Jay Green

“Take your SAT as early as possible.”-Jameese Joseph

“If you’re in IB, don’t.”-Pilar Aguilar

“If a class or a program is taking away your happiness, don’t be afraid to do whatever you can to change that thing.”- Clara Cersovsky

“Take advantage of the little breaks you have throughout the day to do something productive. Don’t waste your time or resources.”- Julio Ayamel

“Do your homework. Just do it.”-Ana Fisk

“Don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers. They want to help you.” -Max Magladry

“Start everything early to help yourself later.”- Megan Johannes

“Do your homework the day its assigned, especially if you’re in AP calc.” -Ryan Tasto

“Don’t let your life inside the school consume you. Be social and reach out to people outside of your friend group.” -Rachel Castle

“Get off your phone.”-Ellie Whalen

“Mental health is most important.” -Tommy Devlin

“Don’t let fake people distract you from your work.” -Cami Marshall

“Don’t waste any time, you need every bit of it.” -Caroline King

“When you hear Arnold’s keys…run.”-Lauren Kiss

“Don’t get concussions.” -Caleigh O’Connor

“Get your college applications done as soon as possible.”-Sara Robb

“If you play a sport, good luck. Don’t procrastinate.”-Cici Coskun

“Junior year is harder than they say it is, believe it or not. However, it’s the year you find your true friends.” -Ava Della Ratta

“Go into junior year with an open mind and don’t procrastinate your college search.”-Molly Griffin

“Prioritize your time if you want to succeed.”-Shayna Smith

“Get your college applications done over the summer.”- Sabrina Castellon

“View school as a team sport”-Edward Aragon

“Try to do well on your SAT the first time to save money and time.”-Ritika Vemulapalli

Featured Image: The FOCUS