High school movies show all the great parts of high school, the part of actual high school that is mostly captured is the worried freshman, the sophomores who are getting the hang of things, or  the seniors who are ready to go out the door. I wish there was a warning for is the stress of junior year. Unfortunately, we’ve had to find out for ourselves that high school isn’t all singing and dancing. If only Hollywood could’ve given us a heads up of  11th grade(But don’t you worry, there are still some movie-like experiences). 

Junior year is filled with an inordinate amount of stress and tests that no movie could ever prepare us for. As a junior, I can profess that there’s nothing easy about this year. Junior year is a crucial year that will test your limitations and capabilities, and will force you to learn some serious time management skills. It’s the year that you will be taking serious classes, a multitude of standardized tests, and start envisioning what you want for yourself in the future. “This year hasn’t been easy, but it motivates me to want more.”-Ashley Higgins ’23

Let’s just say if I had a dollar for every time I was asked where I want to go for college and what I would like to study, I wouldn’t have to even worry about how to pay for college. This year has made me question my goals and dreams like never before. In the beginning of the year we had to complete a supplement with diverse questions for the college counselors to get to know us and what we are striving for. I had never questioned myself or my future that rigorously. I have met with my guidance counselor twice this year, once to go over my possible opportunities for college and what I need to do to get there, and the second time was to go over my schedule for next year. I found myself putting a lot of stress and emphasis on the classes I was deciding to take, solely because that affects most of the other factors in my life.  ” I feel that whatever choice I make can either break or make me.”-Samatha Lara ’23

People often say that school doesn’t define you, but the classes I take determine the amount of stress I will experience, which will later affect my sleep schedule, GPA, college resume, and overall satisfaction with my future. And don’t forget about trying to get the most possible points on standardized tests. 

SAT and ACT are tests that play a big role in college admissions and require an abundant amount of preparation, time, and effort. Building up a resume also takes a lot of time and more than just one year, and none of it feels real until junior year. Therefore,  juniors juggle different ways to be a part of honor societies, clubs, leadership roles, and non-profit organizations. Thankfully the teachers know that this year isn’t an easy one, they don’t want us to struggle, so they always try to help us out whenever they can. “As a senior I learned that throughout the four years of Lourdes I used that stress to motivate me, just know that wherever you end up it was meant to be.” -Juliana Peredo ’22