High School Survival Guide - Junior Year (P1)

Now, let me just emphasize something very quickly: junior year is arguably the most important year of high school, but also the most difficult. Sadly, this is the year where you will make a difference. This is the year your college application will mostly be based on, and this is the year when there can be so many opportunities for leadership, community service, and all sorts of activities. So, do try to take this post and the upcoming posts seriously. I believe that if you can succeed in your junior year, then all your efforts in high school—working, volunteering, and trying your hardest in academic courses—will be worth it in the end.

The first thing is that you should try to seek out the most challenging coursework available at your school. Colleges love students who take on challenges, especially academic ones, and this is a perfect way for you to demonstrate that. Along with that, please try to study hard and focus on your studies during your junior year. The coursework is going to be difficult, and you may need to spend an extra hour per day studying. There are actually a lot of effective study guides online that you can use for revision, so I highly recommend utilizing those. You may also want to reach out to older students you have connected with in the past for academic advice. They have already studied the content and can give you valuable insights on how to manage the increasing workload during junior year. That’s why I mentioned in a few posts before that you should try to make connections with older students at your school—those who are one, two, or three years ahead of you. Even after they graduate, they can still offer you valuable advice to help you succeed academically.

Your junior year is also the time when you should consider taking the SAT or ACT, as well as the IELTS if you’re planning to study at an English-speaking institution in the future. To tell you the truth, there are many resources online for studying for the SAT, ACT, or IELTS, so don’t worry about a lack of resources. Strive to achieve a good score on either the SAT (aim for 1500 or higher), the ACT (aim for 34 or higher), or the IELTS (aim for 7.5 or higher). This way, you can show colleges that you are academically competitive and increase your chances of being accepted to one of these institutions.

The next piece of advice that I strongly recommend is to make an impact through your extracurricular activities. These have been an important part of your college application. They show that you are not only focused on studying but also engaged in activities outside of the classroom and even outside of school. Some people may feel uncertain about how to demonstrate this impact or how to show that they are committed to their extracurricular activities and are active members of their community.

Let’s look at some hypothetical examples. For instance, consider a person who is president of a math club. To expand the club’s influence, they might decide to hold events not only within the club but also school-wide. They could invite guest speakers to talk about math or even host a competition that they create and run. This way, they are demonstrating to colleges that they can extend the impact of math to the wider community, showing that math is not just a boring subject but also has interesting applications.

Another example could be a person who starts an NGO focused on donations. Initially, they might host small events here and there, sending all the money to a well-known charity. After some reflection, they decide to expand their NGO. For instance, they might collaborate with other NGOs and host larger events to attract more people, thereby achieving the vision of their organization.

(To be continued)