Junior year is often described as the most grueling year of high school, yet it rarely gets the same recognition as senior year’s “senioritis.” With Advanced Placement classes, SATs, extracurricular overloads, and the mounting pressure of college applications, many juniors are finding themselves exhausted far before they even reach senior year. 

For many juniors, the shift from sophomore year to junior year feels less like a transition and more like a plunge into deep waters without a life vest. When asked how he felt about this shift, junior Samrudh Ponniah Maheswari responded with “sophomore year is where you get to know more about the school, but junior year is when you actually step into the hard stuff.” With the sudden spike in expectations and workload, many juniors are beginning to discover the hardships of staying up to task and managing time. 

“This year feels a lot more rushed and you’re expected to be prepared for everything,” said junior Ridhi Maruneni. Many juniors juggle multiple Advanced Placement classes with extracurriculars and outside of school activities. When asked about what she found most difficult, junior Aarya Bhosale said “The hardest part is combining all your extracurriculars and studying into a short amount of time and getting everything done.” The ratio of school work to activities is hard to balance because juniors have to juggle between doing work and running around trying to make practices or events whether it be volunteering, working, sports practices and many other activities. 

To add on, when asked what adds to the stress, junior Aneesh Cuddalore Vijaisarath responded with “SATs are like an extra class. You have to do extra work outside of school, and that definitely puts stress on you.” On the outside, it may seem as if these students are managing well and they are doing just fine but in reality, only the juniors know how it feels to be under so much pressure, stress, and time constraints to get their stuff done. 

While teachers and parents may perceive junior year as a necessity for the future, students argue that the reality is far more overwhelming and challenging than adults realize. Maheswari talked about how having immigrant parents has taken a toll on how junior year is perceived in his family,“My parents are Indian, so they think 12th grade is the hardest. I try to explain, but they don’t understand what happens here.” The struggles and pressure that are placed on the juniors are hard to explain especially when adults have a set mindset on how they think that the school year is structured. Teachers often see juniors as more capable leading to stricter deadlines and much greater responsibilities. 

“Teachers believe you become a more well-rounded student, so they expect you to handle harder workloads easier,” said Vijaisarath. By the time second semester rolled around, the exhaustion set in, motivation began to waver, and the juniors found themselves dragging through the rest of the year in the haze of burnout. “Junior year hit me like a truck. I didn’t realize how much I’d have to balance,” said Maruneni. Like her, many students didn’t expect the sudden plunge of the school year. While many think of senioritis as laziness, junioritis seems to be more about the burnout and exhaustion from the prolonged stress.

 “It’s kind of depressing seeing other grades chilling while we’re constantly working,” said Maheswari. When compared to the structure of the other grades, Junior year definitely has much more to it. 

Now, if junior year is universally said to be the toughest, then what can be done to help these students cope? Students have suggested some possible solutions to their dilemmas. 

For example, “If counselors and teachers gave us clearer resources for outside opportunities, it would be so much easier to manage,” said Bhosale. Bhosale also advised underclassmen to“start early. I know it sounds stressful, but doing everything early makes it much easier in the long run.” When stress levels are at this all-time high, juniors have to come up with strategies to maintain their mental health amidst the hectic workload during the school year. Students employ various methods to cope with the pressure. For example Maruneni said, “I treat myself whenever I feel like I accomplished something, even if it’s small. It helps me stay sane.” Managing stress is an important aspect of school. Pressuring oneself is never a healthy way to study. Another aspect that is hard for the juniors is to stay motivated throughout the school year. 

“I think about all the hard work I’ve put in over the years. I don’t want to throw it away because I’m tired for one day,” said Vijaisarath. Staying motivated is key to managing stress. One bad day shouldn’t affect the rest and it is really important to know that everything one achieves is worth being happy about. All the goals that one reaches during this year is a stepping stone that brings one closer to the end result. 

Despite the late nights, stress, and seemingly endless workload, the juniors push forward because at the end of the day, “Junior year is the hardest, yeah. But it also teaches you more than any other year,” said Maheswari. Junior year isn’t just another grade level, it is a marathon of managing homework, AP classes, SATs, extracurriculars and the emerging college applications.