Back to School: What to Expect Your Junior Year of High School

Navigating Your Way Comfortably into 11th Grade

By
Kelli Mahoney
Kelli Mahoney
Christianity Expert
  • M.P.A., University of Illinois–Springfield
  • B.S., Psychology and Criminal Justice, Illinois State University.
Kelli Mahoney is a Christian youth worker and writer. She previously worked as an administrator for NXT, a high school Christian youth group.
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Updated on April 30, 2019

You've made it through two years of high school…only two more to go. There is so much to expect your junior year, and sometimes it can seem so overwhelming. If you think back to your sophomore year of highschool, you watched the Juniors run around like crazy at times. It's a fairly stressful year, so knowing what to expect your junior year means being able to plan ahead to make your way through it unscathed.

Welcome to the Upper Class

Teenage students studying wind power
Blend Images / KidStock

When you were a freshman, you were probably a little envious of those upperclassmen. They seemed so big, so mature, right? Now you're one of them. Where did the time go? Now you're part of the upper echelon. You're an upperclassman! While this means you've grown up a bit and "rule the school," you also now have even more responsibility to those coming next. You can be the one to offer advice. It becomes easier to show your faith on campus by leading by example, and underclassmen look to you to set that example.

Prepping for the Real SAT and ACT

So, you've taken your PSAT and pre-ACT, and now you're ready to take the real thing. You've built up your exam study skills, and you're going to spend a good amount of this year prepping to take the test(s), sweating your way through the actual tests, and then anxiously waiting for the test results. It's a rough time for even the smartest student, so while these tests are serious and do impact your future, take a deep breath and stop for a moment to appreciate what God has planned for you. Great score, medium score, or bad score, God loves you and is there to comfort and guide you no matter what. Do your best. That's all that matters.

Classes Don't Get Easier

While you have all the pressure of tests coming up, you also have harder classes. You didn't think your teachers would let you off the hook just because you're prepping for college, right? This means Juniors have the greatest need for good time management skills. You need to balance a lot of school work with the rest of your life. Homework skills are important here. A good planner helpful in most other years of school, it's a necessity in your junior year.

More Focused Electives

While you spent your freshmen and sophomore years trying out new things and developing your interests, your elective choices now get more focused during your junior year. You're starting to think of your college major or your future career path, so now you start to choose electives that will take you down that path.

The College Game

During your sophomore year, you'll hear a lot of college talk. However, it's during your junior year that the talk gets really serious. You have colleges coming to talk to students. You'll start getting brochures and start thinking of where you actually want to go. You may even start going on college visits to explore your options. This is also the year when you'll decide if you want to go to college. You may decide college isn't for you, so you may look at a trade school or just going straight into the workforce. There's a lot of decisions to be made.

Your First Prom

Most schools have Prom for Juniors and Seniors. Sometimes they're separate, and other schools combine the two years into one dance. However, while you're going through all the pressure of testing and looking into your future, you do get to create an amazing memory with your first prom.

Wait! Did You Remember to Have Fun?

While Prom is usually held late in the year, it seems like it's the only bright spot during your junior year. Yet, in spite of all the pressures you have your junior year, it's still a great year of school if you remember to put a little fun in your year. There's plenty of youth group activities that can keep you entertained during the year. If you don't have a little fun, you may wake up one day and regret it. Even God wants us to have a little fun in our lives. it's why we have laughter. It's why the Bible talks so much about joy. So, put in a little effort to have lighter days mixed with the serious this year.

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Mahoney, Kelli. "Back to School: What to Expect Your Junior Year of High School." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/what-to-expect-junior-year-of-high-school-712716. Mahoney, Kelli. (2023, April 5). Back to School: What to Expect Your Junior Year of High School. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/what-to-expect-junior-year-of-high-school-712716 Mahoney, Kelli. "Back to School: What to Expect Your Junior Year of High School." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/what-to-expect-junior-year-of-high-school-712716 (accessed April 19, 2024).