Maya Hurst ‘21, Junior Editor

Junior year is infamous for being the toughest, most stressful of high school, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, a worldwide pandemic might just come along and cancel your SATs and make your AP tests open note! 

In all seriousness, junior year does not have to be painful. With the right classes, right friends, and yes, the right mindset, it’s honestly not half as bad as everyone sets it up to be. Below is some advice from the class of 2021, seasoned juniors at Greenwich Academy:

• Do things you enjoy, because you’re going to be busy and have some level of stress no matter what. It’s so much better to be busy and stressed while doing what you genuinely love than while doing something that you can’t wait to stop doing. -Edie Roth
• Don’t take hard classes if you’re not into the subject just to have an Honors or AP class on your schedule. It is so not worth it. -Sam Cannon
• Make time to hang out with friends- the essay can wait until Sunday! -Harper Jones
• Having a good relationship with your teachers is super important and will probably make your classes less stressful. -Kayle Ketchabaw
• Say sorry to your friends first rather than just being stubborn. -Sofia Giannuzzi
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. -Harper Jones
• Ask for extensions! Teachers will almost always give you one. -Riley Young
• Laugh! -Schuyler Sargent
• Find time to do the things you love, even if you don’t think they’ll help you get into college or anything. If it brings you joy, try to do it! -Edie Roth
• Start ACT/SAT prep sooner rather than later so you don’t need to scramble for a score. -Kayla Rocha
• Go into school with a good attitude every day- it just makes it so so much better. -Kaia Close
• Make the most of the little things. -Natalie Majd
• Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by what everyone else is doing -classes, testing, grades, etc.- focus on yourself and the things you can control. -Harper Jones

So, sophomores, I sincerely hope you take this advice into consideration as your junior year begins, I know it would’ve helped me. As a current junior, I can tell you that it is very hard not to get stressed about seniors getting into college or your friend getting 1600 on the ACT, or whatever else might be on your mind, but just know that none of that affects you, who you are, and what you will do in your future. Good luck!