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SURVIVING YOUR JUNIOR YEAR (Spring 2006)
By Taurean Gordon, Eleasha McCrae, Godwin Izenwata, Brittny Bastian, Jennifer Velez, Johiery Pereyra, Jasmine Cora, Anny Soto, and Ama Nyamekye

Getting Your Feet Wet
High school is like a river. Freshman year is the smoothest part, while sophomore year is the beginning of the rougher waters. Junior year is filled with rapids, where the water is faster and potentially dangerous. This article is for those about to paddle out into the rock filled storm. This guide will cover all the aspects of a junior’s life.

Tips for Social Success
When you reach your junior year it’s hard to stay out of the spotlight. Everyone is a victim of rumors. Many people can’t distinguish social studies from social life. Others who aren’t in the spotlight break their necks to seek spotlight. It’s hard to keep your name off of the bathroom walls, but it’s even harder to keep your name out of people’s mouths. Students hear rumors and just assume they are true. Gossip is the biggest issue in B.A.O.L. You think a person is your friend, but once you turn around they’ll stab you in the back. Just know that the person you may sometimes gossip with may be the person sometimes gossiping about you.

Here are tips for staying out of all this drama. First, keep to yourself, but that does not mean you have to be a “loser”—just be cautious of what you say. Going to lunch is not an obligation; you can always go to room 129, the library, or the computer room. You might even be able to go to your advisor’s room.

Lunch isn’t just a time to relax; it’s also a time to gossip. If you keep busy within and outside of school, whether it’s with community service or with academics, you won’t have time to gossip. And if you’re someone who wants distance from the gossip in the cafeteria, then don’t go. Always remember, a person that rumors to you, rumors about you. With all that time spent avoiding gossip, you can focus on more important priorities such as graduation and college.

Tips for Academic Success
First, when you have a difficult test or assignment, spend time getting help from your teacher. Ask questions during class to get clarity on the aspects of the class that are most confusing. The more questions you ask, the more the teachers answer, and the easier the assignment. Also, asking questions makes you seem more engaged in the lesson and boosts your participation grade. The only problem you might have is remembering what the teacher says long enough to write it down.

Second, make sure you attend SAT preps to help you get familiar with the SAT test-taking skills, and practice using old SAT tests. Actually, knowing the answers for the SAT isn’t as important as the strategies the class teaches you to improve your score. You also want to take advantage of any opportunities to take a practice SAT because the more you practice, the better you get, and the more confident you are when it’s time for the actual test. SATs aren’t hard; they’re just long and boring. It might be hard if you don’t have the strategies, but avoid taking the risk; just go to the SAT prep classes no matter how boring it seems. It pays off in the long run.

Last, make sure you pay attention to your grades in every class throughout the whole marking period by accessing mygradebook.com. Some students end up not knowing they are failing and their GPA drops. When your GPA drops, it makes it harder to get into your dream college. Keeping up your grades also helps you avoid summer school. No one wants to extend the school year if they don’t have to.

Tips for Managing Your Time and Stress
In order for you to survive your junior year, you have to be sure to turn in all you class work and homework assignments on time. If not, be sure to meet with your teachers to discuss possible ways you can turn in your assignment for credit. There is a rule you have to follow to stay on top of your school work.

First, you need to be sure that you are in class on time before the final bell rings: teachers might have an extra-credit opportunity on their do-now's that you might not have access to if you are late. Second, when it comes to test- taking, it might not be in your best interest to study the morning before the actual test. However, you might consider meeting with a teacher or your fellow classmates ahead of time to clear up any confusion you might have. To solve these issues you might consider keeping an agenda. At the beginning of the year each student is issued an agenda. This is yours to keep, so we recommend that you use your agenda to record homework assignments, project deadlines, major events and holidays, practice test sessions, field trips, college fairs, and anything you feel the need to remember.

During this year you might feel stressed. To avoid a stress-induced breakdown, try doing the following: get plenty of rest, eat healthy, talk to a friend or staff member you trust, exercise, participate in a hobby, and breathe! Remember, time and stress management is an important skill to master before entering college or the workforce.

Tips for College Preparation
1. Look up college admissions requirements on the internet.
2. Go to college fairs as often as possible.
3. E-mail colleges and ask for information about their school.
4. Think about colleges as early as possible and talk to people who went to college about their experience.
5. Stay on top of your grades.
6. Go to Ms. Steinberg. She can answer many of your concerns and questions about college.
7. Take advantage of as many tutoring and test-prep opportunities as possible.
8. Participate in extracurricular activities and community service.
9. Come to school every day because it affects your grades.
10. Take advantage of tutoring.
11. Be aware of after-school programs.
12. Meet your deadlines for assignments and projects.
13. Annualization projects affect your GPA. If you do them, those 55s will be erased and colleges won’t know about them.
14. Keep a resume of accomplishments and awards so you can include them in your college application.
15. Take as many extra credit opportunities as possible.
16. Visit colleges and talk to admissions officers and students.
17. Be aware of financial aid and scholarships.
18. Attend SAT classes because they help a lot.
19. Create a profile for what your dream college should look like.
20. Think about what kind of majors (writing, medicine, pre-law, etc) you might want to try.

If you try these tips, your junior year will be easier to manage. Remember, colleges look at all your years of high school and your junior year is the most important.

Conquering the River
We paddled out, we have faced the white water and the rocks and we have come out with only a few scratches. We passed though the academic falls and we have endured the stress and time management waters. We have even learned how to swim through a challenging academic and social life. Now, with these pearls of our wisdom, any sophomore can be ready for junior year. Now all that remains is to get your canoe and begin your journey. Good Luck!