Neev - Week 16: Remembering Junior Year
So here we are, I guess...
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| This is how I view the time and idea of summer |
Junior year: a year we'd been hearing horror stories and rumors about ever since elementary school. Whether it was through neighbors recounting their times or through teachers scaring us about the pressure we would face, we were led to believe junior year of high school, especially for us APENGers, would be hell on Earth.
Was it really that bad, however? Don't get me wrong, there were indeed some unmanageable times, where essays, tests, meetings, and seemingly everything the world could throw at you coincided. Those times did make us feel like we would never make it out, that it was time to give up and stop caring. But guess what, here we are, at almost the other side of it all. For most, AP exams are done, barely any teachers have mandatory final exams, prom and party season is on the way. Summer is almost here.
If I'm being completely honest, I think in a few years, I'll see junior year as more positive and memorable than I had expected it to be. Maybe one day we're going to look back on those RA annotation sheets and weekly RA essays and final exams and AP tests and have a bittersweet smile on our faces because we're going to remember the pain but also be fond of the youth, innocence, and determination our junior year selves had.
Maybe those sleepless nights and stressful timed writes are going to be worth it... Maybe the fun times we had to balance out the academic pressure will be remembered more fondly and strongly than the pressure itself...
But again, here we are. At the end of the day, we did make it. Regardless of what we might have thought during the journey or the stories we heard from former students or neighbors or family friends or old Reddit posts, we're done.
Neev, I definitely agree with you—junior year was not all that bad. However, I definitely noticed that it was more stressful and busy than previous years. My freshman and sophomore years were comparably light, with few assignments/classes to worry about. By contrast, my junior year felt packed—partially because I started spending more time in the theatre, but also because of my classes. Admittedly, APENG was the only class that posed any stress for me. Thinking back, I wonder whether the stress was worth it—there’s a part of me that wishes I had spent less time on academics and spend more time enjoying life. Unlike you, I’m not sure if I’ll see junior year that positively in the future—I think I might still regret not spending more time to enjoy life.
ReplyDeleteHello Neev! As I have started reflecting on junior year with my friends and family, I am starting to appreciate how fulfilling junior year has been. It would feel like the world was ending when we would rush to finish annotations and SOAPS paragraphs during lunch, but what matters in the end was that we made it through those stressful times. Everyone says that junior year is the most stressful year, the one that genuinely feels suffocating. And there were times that it did. But as I look back on my most eventful year thus far, I mainly see the beautiful memories that I have had the privilege of being a part of. Spirit Week, Night Rally, Prom, throwing, spontaneous adventures, being in nature, making new friends, getting through APs…I can confidently say that junior year has been my favorite year of high school so far and I am grateful for every moment. I loved the way you reflected on junior year being an overall positive experience because that is exactly how I feel. Thank you for sharing Mr. Neev Tamboli, I loved blogging with you this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Neev. I can totally relate to the feeling of being on the brink of part season. As most of my finals are over (this Monday and tomorrow), I have this lackadaisy feeling when it comes to thinking about academics. I feel so close to being done with some things like APENG, as doing this and submitting the blogs and comments on Turnitin will be my final APENG assignment of the year. This thought is so surreal that my mind literally has not processed it. Like if you saw me right now, you could tell that I do not really care. But I know that once I start having panic bouts and nightmares, and I realize that it is all over, that is when it will truly sink in. So this leads me into my next point, I feel like junior year was harder. Yes, while we did survive the times we did not think we would, I feel like there are chunks of my lifespan that I lost due to some days. But I do know that it will definitely help me in the long run, and even senior year. I will try to maintain my energy for senior year so that I can remain more proactive and finish strong. All in all, I agree, we survived. While it was hard and might have some lasting effects, I definitely think I can recover through summer break (hopefully), which is also going to be hard as we will be doing activities and college apps.
ReplyDeleteAs an endnote, it was nice seeing your blogs this year and how much fun you have. I still remember that one blog in which you talked about going outside in the middle of the night and hanging out with your friends. Your blogs evoke the idea of a high school experience that I want to partially embody, if not entirely. So yeah, see you next year!
Hey Neev, I agree that looking back, junior year was not nearly as bad as the horror stories I've heard leading up to it. It's crazy to think that one way or another we're now all past the supposed most stressful year of school that everyone warns us about. There were definitely stressful moments throughout junior year where I felt burnt out or unmotivated academically, and looking back on sophomore and freshman year this year had the heaviest workload by far. But when I think back on junior year, I'm already beginning to forget how much I was struggling and how stressed I was through the busiest parts of it. So I'm sure that in a few years we'll all remember junior year as a memorable year full of positive experiences, since the positive memories stick with us better.
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