As the BSM 2023-24 school year ramps up, everyone is adjusting to their new grade levels. Those who once were freshmen are now sophomores and those who used to be sophomores are finally starting to feel the gravity that is Junior year. Junior year is a huge contributing factor of one day getting into a good college which is why students tend to latch onto as many things that will make them stand out against other students as they can including packing their schedules full of honors and AP classes.
According to a recent survey by the Knight Errant, 58.1% of juniors who responded are taking more AP classes than they have in previous years. While this is only a little over half, almost 84% of respondents admitted that they feel an increased sense of pressure to enroll in these advanced classes. “Everything has led up to this year and you want to be on the upward incline of your grades. You’ve always been told by your parents and even your upperclassmen friends, that junior year is just a really big year. You just feel that pressure. It’s just a lot to try and maintain everything that you already have accomplished but then also go beyond that,” junior Ruby Ryan said.
You have to have a good balance between school and your social life and sports; it’s good to take those hard classes to impress colleges, but also, you need to live and be happy, protect your peace
— Alex Luke
Trying to impress universities can be a really difficult thing to do especially when every other junior in the world is trying to do the same thing. Due to this fact, it can be hard not to reflect and ask if it is even worth the effort and toll it can take on a person’s mental health. When the need for academic validation overthrows the real desire to learn, it might be time to step back. “You have to have a good balance between school and your social life and sports; it’s good to take those hard classes to impress colleges, but also, you need to live and be happy, protect your peace,” junior Alex Luke said.
From a more professional perspective, senior high counselor Vicky Haas, thinks that taking AP classes that you are really interested in is the right way to go. “I would definitely recommend just taking the ones that you’re interested in. I think universities want to see the rigor but you also want to do well in your classes, and you will do well in the classes that you enjoy. It’ll be more pleasant for you as well as a student because you’ll actually enjoy going at a faster pace, diving deeper into that content…ultimately it’s you enjoying the class. Not the universities,” Haas said.