Welcome to your very first (unless you had me last year) 204 blog post. We will be using this blog frequently, both as a tool and a resource to get the most out of our time, and as a place we can go to share thoughts and valuable information and ideas whenever we need to. Each week, there will be a question posted that you all must respond to in the allotted amount of time. These questions may be a jumping off point to class discussions, a support activity to lend insight or knowledge to what we are doing in class, or simply a thought-provoking way to get you to look at the world around you and marvel at your place in it. These questions will not be simplistic, and they should not be done when you only have 5 or so minutes on the computer; rather, they are questions designed to make you think and your posts should reflect that. You will be graded weekly on your responses by their content, so I would encourage you to try to not leave them for the last minute. Each one will have a word minimum, but don't be discouraged by that. I care much more about the quality of the thought you put into your responses rather than the quantity of the words you use.
Now that the formalities are finished, I would like you to consider the following: You are now entering your junior year. Some people say that this is the toughest, most demanding year of high school for a variety of reasons. What do YOU think? Do you have any expectations about what this year should bring? What are you hoping to get out of your AP Lang class and your junior year in general? What are your fears about this class and/or about 11th grade? Are you where you want to be academically, socially, physically etc? If so, how do you know? If not, why do you think you aren't? (300 wrds/25pts)
71 comments:
1st woo hoo
I have no doubts that this year will be demanding. For some reason though, I've started the year feeling self-confident. After taking a brief moment to evaluate myself, I really don't think that I have a reason to feel cocky. Last year, I didn't do as well as I had hoped. Considering I've put even more thought into it, I wouldn't say that I'm cocky; it's too strong and negative a word. I'd prefer to use determined.
Now that I've had a lasting taste of junior year, it's been pretty sweet so far. My creative energy will be put to good use! I've never felt so alive in my school work. I just hope that this won't be my downfall. Creativeness won't get me an A+ on a pre-calc test. That is my biggest fear: spreading my talents too short. I love music and art, but numbers don't register too well in my brain. It will be an extreme challenge trying to develop these skills, especially since I only have 2 years left of high school. For goodness sake, I'm already picking colleges out, planning campus trips, and trying to improve my SAT scores! The truth of the matter is, some hurtles in this junior-year sprint may be higher than others. I just need to train myself to conquer any height that comes my way. I know I'll succeed.
i can say that this year presents a pretty daunting task. If you cannot handle college application process, all the ap work, and any other activities that you may be involved in it is easy to break down. I am ready to take on the challenge even though it seems pretty ridiculous. This summer i was a hot mess considering where to go to college, and trying to focus on the ap work that was ahead of me. However with the help of my mom, girlfriend, and other friends my worries were temporialy subdued and i was able to focus. I know that this year i have to preform well both academically and atheleticly. Since it is still early in the year i am unable to tell how hard the year will really be, but from what it sounds like it is pretty stressful. I will do my best to avoid that stress and preform to the best of my ability. The only way to test your limits is to transcend them even if that means failing.
I have to honestly say that I am not looking forward to this year at all. Myabe I am just not used to the year yet and I miss last year, but as of right now I'm not feeling it. I know this yea is supposed to be the biggest year of our high school career. Colleges start looking at you and your transcript. As a student you start looking for colleges and focusing more on your major/career. This junior year, however, I feel like I am slacking and not living it up to my fullest potential. I probably should have taken another AP class, like AP psychology, AP economics, or even AP biology considering I want to go into the Sports Medicine/ Exercises sciences field or something with Sports Management. I guess because I know what I want to do with my life already is a good start and the fact that I already know my top 5 colleges is even better. I just hope by the end of my junior year, I will fulfilled my year to the fullest; passing AP tests and all
I'm sorry that this will probably be short, but i won't get home before 9 tonight unless if I don't go to youth group.
This year is going to be my most difficult year without a doubt. I feel like I should be more worried and stressed than I am over the four AP classes that I am taking, but I don't think I need to stress yet.
AP Language, I know, will be a great class. But it will probably be my most difficult class. I'm more of a right brain kid, somath and science are my classes. But i enjoy reading and thinking. They're two of my favorite pasttimes.
I am worried that I won't do so great after taking that diagnostic, but I'm sure the year will be great. But I'm not really afraid of this year at all. College is a different subject, only because I don't feel like picking out a specific place. But I expect to get there for free and I'm going to have to do a lot of work this year for that.
Finally, I'm completely complacent about every aspect of me. Altough I can improve in every area of my life, I am not displeased of anything. But I guess I'm not where I want to be. Life is full of experiences in which we either bring our selves up or pull ourselves down. This year I feel will be great and I actually feel organized; I'm not used to that.
But the bell is about to ring. Sorry for not spending more time on it.
-Gary C
Junior year is has always been said to be the most stressful, the most challenging, and the best time of our lives. I expect to be challenged, get stressed out, and flip my lid. All in all those things do not mean anything unless we remember how we dealt with the challenge, stress and keeping a hold on life outside of school. The social aspect of the junior year will give us the ride of our lives. Last year, we did debates that were entertaining on heated subjects, this year I have no idea what to expect, but we will never forget these moments.
The 3rd year of high school turns all of us silly sophomores into crazy upper classmen. Because we were underclass men we had to prove to the seniors and juniors that we might be younger but we are way cooler then their friends that graduated the year before. I personally think we did a mighty fine job. I, on the other hand, feel like an out cast from the rest of the school. I come in and sit down and talk to people who start a conversation. Maybe it’s because I have tons on my plate at home or because I feel like no one cares (even though some do), but I want to feel like I can go up to anyone and just start a conversation and have them not look at me like I have two heads.
AP Lang should give me a good base for my SATs and PSATs and all the other tests that we have to take because we are juniors. I want to learn more about my classmates and have them learn more about me. I’m open for anything this year.
I think this answers everything and I’m satisfied.
-Felicia G
It is nice for once to be asked what I think. Though junior year is said to be the hardest, I am so excited it is here. I finally feel as though my hard work matters for more than a smile about my report card. I hope that this year brings a lot of fun, learning and success in one. I hope that this year I will not only succeed, but do so without going balled from pulling br hair out, or dehydrated from crying so much, though both are very likely to happen. I am scared that I will not succeed or I will not understand. I don't like feeling like an idiot and very often when reading literature, I do. That leads to how I feel about myself as of now. Accidentically, I feel that I am no where near where I should be, which is my lazy fault. Socially, it is hard for me to say, being that this is a new school to me and though I did go to school with most of there people before, it has been two years and a lot has changed. I would rather not talk about my physical state; it could get ugly. I am worried about this year, and happy at the same time. I can not wait to be in class with Bunje. I have never had a class where we can say what we want, and discuss it and the likes. The future looks good to me.
I’ll probably have to force thus out of me now because I won't be home by 9 tonight so… I believe that this year will most likely be one of the most difficult, demanding, and yet still exciting years of my high school career. The fact that I now HAVE to take the SAT’s and can’t say I’ll take them next year anymore kind of puts some pressure on me. Usually all I worry about it enjoying myself in school and trying to have a good time, but this year I know I’ll have to work harder and stop all of my prior bad habits. With this said I still know that I will very much enjoy and benefit from this year. I am expecting that by the end of this year AP Language will have made me a better reader, writer, and maybe even learn to like reading. The things that I fear are the possibilities that I may not succeed in this class, and fail myself and my parents. Academically I do net think that I have taken full advantage of my teachers, books, and even natural knowledge, unfortunately I cheat myself very often with school but wish I could better myself. However, socially and physically I think I am around where I would like to be, mainly because when I am not doing school work I am doing sports or meeting new people.
Although many people are worried about their Junior year, I believe it will be fun and a academic building year. I am not saying that the AP classes will not be hard and not give a lot of work. This year will be challenging and stressful, but at the same time we will gain a lot from the experience. AP Language will not only prepare us for the exam, but it will also prepare us for the SATs. The SAT is what I am most worried about this year. I am hoping that AP Language will help me acheive a high score. Junior year will be hard, but by the end I will be well prepared for the future and I will be able to acheive my goals.
Although many people are worried about their Junior year, I believe it will be fun and a academic building year. I am not saying that the AP classes will not be hard and not give a lot of work. This year will be challenging and stressful, but at the same time we will gain a lot from the experience. AP Language will not only prepare us for the exam, but it will also prepare us for the SATs. The SAT is what I am most worried about this year. I am hoping that AP Language will help me acheive a high score. Junior year will be hard, but by the end I will be well prepared for the future and I will be able to acheive my goals.
So far, this year seems like it is going to be one of the most demanding and crucial. Not only do we have SATs, ACTs, PSATs, HSPAs, and AP exams, but we also have the worry of looking for colleges and knowing that this is the most important year because it is the one that the colleges examnine. Although all of this is extremely stressful, I do believe that this is going to be one of the best years of highschool. We'll be getting our licenses, and begin to have more freedom. With that freedom comes responsibility, which AP Lang will begin to teach us. As we struggle to balance out our social and academic life, we will need to focus on the more important things in our lives, the things that will give us even more freedom in the future. At this point I am where I wan't to be socially and physically, but the whole balancing thing I still havent perfected. Hopefully, junior year teaches me this above all things.
Junior year, wow. Just that thought makes my head start to go in 50 million directions. It all seems a little over whelming right now. It's the second week of school and I already have things due that I have to complete in two days on top of my other classes, managing jv soccer, and a thing called a social life. Eventhough this seems like a lot to manage, I know i'll get through it like I do everything else. This year is a challenging one and I know i'll be stressed and in a bad mood sometimes. That's how I handle it, but considering Darrell has all the same stress I have I can vent to him. I'm hoping to get the best grades I can on each of my AP tests and score high on the pSATs and SATs and all the other tests that I can't think of right now. On top of that college is a concern and applying for that will be stressful. Right now I don't even want to think about it. I see it as taking each day as it comes and dealing with it then. You only have your junior year once, unless you fail of coarse, but anywho you have to be on the ball the entire time and I know I'm not going to let myself get lazy. This year is the year that really counts and I want to show my teachers, friends, and family that I have what it takes to be successful which I'm going to prove. Junior year is going to be great!
Wow, junior year. It feels so surreal that I am now a junior. I remember my first day of school as a freshman and how all I could think about was getting through the day alive. I had heard people say you don’t really realize how fast high school goes by, but I never believed them, until now that is. Freshman and sophomore year FLEW by. I can’t believe that I am going to be off at college next year and leaving most of my friends. It’ sad to think about, but with test’s like the SAT, ACT, and the HSPA, it is quite hard not to think about how close college really is. This year I hope to get A’s in all of my classes. This is said THE most important year in high school academically because this is the year colleges really look at. I am a little apprehensive about that because I feel like there is so much pressure on me to do well already even though it is the beginning of the year. I hope the stress of junior year does not affect me and that I continue to have a great junior year because from the way it looks right now, this is going to be my best school year yet. I am going to work on not procrastinating so much this year because I always find myself stressing over my work because I save it for last minute, and like I said I don’t want to let stress affect me in anyway this year. As far as socially and physically I think I am pretty good in those two areas. I have great friends who area always there for me and physically I am in good shape and if I swam anymore I would probably turn into a fish! AP language is looking better and better everyday and I hope that I do well in this class.
Being a junior is exciting. Becoming an upper classman is an advantage to me too. Knowing the hallways, the tricks, and the teachers all well enough to the point where I am comfortable. Unfortunately, this scares me. Everyone says how important this third year of high school will be. Between AP and Honors classes, and the anxiety of taking PSAT's SAT's, ACT's, and college applications put me under stress. This year, unlike last year, I wanted to challenge myself. I'd always get over by taking the simple college prep classes. These classes seemed hard to some students, however I passed those classes with ease. My freshman and sophomore year were a breeze. Being as though I was always a "smarty pants", it was weird to know I was being a slacker. I was always placed in the highest classes in elementary school; however, I guess I wanted a break. Now that I'm a junior, I really need my grades to soar high, with A's or B's. This seems as though it will be a challenge for me, however, I do have will power, and I also realize that if I continue to settle for less with classes that are too easy for me, I won't get the expected results I want in the future. If I really want success like I say I do, I know I will have to work much harder. This year, I will have to buckle down. College seems to still be far away, however, I fail to realize that next year around this time, I will have already have had to choose a school I want to attend. What frightens me the most is the thought I won't get a full ride in a good college. Everyone in my family supports and encourages my choices; however, NONE of them went to college. I will be so proud of myself if I get a full ride in a college because that would make me the first in my entire family that has accomplished that. It would also almost guarantee me a stable career after I graduate. Sometimes I scare myself and think well maybe I should have taken all CP classes because my GPA would be higher with the classes being so easy. I soon came to realize that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to work hard, something I really had not done too much in my freshman and sophomore years. Along with the many stresses of striving to get excellent grades, I also have to think about things like clubs and activities, work, and my social life. Academically, I am not where I want to be. I understand that being in the top 20 percent of my class is a great accomplishment, however, I hate settling for less. I want to be focused on college and stop worrying about hanging out and friends. After all, when it comes down to the wire, if I don't get into college, the people that threw the fun "Saturday" night party won't care. This means I have to care about both myself and my grades. Physically, I feel great. I am happy with my beauty and I hesitate not to say that in a conceited type of way. When I was younger, I never felt confident, only about my grades, but never about myself. Finally I grew to realize that I was a pretty young lady and that I needed a boost of confidence. So if someone calls me conceited I only think to myself "well, I used to be ugly and self conscious, which is the exact reason I'm so confident now." I hope this year will actually turn out to be the greatest year of high school, actually, maybe even my life. I will hopefully find a good college, and begin the plans of the rest of my life.
WOW I USED 643 WORDS... see, little things like that make me proud of myself :)
I like most people belive that junior year for highschoolers is the most important year of all the years. Freshman year you are still getting used to the new school and how the class's are run. Sophmore year you are making lots of friends and now that your well aware of the school layout and structure of the school days now your ready to turn the school from the school you happen to be attending into, your highschool. you become a part of the school and you start to become more active in after school activities. Most colleges like to make sure you are a well rounded student so that is important. Junior year though is the most up to date year that the colleges get to look at, also the HSPA's tell you wether or not your going to make it into college. I took AP Lang this year because English has always been a weak point and i really want to test myself to see how much more i'm going to need to push myself in college.
I have to admit that the thought that I am now a junior is quite frightening. I have three AP classes and a job. Not to mention SATs, PSATs, HSPAs, ACTs, midterms, finals, AP exams, and a driving test. But now that my junior year has begun, it doesn't seem so scary. I plan to just take it one day at a time. I need to get done what I need to get done, and before I know it, I'm sure summer vacation will be here.
This year, I’m just going to try my best. I have been lucky enough to have been blest with good grades and a good work ethic….sometimes. Hopefully my best will be good enough for the little goals I have in mind. I want to become part of the National Honors Society, and I also want to graduate in the top ten of the class. If I work hard and do my best, then these goals should be able to be accomplished.
I am pretty much where I want to be academically and socially. I could improve physically, but I have learned that it doesn’t really matter; it is not causing me any problems. Academically, I couldn’t ask for more. My GPA is high, my class rank is high, and I do well in almost all my classes. I may not be what you may call a “social butterfly”, but I have a couple of very close friends, and all of them are worth a million.
Overall, I think this year probably will be the hardest and most demanding, but I think it is going to be the best ever. I’m going to learn a lot, and have fun. I get to look forward to homecoming and prom, driving by myself, and looking at colleges.
People always claim that junior year is the toughest, most demanding year of high school. While I agree, I also disagree. This year is only as hard as each and every one of us has chosen to make it. All of us in this class chose the hardest, most demanding route that is offered: AP. I wanted to challenge myself beyond what is considered normal and beyond what is even considered difficult. To me, taking one or two AP classes was not a true challenge. I chose to take four AP classes, well aware of the work that that choice would entail, and so far I am very satisfied with my choice. High school is about preparing us for what lies ahead; college. In college we will not only have one college level course, we will have multiple so I wanted to get a taste of that this year.
I hope to learn a lot this year both academically and about myself. For example, I will determine whether I have what it takes to handle my insane workload. I took a leadership role in the marching band and have planned numerous other out of school activities to broaden my horizons and be a better “overall good student”, or candidate for college. This year socially will be the best year of our lives thus far. We will all begin driving and acquire much more freedom than we are used to. I am already feeling the pressure to start planning my future by choosing a college, a major, and what type of area I want to spend four years of my life which are decisions that will affect my life from now on. There are so many choices for college that it very often overwhelms me with the thought of having to choose just one and to pick one field that I want to be in for the rest of my life. Not to mention the pressure to increase my SAT scores. This year we suddenly have to grow up and take our future into our own hands. No matter how much our parents have influenced us up until this point, these decisions are completely our own, which is scary. I am confident though that I am on the path I need to be to succeed in life for when I do choose. I feel confident that I have done all I can do to prepare myself for the long, hard road ahead. From this point on, we will not be bossed around by our parents as to what to do. We gain an incredible amount of freedom this year and for years to come. It is now that we prove to our parents, our teachers, our family, our friends, and most importantly ourselves, that we are mature and ready to face the world, and I feel that I am ready to face it head on.
I do agree junior year is our biggest year, a lot is expected of us, as honor students we’re expected to go above and beyond, we must balance all that comes with being teenagers as well. Not only are we hard on our selves, we must deal with everyone else who expects more and more from us time after time. I expect to jump 19 feet in the long jump so I can receive a free scholarship for track by July. I also expect to score nothing lower than a 4 on the AP test, and get straight A's all year. I think by staying focused and being organized I can exceed my expectations. Luckily my standards are set high so that it encompasses everything that’s expected of me. I have built a foundation that will also help me succeed this year. By partaking in this class I hope to learn more about life not just how to pass my SAT's or pass the AP exam. As a high school student it's hard to watch my peers partying and having fun, the hardest thing for me will be conquering my procrastination problem. For my progression academically I could always be stronger. Socially I am where I want to be I have great friends, a hot boyfriend, and for the most part live life to the fullest. Physically I am like a three on a scale to ten by my standards. I need to physically get in shape to accomplish my goals, being lazy is why I am physically not in shape being determined will get me there.
Junior year has finally arrived and is already sitting heavily on my shoulders. I am starting to get an extreme amount of both class work and homework. And yes it is a little scary how this year is the most important year of my high school career. However, one comforting thing is I like all my classes and my teachers and that is always a good thing and I can tell this year is going to be great. I strongly agree with everyone that says junior year is the most important year. All the colleges I apply to will be searching throw my junior year's grades and deciding whether or not to accept me into their colleges. Also not only is this year about school grades it is about what I get on the SAT's because I want to receive a better score than last time. I am hoping and expecting this year to make me an even harder worker than I am now. This year I am expecting to work hard to receive in return outstanding grades. Yea, this year may be about work, work, and even more work but I hope to do my best and reach new goals. Even though AP Language is going to be a hard class I will not give up. I am planning to give it my all and do the best I can do. If I do not succeed on everything I will pick myself back up and not let that one bad grade put me down and make me quit. I hope to walk out of AP Language with a better understanding about reading, writing, grammar, and many other things. Not only do I plan to become better at these but also get a high AP test grade and a better SAT grade. In addition to my junior year, I hope to get good grades, meet new people, and receive many letters from colleges about my good grades and how they want me to think about their college. The only thing I fear about this class and 11th grade is that I will not get the grade I am striving for. Socially I am where I want to be because I have great friends, and excellent family, and overall I am just happy with my life right now. I plan to work hard and train for crew to become even more physically fit than I am already. Honestly, I do not feel I am where I want to be academically. Yes, I may be in AP and Honors courses but I still feel I could get better academically. I feel that everyone can keep learning and will never have all the knowledge they need. So for me I will always continue learning and striving and just hope to do the best I can this year and every year to come.
Junior Year. That blood-curdling, heart-stopping, hair-raising, get-out-now year.
Do I really think that? Yes. Yes. And Yes again. I know that this is going to be one heck of a year, and it is NOT going to be easy. And I have many, many expectations for this year, as does my many fellow students. I expect to score well on the many tests ahead of me: the SATs, ACTs, PSATs, AP exams, midterms, and finals, and also keep my my GPA up. Other than the technical expectations, I hope to be able to develop a sense of organization that will carry me through college. I also want to be better than run-of-the-mill, and leave Joe Schmoe in the dust as I excel beyond the beliefs of my parents, teachers, friends, and even myself. I hope AP Language doesn't destroy my writing style and force me to be businesslike, boring, and plain. My worst fears, are, as always, my grades. My GPA is so important, sometimes it feels like it rules my high-school life. I often wonder what will happen if I miss one crucial project or paper, and I really hope that never happens. Academically, I think so far I'm doing just fine; and that I can't let myself get too drowned in stress. Socially, I'm not doing that well. I don't like many of the people at Oakcrest, so I don't really talk to many people. The few people I am close to aren't in any of my classes. It upsets me, but I know I have work to do and that I can't let that get in my way. Physically? Do I really need to answer?! Seriously, I like my body just fine, and it works for me well when I ride, which is all that matters to me. All in all, I know that this is going to be a rough year for me, but I think that in the end, I'll be OK.
I hate getting stressed out. I think it all started from being on swim team when I was little. I used to feel like everyone was counting on me to win every race but my own standards for myself have always been the highest in everything that I do. I used to get so nervous that before every single swim meet, I would throw up. Every single one. Everyone reading this already knows that i passionately HATE swimming but somehow, even through all of the complaining, i do it because it's worth it and I know it gets me in really good shape. I think that that's what junior year is like. Even though it's only the second week of school, the work is piling up already, and I'm getting semi-stressed. Right now I feel like complaining about all of the work I have to get done, but like swimming, I know at the end of the year it will be worth it. hopefully i just wont end up blowing chunks any time during the course of a year in AP Lang (joking!) My biggest fear for this year is being able to stay focused. The school year is usually the same for me- I struggle in at least one class (usually math) but do all of my homework so I get by, I have at least 2 classes that I'm pretty good at, and then English is usually my best. I want to learn how to balance all of the attention for ALL of my classes the same. I'm not scared of the AP Lang exam. I feel like you're going to really be there with us the whole way, Ms Bunje, as if you're taking it with us. Last year with the AP Gov test, it wasn't that same feeling and I think that made me even more nervous. You being so confident with us makes me more confident, too. Like everyone else, I am worried about the SATs. I guess that I'll cross that bridge when I come to it though and do the best I can. Socially and physically speaking, I'm pretty happy.
This year by far seems like it will be the hardest. As we come out of sophomore year, we are realizing, or at least trying to realize what we want to do in the future. What career will you choose? What college will you go to before all of this? Will you do well on your tests that help you get into college? Do you have a job? Can you drive? There are so many questions that juniors are expected to be able to answer. We are not even adults yet, but we are expected to know it all. This is a lot of weight on our shoulders, especially if you are like me, and slept through freshman year while only somewhat waking up sophomore year. Most students here were already in AP classes before, but this is my first time. I feel like I’m finally ‘waking up’ from my easier college prep/ couple honors classes life, and I’m just in one AP class. I do manage JV soccer, have a job, and plan to join clubs, but it’s obviously harder for the people who are in more AP classes, play sports, and are in clubs. That is a lot to be proud of. I finally realized that I am not proud of much when most of my school life has already past me by. I took the easy way out for a while, this year I do not want to do that. I’m hoping this class will break me out of this, and I am sure it will. I was never a procrastinator and I always made an effort, but I never tried to challenge myself more in school areas. This year I am hoping to learn new ways of writing that will help me focus my ideas. My biggest fear would be about my regrets. I know everyone has regrets, but I hate the feeling of ‘what if I did this’ ‘what if blah, blah, blah.’ As for being where I want to be, I want to get into shape because I am not playing soccer this year. My job is at a gym, so it should work out. I have some good friends this year; I decided to stop being “best” friends with a couple of people. I feel a lot better when I do not have friends that are really just acquaintances and users. With my academics, we just started school so I cannot say, but for a while they have been pretty good. This year, as I have said, I do want to push myself more. Whatever happens, I just want to know that I did try my hardest, that I woke up and do not feel regrets when it is just too late to go back.
We have heard this since our freshman year of high school: “Your junior year will be the most important year of high school.” It is a very demanding year. We have the SATs, the PSAT, the HSPA, and ACTs. That’s a lot of stuff already, not to mention the AP exams we have to take and the colleges we have to choose. It will be a very busy year for us juniors. I do expect my classes to challenge me and stress me out to the point where I would want to quit even though I will not give up. I am expecting to receive one of the best learning experiences during my junior year; not just about the topics of my classes but also about life and how everything ties together. I don’t really have any fears about this class. English is one of my stronger subjects so it might not be that difficult for me. The one thing I fear the most is how fast life is going. I mean we are already juniors. Next year we will be graduating and we will be going off to separate colleges. All of these events are arriving so fast, it’s a little scary. Academically, I am where I want to be. I am extremely pleased with my grades and where I stand. I am content about how I am socially. Physically, I wish to be more in shape. I may be skinny but I am not fit whatsoever. I hope this will be my best year of high school and the most memorable. This is the year where everything counts and nothing is left unnoticed.
I believe that junior year is given far more emphasis than it deserves. Focus should be spread throughout all four years of high school. Having all the emphasis on the junior year causes an overload of pressure and decision making that could be avoided if focus was spread throughout all 4 years. I know that i didn't really think about colleges much during my freshman year and only slightly more during my sophmore year. I now am at a disadvantage because i have suddenly realized that i need to figure out what Im going to do about colllege within the next 180 days. Also, I think that more AP classes should be offered to sophmores to spread out the workload between the middle two years of high school. If more AP classes were offered last year i could have taken two each year as opposed to one last year and three this year, preventing the overwelming amount of work that i expect to face this year.
Junior Year. Wow! Where to begin? When I think of junior year the first thing that pops into my head is college. This is the year when teaches as well as parents are pushing each and everyone of their students/kids into picking a college. It is the hardest decision to make but sometimes the path getting their can be even harder. This year will be particularly hard for me because I am taking many AP classes in hopes of hiring my G.P.A and class rank. It will be hard to maintain my school work, soccer, work, and other class activities all while trying to keep myself from becoming too stressed out. I am willing to work hard though but will have to keep my priorities straight and strive for the tasks at hand and worry about everything as it comes along.
“Pumpkin, your in my class,” was the message I received from you Ms. Bunje, that made me come to a realization that this year would be no joke. Junior year, is said to be the most important and demanding of your school career. There’s the HSPA, SAT’s, ACT’s, college applications and so many more will be encountered as the years goes by. So how do I feel about that, well just know that if I said it didn’t phase me I would be lying. This year is a new year and a new me. Well, I say it every year but this time I have to mean it, there’s no room for mistakes. This year for me is about being focused and having my priorities set straight on a path that is going to lead me to a successful and fruitful life. Being accepted to the college of my dream with no problems and also have grants, scholarships, etc offered to me will be my main aspiration of my junior year.
As far as what the year will bring ,that I will never be sure of. Having high expectations is something that will always be apart of my personality. During my Junior year I’m expecting to lose friends but also gain some as every other year has proven to be. Socially I am pretty comfortable with where I am at. I don’t go out of my way to impress anybody or try to fit “in”, I am who I am and satisfied with it. As far as academics goes I definitely know I am capable of doing much better. Straight A’s is what I aim for( Yes, even in my hardest class, AP Lang).The rest of my classes so far is coming as a breeze to me, but let me not get to excited, this is Junior year. Junior year will either make me or break me, and as Social Darwinism says its about survival of the fittest.
Coming into junior year, I expected only one thing: gray hairs by May. I don’t want to jinx myself, but it hasn’t been that bad so far. I like all my classes and teachers, for the most part. Taking a bunch of APs and honors is tough work and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. However, with the right teachers, it won’t be as difficult as it could be.
I want this year to bring me a lot of knowledge that I retain. Sure, I can memorize stuff. On the down side, only a small percentage of that stuff actually sticks with me and I usually forget it all by the next year. I expect to do well this year. I’d like to learn things that will pertain to my life in some way…not random, irrelevant facts that I honestly don’t care about.
My main goal this year is to not let myself get overwhelmed. I need to stay on top of my work and not wait until the last minute. If I spread out assignments, hopefully I won’t go so crazy. Since junior year is the most important, I wanted to get more involved. I want to join student council and participate in the events that they hold, not just sit in the meetings and think I’m doing something. I’m also considering joining GAA, which my mom has been begging me to do. It’ll be tough between AP classes, sports and extra-curriculars but I’m pretty sure I can handle it if I motivate myself.
I’m almost where I want to be. With just a little push, I’ll be there. The only thing I really need to accomplish this year is to get more involved. Otherwise, everything’s looking good. Junior year will be hard, but I know it’ll be fun.
Actually, some of these questions have already been buzzing in my head the past week. So far, I've tried to avoid them, because it's so scary to think that we're already juniors. This is the year that really counts. It's hard to keep track of the almost never-ending checklist I feel I need to finish in the next two years.
I know this year is going to be hard. The toughest things for me will probably be handling my AP classes and picking a major and college. I'm not completely sure how I'm going to do it, but I'm determined to accomplish those things this year. Last year I really changed a lot, in many areas. I'd like to do the same this year, although I think it'll be in smaller areas. I'm pretty happy with how I am starting off this year, but I'll be disappointed if I leave this year and nothing has changed. Socially and physically I think I'm doing alright. It's okay for now, but there's definitely a lot I can improve. Academically, I really want to get more organized and relax. The last thing I want is to get too stressed out. Last September and October I was so stressed and had miniature anxiety attacks. This year, I want to be confident and on top of all my work. I'd really like to be more creative this year. I want to develop my skills into something useful and something to be proud of. Overall, I want to be able to thoroughly enjoy my junior year. Although everyone says their junior year is the hardest, and the most important, they also say it's the most fun and the best in high school. Keeping these three descriptions in mind, I think I'm ready to make this year count and accomplish my goals. Despite my apprehension, I'm pretty excited.
"Junior year is the toughest year of our lives," often said by almost all the adults in the WORLD. I believe it is only hard because of the enormous pressure put upon a student. We have to go through HSPA, SAT, college stuff and other important tasks. The only reason this year is suppose to be the hardest, is because of pressure. This year is actually the year that counts the most, not the hardest but most important. Students percieve this year to be so hard but really it isn't. Sure I loaded up on AP and Honors classes, but i just have to work more then the last two years. This year we have to make it count but it won't be the hardest year ever. WE ARE THE UPPER CLASS now, so we must work a bit more. I'm exspecting to have an awesome year.
This upcoming year is my junior year in high school and I can say that so far it’s been going pretty well. I’m an overall very enthusiastic person who’s ready to start anything new. However, as overly enthused as I am for the year ahead I am equally as scared. Failure is a fear far worse than anything else for me. Up until this moment I’ve tried to take advantage of all the opportunities given to me; inside and outside of the classroom. I have an overwhelming enthusiasm and drive to take a giant chunk right out of success! I think that's what keeps my fear of failure controlled and its taken me pretty far seeing as though I’m now writing a blog for my AP Language class! Junior year I and just like all my teachers are expecting a lot from me. It can be a little stressful, but if I priorities and stay focused I can find a balance between Band, friends, my boyfriend, family, work and school. Junior year is just another year in life that I get to prove to myself how articulate and educated I can really be. Times often do get frustrating. Being stressed out is a feeling I know all too well. I’m not going to say that I’m going to hope for the best because that never really motivated me to do much. I’m going to say that I WILL do everything to the best of my abilities because I have all the time in the world to be what ever fait allows me to be. In the end I can really only look back at all my accomplishments just as I can look back today and be proud of what I’ve done up until the present time. I CAN SOOOOOOO DO THIS!!
Junior year has finally come. The excitement of being an upperclassman is slowly fading out as the stress of new and greater responsibilities settles in. This school year is going to be both the toughest and most important year of high school. Not only are we pressured to do good on the SAT’s, HSPA, and ACT’s, but now we also have the obligation of passing our AP exams. The most recent grades and courses colleges will have to look at will be from this school year. What we do now gravely affects our future. Knowing this, I have set numerous mental goals for myself. These goals range from learning (and remembering) everything I am taught to just having fun. With the help and support of friends and family I really think I will be able to achieve any goals not only for this school year but in all years to come. Since I’m taking an AP class, I set specific goals for my academic future. I expect to get a 4, or a 5 on the test if I truly try my hardest to study and pass. Other than that, I am not sure at all what to expect from this class, let alone this entire school year. Everything and everyone are constantly changing so it is really hard to be sure of anything anymore. Classes change, people change, and friends change. Nothings left the same. As far as academics go, I do not think I will ever be where I want to be. This is not because I do not believe I can achieve what I strive for. By this I simply mean once I near my goal and see my true potential, I strive to go above and beyond what I originally desired and form a new goal for myself. On the other hand, I think I’m right where I want to be both socially. I have a few really good friends I can depend on and then a bunch of acquaintances. This allows me to put my trust in a few main people with a less risk of getting used or regretting who I trust.Hopefully, this school year will be a less stressful as everyone makes it seem and sound.
Hopefully, this school year is filled with fun, laughter, and lifelong memories.
=)
Coming into this year, I’ve set my goals really high. I figure that if I work towards reaching the stars, I might land on the moon. I’m not someone who, if I tried my best and did at least a decent job, will worry about myself too much if I didn’t reach my goal. I figure that if I do the best I can, its, well, the best I can.
My goals for the coming year are to be number one or two, which will be nigh impossible because of how amazingly smart Gary and Laina are, to attain at least 2nd team C.A.L. for at least one sport, and to get closer to the people who mean a lot to me. If I only get one or two of these goals, I’ll be satisfied with myself. Presently, I am exactly where I want to be. I’m having a great time in school already, I’m seeing the people I love, and sports are amazingly fun, like always. A couple of smaller, but just as important goals for me are to get at least two 5’s and 4’s on the rest of my AP tests, to get a 800 in math, and to get a 650 in reading. I know for a fact that all these three goals are very close to within my reach.
I do have a couple of fears for this year. All these fears are things that I can’t necessarily control, and its that, I think, that scares me the most. The major fear I have is that I hurt myself worse than I did over the summer. I tore my meniscus really badly. Most of it had to be cut out so that the tear wouldn’t spread. This surgery was the first and only time I ever was put to sleep. This tear has taken me out of my favorite, and probably best, position on the baseball diamond. Catching has been amazing for me during the baseball season, and when I found out that I would never be able to catch full time again, it was a big blow to my confidence in myself. I’m afraid, for really the first time in my life, that if I do one little thing wrong, I could hurt something worse and never be able to compete physically like I used to be able to. I already have lost a step because of my knee, but to lose another would be unacceptable, and it scares me to think it is a possibility.
Another fear is that I’ll lose those that are close to me. I have a couple of people that I can always count on to be there for me. I’d trust these people more than I’d trust myself. Emily Rheault (Row) is probably the main person on this list for me, and has been since, well, as long as I can remember. We’ve drifted a bit over the past two years, but now we’re back to how we used to be and it’s scary to think of not having her to lean on. Those are my two fears. I’m not afraid of failing, because when I fail I just try harder, and I’m not afraid of not being good enough, because I surround myself with people who think I’m good enough when I’m not even trying, so just imagine when I do try.
Side Note: Sorry it was a bit lengthy to any one who may happen to read, but once I set myself to define my goals, and make myself aware of my fears, I couldn’t stop. This right here is like my mission statement, and putting on public domain for anyone, in the AP class, who wants to see it kind of sets it in stone, and makes it so that I won’t and that I can’t allow myself to stray away from my goals. So thank you for giving me a stone to write my soul’s desires.
All of this summer my father has told me again and again about how eleventh grade is the most important year of high school. "This is the year that colleges really care about, so we'll really be expecting you to buckle down," he would often tell me as I attempt to ignore him so I can continue the game of Super Smash Bros I had been playing for the last three hours straight. While I may have at the time almost completely blown off my dad’s speeches, they have to a certain extent sunken down into my subconscious and give me a sensation somewhat akin to dozens of caterpillars crawling along the sides of my stomach. It is that point that I realize that my future, where I go to college, what I do for a living, who I marry, and whether or not I can actually put food on the table, lies squarely on how well I do during this single year of my life. When I look at my class schedule for this year the caterpillars in my stomach suddenly burst into butterflies that careen into all sides of my intestines.
I have four AP classes, AP English Language, AP US History, AP Biology, and AP Calculus. Perhaps by looking at each on its own I may be able to get a clear picture of how I will do with my course load. First of all, AP English Language, of all my AP Classes this is probably the one I find myself most comfortable with. Writing has always been something I love; so English classes always have come easy to me. With some hard work, I believe I can most likely pull off a 4 or a 5 on that AP test. Moving onto my next class, while AP US History does look challenging, I have somewhat of an interest in history so I feel that I should be able to succeed in this class if I do what’s asked of me. When I look at my final two AP classes, biology and Calculus I begin to get a little less confident. Humanities have always been my academic comfort zone, so math and science makes me slightly more uncomfortable. I’ve never had any real interest in learning about things that have no actual use in reality. Biology at least has the advantage of being tied life and so, even while being somewhat irrelevant to my actual life, I can at least maintain somewhat of an interest in the topic. Finally calculus, my least favorite class in my entire schedule. Every day I pray to God that I someday have a career where the word logarithm has no meaning, and all pi is just something you eat. For me calculus is a course I take just so I can take a test that tells colleges that I know how to do it. If it weren’t for my desire to get into a really good college, I swear I would never go into that classroom again.
With all of my activities, my life becomes even more hectic. Starting in a week or two I have drama. Even though this puts a lot of pressure on my schedule I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Many days it feels like the potential of getting to be on stage is the only thing that keeps me going through the day. In addition this year I intend to be involved in both choir and Mock trial, adding even more stress to my schedule.
So altogether, this school year looks like its going to be more than a little insane. But despite the enormous amount of work I have to do, somehow I manage to feel somewhat placid about the entire situation. I understand the work I have before me and while there is a part of my mind that keeps asking me what the hell I’m thinking, there is this still quite voice that keeps whispering in my heart, “You can do this Jon, I believe in you.” Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And so despite all the fear and stress I feel over this year, I know I can succeed at this. I don’t believe that I am in someway some unstoppable academic juggernaut; I’m just as susceptible to all the pitfalls of life as anyone of us. Even still I know that I can do it, because when I put my faith in Christ I know that I will succeed, for in my weakness He is strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9- And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
I have also heard, as a young child that junior year in high school is most demanding. Now that I am here I would have to agree with that statement. There is so much to worry about and so much that has to be accomplished in this year. The college search should be started and you should have a list of the places you want to go. There are the PSATs and the SATs that need to be taken. For me, on top of the stress of the test I have to worry about four AP classes. The expectations I have for this year is to narrow down my college search and possibly find some colleges I really want to go to. I also have expectations to do well on all of my AP tests this year. I also have expectations to get better grades on the SATs and PSATs. I also have sport expectations also. I want to get first team for soccer and I would love to make any team for my swimming and track. I want to make my name heard so it can help with my college resumes. By taking this class I hope to become a better writer and better reader. Looking at the calendar and Ms. Bunje’s projects and papers we have to finish I believe this class will help me accomplish my goals. My junior year I am hoping to get the most out of each of my classes as I can. I have many fears about this year. I have fears I will not find a college that I will like. I have fears I am going to get too stressed out and not be able to handle the pressure of four AP classes and sports. I have fears that I am going to fail. As of right now I am where I want to be academically. I am in the top five of my class and I am challenging myself to take difficult classes to help me in the long run. Socially, I am pleased with who I am and the friends I have made. Physically, I just want to keep striving to be the best athlete I can be. I am where I want to be but I know I can also do better. I want to push myself to the limit in sports. I have set different goals in each of my classes and my sports this year and by the end of the year I hope to accomplish them. I have high expectations and goals for myself this year, I just hope I can handle this pressure and accomplish what I have set out to do.
=)
Please disregard my previous comment to this blog. I just wanted to be the first to comment the first blog of my junior year. I was just so excited that i wanted everyone to know that i was first to comment. I probably won't do that ever again. Anyway, time to get down to business. I am actually excited for junior year. I hope that it turns out as good as I plan. Mainly, I hope that i do well in AP Language. I've never taken an AP course before so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. I just hope that i come out of AP Language with a better understanding of the English language. Well, for the most part, I understand the English language, since I've been speaking it since I was born. However, I would really like to increase my vocabulary and speak more intellectually. Speaking of vocabulary, I should consider starting my literary term assignment. I'll probably wait until the last minute like I usually do. I always say that I'm not going to procrastinate this year, but I always end up doing that. Well, "That's all I have to say about that"(Forest Gump). I'm not entirely sure if i cited that correctly, but I gave it a shot.
I think the only thing that I'm really worried about this year is, college applications, the SAT's, and other tests like that. Isn't it sad that I don't know all of the names of them? I should really start thinking about what I'm going to do with my life. I plan on going to college, but I haven't really decided where, or what I would want to pursue as a career. I think that one day it will just hit me and then I'll know what i want to do. But for now, I'm just going to live life and take everything one day at a time.
Ever since I was a freshman, my parents and teachers have told me that junior year is the most challenging and most difficult year of high school. Up to this point, I can't say that I disagree. The second week of school has just started and my schoolwork is already piling up. Just makes me wonder what the workload is going to be like in the second and third marking periods.
Plus, I participate in many extracurricular activities throughout the year, such as soccer, ski club, and track, which are very enjoyable but, unfortunately, take up a large amount of time that could be spent doing homework (or not doing homework). Kind of like balancing on one of those thin cables in Project Adventure (yes, I am referencing Project Adventure in this blog). Some people are better at balancing than others, but, for the most part, if you put too much weight on one side, then you will slip. And, I don't want my grades or my athletic skills to slip.
This year should be great, though, because I am now an upper classman and have established relationships that should continue even after high school. However, this year should also be very stressful what with the SAT, ACT, HSPA (which shouldn't be a big deal), AP tests, and college applications looming on the horizon. Sounds like a lot of studying to me.
As Dickens once wrote, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." It is my hope that this year will include more times of enjoyment than times of stress and hair-pulling frustration.
This year doesn't seem too demanding so far, but I think that's because everyone is taking it easy on us for the first couple days. I feel like I should be more stressed than I actually am though. I think people say eleventh grade is so demanding because students have to start looking for colleges and really start to think about their future. The grades that we present this year are most likely the ones that colleges will see, and will be the ones that determine what kind of school we get accepted to. Eleventh graders also have to take HESPAS and SATS. I'm not really going into the year with any expectations at all. I'm kind of just going to flow with it. In general, I would have to say I just want to learn new things in AP Language. I'm also hoping that dealing with new vocabulary will help prepare me for the SATS. One of my fears about the class is that it will be like AP Government, and I won't learn anything. I don't think I have to worry about that though. Another worry I have is doing college applications, but I think that is a worry everybody has on their mind. It’s just something that has to be done, and if I’m prepared for it I think it will be cake. Academically I think I'm where I should be. I should probably be a little better though. I feel this way because I probably should have taken AP History, but I really hate history. I would say I'm where I want to be both physically and socially as well. I would say physically because I’ve been involved in crew and it keeps me in shape. I would say that I’m where I want to be socially because this year I'm becoming friends with new people and getting away from the ones I don't want to have any contact with.
I've always been the kid that has a leg up on things. I've been told that I am lucky this year because of what I've already accomplished - SATs last year and whatnot. I didn't bring this up to brag about the things I've done, I brought it up to denote that even with that being said, I am just as nervous about this coming year and the years to come as anyone. Am I ready for college? Depends on what day you ask me. Some days I can't wait. Other days I face the process with a bit more trepidation.
I love to write, so I'm super excited about AP Lang, but because I am an EXTREMELY (like, so extreme it is rather sad at times) left-brained person. I am so left-brained that it takes me the same amount of time to whip out a killer essay that it takes me to solve one math problem. I don't even like math and science. I am so English and History focused that it is scary. My philosophy for this year is trying to live in the moment, and RELAX. I'm capable of anything, I know that. I just really need to keep it into effect this year. Just because I did so well last year does not guarentee me a gold star for this year, but if I keep doing what I'm doing, I think I'll be okay.
It's here. Junior year. I remember getting lost in the halls as a freshman, wishing that I was an upperclassmen just so that I knew my way around. Now that it's here and I'm finally out of my under-classmen status, I can't help but admit that I miss thinking the 200 wing was the 400 wing and the Cafeteria was the Gym. Time has been going by way too fast since I first entered high school and I can't believe that I'm already typing a blog for an AP Language class, when a couple years ago all I had to worry about was Honors English I and Lord of the Flies. But as I've become more and more accustomed to Oakcrest and the people and classes that come along with it, I've realized that I wouldn't rather be anywhere else except where I stand right now; junior year.
So now that I'm focusing on getting a decent score on the SATs and praying that I get a couple decent scores on some AP tests, I'm finally starting to realize the workload. I honestly didn't think that with three AP classes along with sports, after school activites, and trying to maintain my social life, I'd be in over my head. Now that I'm sitting here trying to type up a blog while I still have a ton of AP History homework to do, I'm stressing a little. In the longrun, though, I know that when the year comes to an end I'll be okay with my decisions and proud of myself that I got through it all.
Hopefully by the end of this year I accomplish a few goals. I really hope to become a better test taker. I always find myself saying "that was so easy!" after a test, and then when I get not such a good grade back, I don't know what happened. I hope that I get at least a 3 on all three of my AP tests this year, and I hope that I walk away from those classes actually learning something (I'm quite the fan of cramming). I want to be able to have educational conversations with people and know what I'm talking about. But outside of school and schoolwork, I hope that I just stay close with my friends and really step it up in softball this year in the CAL.
The one thing I'm most scared of this year is the F word. Failure. I've always been known to set high standards for myself, and when I don't succeed in what I've set my mind to, I tend to bug out. Lately, though, I feel as if I've been slacking a bit too much, and already I've fallen behind. I guess I'm still used to lazy beach days and leisure reading because right now, my Anatomy & Physiology book isn't looking so great. But once I get back into the swing of things, I'm sure I'll be fine.
Other than the college worries and the AP test fearings, I'm pretty sure that all-in-all, junior year will be all that it's cracked up to be. I've been assuring myself that high school will be "the best years of my life" as my dad has put it so many times before. It's been amazing ride so far and I'm sure that junior year will continue to, as freshman and sophomore year have, prove that high school's worth all that you put into it.
My head is spinning just thinking about the tasks that lay ahead of me this year. I hope that this AP Lang class will make me a better writer, speaker, thinker and dreamer. So far, I’m feeling it. As for my whole junior year in general, I just want to enjoy it. During the school year it feels like I’m stressing 24/7, no joke, and this year the forecast predicts that it should be worse. This year I’m trying to overcome the anxiety that is always tugging at the back of my mind. I’m not saying that I’m going to take it easy, but I just want to enjoy high school and, in general, learning. I mean, isn’t that what it’s all about? High school is almost over and I want to take up every great opportunity that comes my way. I would hate to look back thinking, “Wow, I really wish I had time for that”.
As for my fears, I think I have a lot of them, most subconsciously. Or at least that’s what I assumed when I woke up after having a dream that I forgot to turn in my homework in the week preceding the first day of school. The pressure to be ready for college junior year is overwhelming. I’m not sure exactly what to do, but I’m doing the best I can.
Academically and physically I think I’m functioning rather well. I’m pretty happy with my class rank and I like that the classes I’m taking are making me think. Physically, I’ve improved so much in my sport, running, that sometimes I don’t believe it. Socially, I really couldn’t ask for more. I have awesome friends, a boyfriend, and a great family that all keep me from crashing and burning. However, I would like to be able to speak what’s on my mind instead of keeping it bottled inside myself. And just be able to talk to anyone I feel like talking to without sounding like an idiot.
So, overall I’m actually pretty excited about this year, believe it or not. I think there are lots of things to be discovered and I’m looking forward to finding them out. I know it sounds silly, but I opened a fortune cookie this summer that said, “You will have a very successful year”, and with the importance of this year hanging over my head, I’m going to believe in the words of that little piece of paper the best that I can.
It's so unbelievable that we are juniors already. It seems like yesterday we were little freshman running every direction to find our classes. These past three years have been completely amazing, through the ups and downs each day at Oakcrest has taught me more and more. I do agree with people when they say that Junior year is the most crucial and demanding year of all four. I want to make sure to do my very best, considering the SAT's are creeping up as i type! My standards for this year are very high, for not only academics, but sports and activities as well. I am trying to discipline myself in order to maintain high averages and great successes. It is my hope to become a more well-rounded student and athlete as the year progresses, as that is a vital aspect in applying to colleges. I am taking tennis more seriously this year by participating in private lessons, and striving at every practice and match. By the end of the season, hopefully I will be placed at the varsity level. I am fully aware of my full schedule, and I plan to do well in all that I participate in. Although my classes require a lot of hard work and dedication, I know that it is to my greatest benefit to do all that I can to keep my grades as high as possible. Junior year is essential to my high school carrer, and it is my biggest goal to simply do the best that I can. I know that I can make it, even though it will be sure to get stressful at times. Junior year holds high demands, but I know that I will have the time of my life giving it my all.
Walking into freshman year and even sophomore year, I was not the most confident girl. But now that I am a junior, I feel completely on top of the world. I believe that I can push myself to the fullest of gaining the same achievements as anyone else who has better academic and even athletic abilities than myself. This year is full of many surprises. As we grow and mature, college is only growing closer and so is real life. I am hoping that this year, by taking this class and others, I can learn how to work hard and try to achieve the best success at everything I do. When I first took this class, I was terrified that I would fail miserably and prove to everyone that I am just another "dumb blonde," but I believe that I am more than that. I am hardworking, determined, and full of many dreams and I will do anything to achieve them. By the end of this year, I know I have prepared myself for the important steps I will take in life and hopefully succeed in my future goals.
Personally, I treat every year and every day the same way; I do what I set out to do to the best of my ability, try to learn what there is to learn and have fun doing it. So honestly I don’t believe that this year is any different from any other, the work and environment may be different, but at the end of the day the only place it will lead me is to tomorrow. As far as expectations, I expect this year to bring next year; I have come to learn that when you expect too much you can only get let down, so why not expect very little and than everything is a pleasant surprise? I do hope to learn this year, and considering who my AP Language teacher is I don’t expect to get disappointed. I don’t have any fears about this year; I have never come across anything that I couldn’t do with a little brainpower and more importantly willpower, so I have no reason to fear this year or any other. Academically I’m where I want to be, I do just fine in school. I’m just fine about where I am socially as well, because at the end of the day all I need is me. All the friends and acquaintances and all that are lovely and I don’t mind them at all, but I could very easily live without them. Physically I’m just fine too, I wouldn’t mind being a bit more fit but I can never seem to find the time to workout. To wrap this all up I’ll leave you with a quote by Joseph Camp, “Life is sweet so live it, don’t dread tomorrow just go with it.”
I agree with whoever says Junior year is the most rigorous and has the most riding on it. This year gives an opportunity, for both great success and miserable failure. In my situation, I have set myself up for success but i may have damned myself from the beginning. Maybe taking three Advanced courses wasn't the best decision I've ever made, but if handled right I could impress many. I expect Junior year to load me with homework and challenges, one of which will be time management, which everyone has a problem with at some point during their high school career. This year, I feel, will be my most stand-out year of high school, in the academic, social, and especially athletic aspects of my life. Overall I agree with people who convey the message that Junior year is the most important, but I disagree with the message they demonstrate making Junior year intimidating. I'm taking the bull by the horns and rastlin' it down. Penn State, I'm comin' for that scholarship!!!
11th grade has started and I am not quite sure where I stand. I know what I would like to do with my life, but sometimes I’m not certain on how to get there. Time flies by fast and soon this year will be nothing but a memory. There will be opportunities offered to me that may not pass by again. I’m positive that I am going to make junior year as beneficial to my life as I can. AP Language so far seems like a class that will challenge me and make me learn things in a very different way. It’s one of those classes that I know will be memorable and all the necessary materials will be given to me utilize in my endeavor to pass the AP exam. Many people have told me that Mr. Capelli wasn’t a good teacher to aid in the preparation for an AP exam, so I feel pretty lucky to have Miss Bunjie. Fear isn’t too much of an option in her class. As I enter junior year, I know that this will be a year of preparation, not only for the exams that I will soon undergo, but for adulthood and the many years to come. This year, I expect to pass the AP exams, do well on the SAT’s, keep my GPA high, as well as boost my class rank. I expect to keep working during the school year and aid the marching band in winning championships. While I am surrounded by those activities, I still expect to be able to find time for fun with my family and friends. By being able to juggle all of that will be preparation for the tasks that I will need to do later in life. In my eyes junior year is about learning as much as you possibly can about anything that will help you in the future and the taking chance to use what you have learned.
Sorry for being so late to write my blog, but i went to the gym. I do agree that junior year is the most demanding year of high school because it is the most recent thing colleges look at for work you have done.
As for my expectations, i havent really thought about what i want to accomplish in the classroom but i have on the course. On the course, my goal is to lead my team to a winning season and be successful on the national level which i did have some success on this past summer.
As for my goals in the classroom, i want to stay out of trouble and get straight A's. My second goal is to take the AP exams seriously and do well. Last year i did not take it seriously and my grade ended up reflecting it since i didnt really put in the time studying. I hope to do everything better this year. peace
Two years have really past? This just isn't setting in. In two years from now, I will be in college. That's only 728 days (8,736 hours or 524,160 minutes or 31,449,600 seconds) and it will fly by. I am one of the kids who wishes away high school and just would rather get on with college. Family members, especially my sister, tell me to never wish away high school. This year, the junior year in high school, is supposedly the best year of your life. It is the most memorable. I could easily breeze though junior year in CP classes. This is the toughest year of high school, only because I choose to make it so. I have made the decision that I want to be a computer scientist and that I want to go to college. To go to college you take the SATs and you do well. To go to college you take AP classes so that tuition isn't as high. We are all planning now, because the reality of going to college will be very real when we are all sitting together, for the last time, as the graduating class of '09. I am not where I would like to be academically, and I feel as though at this point…it's already too late to fix that. It's a race and if you get off on the wrong foot, you are doomed to lose. I would like to get involved in another activity, whether school related or not, for the winter/spring seasons. I think it is very important for me to do so for the sake of college admissions. Colleges seek out well rounded individuals and while I already believe I am well rounded, I would like to be even better rounded. I want junior year to be the best year of my life. I want to indulge myself in every second of it, but I would also rather just get on with life and go to college. I am ready for any curve ball that can be thrown at me. I will take the experience and grow from it.
I found myself overwhelmed at the beginning of this year, partly by how far I have come in the past two years. But even more so by how much further I have to go, especially before the end of junior year. When I was a freshman and I saw how much work my brother was doing for his AP courses in his junior year and how much the college search was stressing him out, and so I dreaded when I would find myself crushed under the weight of the the work. Unfortunately, despite all the stress I feel i find myself still unable to grasp how stressed I should be. I hope to find myself better able to focus on my work this schoolyear.
I still am in shock that I'm already a junior. I remember freshman year, walking into school, and having absolutely no clue where i was going. It's so much different than walking into school this year, knowing exactly where I was going, and watching all the freshmen running around like chickens with their heads cut off. When we were freshmen, I thought juggling band and school was the hardest thing in my life. Now, with two sports, band, clubs, volunteering outside of school, AND two AP classes, the stress is starting to sink in. I have come to the realization that this will be the most stressful year of school so far, and have sort of accepted that. It will take a little while to get used to the fact that even though I should be sleeping ten hours a night, I will most likely be getting around 6. I am really trying to stay focused on school and bringing my grades up, because this IS the most important year transcript-wise. In the end, I believe that my decisions this year will have a positive effect on my life at school and outside of school.
I really expect this year to bring many challenges, both in schoolwork and outside of school. The workload with two AP classes will be challenging, and it is daunting. But if I take it step by step, I will be fine. Also, I expect to stay best friends with the people I am best friends with currently, because it has worked out so far through high school. It is really a blessing to have so many friends who know exactly what you are going through in terms of juggling activities in school and the schoolwork itself.
The one thing I am most scared of, and I am sure every single AP kid can attest to this, is failing. Almost every single one of us was used to getting good grades such as A's and B's until high school (some are still used to that). But once high school hit, many people were in shock of getting their first C on their report card, or a really bad grade on a test. I am also afraid of not doing well enough on the SAT's, HSPA, or my AP exams. Those three things seem like the most important things in the world right now, and failing them seems like an unspeakable subject. Even though I know that if I do what I am supposed to I will pass all three of those major obstacles, but there is still that little light in the back of my mind flashing the words, "You're going to fail everything!" That's the scariest part: the possibility of failing.
In the past eight days of junior year, all the assignments and syllabuses thrown at me have been daunting and totally scary, but they don't all come at once. Everything will happen over time, and in time, and I will survive junior year.
I personally believe that my junior year will indeed be difficult. As far as expectations are concerned, this school year will definitely reveal my superfluous amount of flaws. I am arrogantly confident, which has already landed me into several hazardous predicaments, since this school year began. This year will most surely bring about my downfall in school. As for getting something out of AP Language class, I don't think there will be much, if anything, which would interest me. Rather then saying fears, I believe that my junior year will simply prove to contain several little surprises in store for me. I am nowhere near as to where I wish to be academically or physically. Personally, rating my performance in both areas with a scale of 1-10, I would rate myself a 3 overall. As far as socializing goes, I have no idea where I stand at that, except somewhere at the bottom of the scale. I regret having chosen to take three AP classes, as they are too much of a hassle. As for anything else, I will probably take a shot at the PSATs, SATs, and ACT this year. I currently know that I have set myself up for failure, due to my current standings. If there were anything I would like to improve, it would be to increase my concentration and actually try to gain good grades in all my classes. My only true fear of this year is that, technically speaking, that this is the last truly full year of high school. Twelfth grade is simply for sending out college applications, which in turn causes it to be a useless year. Through out the course of this blog, I have finally realized that I either need to step up, or forever remain at the bottom.
So, it's junior year. Wow, I didn't think I would ever get to say that. I am 16. This is supposed to be one of the best years of my life, and so far it's not that bad. This year is gonna be really tough, I'n not gonna lie. I have 4 AP classes with tennis and all other kinds of stuff, so I'm already freaking out just a tad because this homework if first on my list of quite a bit tonight. I knew that coming in, but I plan to succeed. I plan to get at least a 3 on all 4 of those tests and I really hope I do. And oh yeah, those PSATs, SATs, and maybe ACTs...they have to fit in there somewhere. I have taken the SATs before though, so it isn't so bad. This year, I think I am going to learn. I think I want to retain information not just for a test, but so I can speak intelligently and know things for college and the rest of my life. I have some fears for this year. My fears are that I will fail, that I can't handle it. That I won't be able to figure anything out or succeed in what I want to do, which is pass and do well. I also am scared for my friends and my social stuff. I just don't want anything to change with my friends because I love them and I couldn't so anything without them. I don't want drama or classes or anything to come between us. Dealing with school along with drama is too much and there was enough last year for all four years. I really hope not to have to deal with it because its so pointless. I just want a good year with my friends <3. I think I am where I want to be, even though I am not sure where that is. Academics. I want to pass, so I guess I have to wait and see. Physical, I think I'm good. I just had one and I'm healthy, so I am liking that. Socially, again, I will have to wait and see. But for right now, I'm happy with my life. This year, I want to be the most important, but not full of stress. Junior year: hard, but possible. Junior year: crazy, but dealable. Junior year: fun, but difficult. Junior year: hopefully everything I want it to be, and maybe more.
I caution myself silently every time as I walk through the archaic doors of Oakcrest, Here it is, my junior year. Every teacher, every guidance counselor, every authoritative adult, that has experienced high school, warns my peers and I the importance and intensity of this dreaded year. Yet, with every warning in the book, with every tip or advice a student could take in, here I am at 8:48 PM completing an assignment that is due in about 10 minutes. Right now my fingers are typing faster than my mind can think which, as I know, Ms. Bunje probably is not too thrilled about. With that being said, I'm stopping for a minute, taking a breath, and re-collecting my thoughts.
I have just reminded myself that this break most likely cost me a few points off my grade. Just like any AP student, or any person trying to succeed in life, I am upset and stressed out. Go figure, I'm a 16 year old Junior who is stressed out about getting a bad grade. is this a coincidence. No. It was bound to happen. I see the caution tape surrounding my mind. "It's your Junior Year, Leslie!"
Ms. Bunje wants her students to answers questions about the demands of our junior year and what are our expectations. I think this little situation sums it up pretty nicely.
I'm not the type of person who puts themselves above others, however, I am proud of all accomplishments and am not afraid to be completely satisfied with the young woman I am turning into because all this pride and fulfillment came from hard work and dedication. The two words, "Hard work and dedication" always seem to go hand in hand. Whenever someone mentions one, the other seems to follow without a second thought.
Technically, I could type up a cute, dandy little conclusion and call it a night with the two minutes I have left, making sure I meet my deadline, but then where does my hard work and dedication come into play?
I expect challenge. I expect to face difficulty beyond my inexperienced comprehension. I expect every warning or possible struggle that has been pounded into my brain, though these expectations do not replace my apprehensive, delicate invulnerability of my never-ending fear of failure.
In AP Lang, I honestly hope Ms. Bunje makes this fear diminish, though I know that is as close to impossible as a car's bumper is to another's in Bumper Cars.
Academically, I am not where I want to be. I, personally, would die to be in the lucky Top 10, but I will not make this desire take over my life and cripple me from exceeding in other areas such as school involvement, athletics, and my community.
One issue i know i will struggle with from the second my eyes strain open in the morning to the second they slam shut at night, is time management. I am, and always will be a procrastinator. It's my style and, even though it drags along numerous consequences, it also pulls out the very best of my abilities (Just for the record, I didn't purposely procrastinate with this blog, I had a tennis match and had to go food shopping with my mom =/).
I think of "Junior Year" as a huge rock climbing wall. I know where the top is, I know the basic steps of how to get there, but I won't be able to just glide straight up to the top without some shaky, doubtful moments, and at least, a little drip of sweat. People find their own path up that isn't always the best for me to follow. Nevertheless, it's all worth the climb, even with out a harness.
This summer I was really excited for my junior year. We’re only two years away from having the total power to control our futures. At least, that’s what it means to me. My parents have been a bit controlling for most of my life. Those kinds of parents get old really quick. I’m pretty much done with being a kid and I can’t wait to be an adult an on my own. There are a ton of tasks that must be completed before I reach that point, and I must admit, that has me a little stress. I’m trying to control that stress though, and not let it ruin my year. High school is supposed to be the best years of your life, right? I think that’s a hard thing to keep in mind junior year. We have a million people telling us how important it is, which makes the million important things we have to do seem a million times more stressful to accomplish. Are you still with me? I hope so. I have high hopes for my year though. I have a good feeling I’m going to do very well with all my classes. Of course, when I say “all my classes” I am not including this one. (I say that with as much love as I can for you Bunje!) I am not afraid of the amount of work to assigned, or even how stressed I am to find time to do it all, yet I am so worried I am not capable of doing the work up to standard. By this I mean as well as all of you geniuses I’m in class with. I love you all to death of course, though that doesn’t comfort me when thinking about this class. I would hate nothing more than getting up in front of the class and making a fool of myself and disappointing not only myself, but all of you. I probably shouldn’t be worrying about that. I need to just do my best with everything and hope it’s good enough, although, that is something I find incredibly hard to do when I have the voice in the back of my head telling me I’ll never be good enough. This class is my biggest concern for this year. I am very confident with all my other tasks, classes, and responsibilities. If only I could get some of that confidence to leak into this aspect of my life! We’ll just have to see how things go and hope for the best.
Well I think my junior year will be pretty tough because this is the year when you really begin to decide where you want to go with your future and many other major decisions are made. Also this is the year when students usually become less focused on their responsibilities because you have new freedoms given to you. I am hoping to leave this class with a deeper understanding of literature and a greater understanding of literary terms to help better my writing. I also hope that this class will help me with my personal faults such as being a procrastinator and getting discouraged from projects when it seems to hard. My fears of this class are that I will begin to feel over whelmed and will not be able to keep up with the work because it seems to be a lot . Even though it is a lot of work as long as I stay focused in what I have to do I think I will be okay. Something that will probably help me to stay focused in class and on my work is the fact that all of my friends are in different classes. Another difficulty of being a junior is all the test you have to take to give to the college admissions board.The test that makes me the most nervous are the HSPA's even though that test may be one of the easiest test I have to take. I'm just dumbfounded at the fact that one test can make or break your future.From this class I would also like to be able to pass the AP exam. Since I took an AP course last year I know what it takes to pass the exam and the drive you need to have to be able to pass the test. As a junior I want to be able to change some of the mistakes that I made last year with the exam and one of them is that i waited to the end to become more driven to prepare for the test.I do not think I am where I need to be socially, physically or academically. Socially by the end of this year i want to have the mind state where I am not wrapped up in what people say and think about me and i also want to be more observed when it comes to relationships sometimes I become so engaged with learning about a boy that i tend to lose focus on what is really important and during the school year. Academically I want to Achieve the high honor roll every marking period. All my school career I could get by in classes by not studying and still achieving okay grades. This year I want to apply myself more so that I know that the grades I am receiving are a true reflection of what i can do. Physically i need to become more active in keeping myself in shape I have a hard time committing myself to exercising and keeping with it and with all the stress put on Americans to be healthy I don't want to become a statistic of a person suffering from a health condition due to not keeping myself active. I hope this year I grow as a person so I can be a pinnacle example of what the students below me should strive to be. But more importantly I want to have grown to appreciate myself more as a person and know that I did my best my junior year to ensure that i have a brighter future.
When I think, "junior year', I think, Oh geez. I'm so not ready for this. I remember the days where I had an obvious drive to be academically ahead of my classmates and the clear idea in my head that I am going to be one of the best. However, come last year, that all changed. I was immediately punched in the face once I realized that, well, my drive had died. I no longer had that overwhelming desire to excel. In fact, it became evident that I was just not the type to get so bent about loads of homework and assignments due in a time frame unimagineable to a 16 year old girl just trying to make it through the day without having a nervous breakdown. So, I think I made the unconscience decision that I needed to chill out with my academics. While that sounds like the attitude of someone who never wanted to be an Ivy-leaguer, it was in fact one of the best decisions I feel that I made.
This year I only have one expectation: to make it through without being a complete failure. Sure, I know I don't sound like an AP student, but to be completely honest, that's what I was going for. While I absolutely love this class already, I'm not your classic over-achiever, despite my previous dreams of me attending Princeton. I do admire those who put their futures ahead of them, always thinking about where they'll be tomorrow, but I am just not the person to think of those kinds of things when I'm waking up in the morning and I have to decide if I really need those 5 minutes in the shower or if I can make it a record and succeed in 3. It just seems a little silly to me that I would worry about something that I am confident will turn out just fine.
Hopefully I will come out of this class exactly how I came into it: excited to learn more. English is my favorite subject, always has been, always will be.
-A.L.T
I think I am going to have a good year this year. I already have a lot more work than last year and I have to learn how to manage my time to get everything done between school, work and my social life. School for me is basically the same for me except for the fact that I am taking my first AP class ever. And IT’S SCARY! I have to work on not being lazy and organizing my work. If I didn’t have Ms. Bunje as my AP teacher I don’t think I could handle the class because I don’t feel comfortable in the class but I feel comfortable with my teacher which makes it 100 times better. Class is scary when people are answering questions with words I never heard before or would never be able to use the right way or define. It is very overwhelming because I don’t think the same as the kids that have been in honors for their whole high school career. I have to get used to work load. The projects are a lot more advanced. There is A LOT of reading, that I’m not used to, and reading things that I haven’t really understood at all. Everything seems like it is way above my level but hopefully by the end of the year, I’ll be on that level too. Enough about school, because it’s stressing me out. How about my junior year social life? I think its going to be great! I get my license in January and have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for so it sounds like we’re going to be out having a lot of fun every weekend (studying for AP English, of course). It should be a fun year, especially looking forward to next year (senior year! 09!). Hopefully this year is a good year full of good grades and good memories. We will see!
Last Post wooohooo! =P
sorry pete i've got the last post. woo hoo!
Hey, would any of my loving classmates like to support the Oakcrest boys soccer team -- by eating? That's right. If you guys come to Applebees on Tuesday, September 18, sometime between 6:30 and 9:30, 10% of your bill will go to the boys soccer team. Plus, you get a meal out of it. If interested, see me or anyone else on the boys soccer team for details and a flyer (the flyer you need to show that you're at Applebees for the fundraiser).
P.S. - You don't need to sit with the team if you don't want to.
hey jacob i would love to come to such an occasion and i would enjoy even more to sit with u! =P hook me up with a flyer even though i already have like a million and have to hand them out myself
Peter, I would love for you to attend said occasion ad I would enjoy even more to sit with you! =P I will gladly "hook you up" (I guess this is how kids talk nowadays) with a flyer even though you already have a million to hand out yourself.
To be honest the thought of junior year is quite scary. Grades in my household are beyond important and my mother has always made it very clear to me that junior year will be my most important year. All the pressure to do so well does present a number of fears but I have no doubts that I won't overcome these fears and ultimately make junior year one of my most successful years of highschool. Although my past years at Oakcrest were just as important, so many people have stressed to me that junior year is the year that colleges focus on. Like most students my dream is to get accepted into a good college and have a successful future. Originally I was placed into a College Prep english, but I felt that transferring to AP Language would better suit me and also open more doors for me when I apply to college. Regardless of all the pressure my parents are putting on me for my junior year, I plan on staying focused in school and somewhat detaching myself from the social aspect of my life. This year friends and the way I look to everyone else isn't important, the only thing thats important to me is school.
Even though it is still the first month of school, I am already a firm believer in the argument that junior year is the most demanding year of high school. I have already started freaking out, wondering how in the world I am supposed to get done everything. There is so much pressure on us to do well, be the best that we can be, all to work to our final goal in getting into a great college with maybe some money in our pockets. Already this year I have had countless sleepless nights, emotional breakdowns, and just plain old stress fests. All of this made me sick, which then added to my stress because I couldn’t function enough to be able to do my homework, and I feel as if I am so far behind. I’ve been told that I worry and stress too much, and this year has especially kicked me into high gear. If I plan on getting into the colleges I am aiming for (I already have my top six to seven picked out and researched), I have a lot of work to do. It is all surreal almost to the point of being overwhelming. I know I am going to do well; I am a great student with lots of ambition.
Academically, I am not currently where I want to be. I want a higher GPA, a higher class rank, better AP scores, and definitely better SAT scores. I know that this is where I need and want to be because that will help me for where I want to be in two years. Socially, I am perfectly fine where I am. I have great friends who are there for me, more or less. Emotionally, I am generally a train wreck even on a good day, but most times not in a bad way. I usually hit the extremes of the emotional register, but there really isn’t much I can do about that. It’s who I am, and I need to find a way to work that to my advantage so it can benefit me this year.
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