By Nikhil Krishnamoorthi, Staff Writer
As the final weeks of school slip by and summer creeps closer, a strange mix of excitement and anxiety builds for many of the sophomores here at River Hill High School. For them, this summer isn’t just about taking a break, it’s about preparing for what many consider the most critical and challenging year of high school: junior year.
“It’s the year where everything suddenly matters,” says Dylan Bhagat, a rising junior. “All I’ve been hearing from teachers, counselors, and even my cousins is how junior year is the hardest. I want to do well, but I’m kind of scared of what is coming.” Dylans is not alone, Across classrooms and lunch tables, many sophomores are discussing with wrestling nerves about the road ahead.
Sophomore Neil Jain states, “I haven’t felt this much stress for school [before]. Next year will be extremely hard because this is the year where colleges are going to see who I am when I get into college.” Junior year is often described as a turning point— the year where grades carry the most weight, standardized tests loom large and college starts to feel less like a faraway idea and more like a ticking clock.
For sophomores like Luke Abraham, that pressure is already setting in. “It feels like junior year decides your future,” he said. “My parents are talking about college visits, SAT prep classes, and internships. I haven’t even finished this year and they’re already planning next summer.”
Many rising juniors are taking rigorous classes in the upcoming year. Sahib Singh, like many others, says, “I’m enrolling in 5 AP courses and I’m taking one of the hardest AP classes which is AP Physics 1.” He admits he’s worried about being burned out. “I want to challenge myself, but I’m scared of falling behind. I don’t want to let myself down and hurt my GPA.”
That fear of falling short, of not being “enough” is common for many rising juniors in the upcoming school year. Especially for students juggling multiple responsibilities. Timothy Wang, a track runner who is on the school band team, says junior year feels like a pressure cooker. “Between band, track, and taking 5 AP classes, I know I’m going to be exhausted. But I also feel I can’t slow down.”
Despite the stress, not every rising junior is approaching the year with dread. Some, like Gavin Dang, are leaning into the new year with a sense of direction and curiosity. “I used to just go through the motions, but now I feel like I know what I’m interested in,” he said. “I’m excited to take AP Micro/Macro Economics which was a class I was highly interested in.”
As summer begins and textbooks close for a few months, sophomores stand on the edge of a year that promises to stretch them, challenge them, and shape who they’ll become. It’s a lot and they know it.
Brenden Gandel, a rising junior says, “I’m nervous, but I’m also ready to see what I can handle in this upcoming year. Maybe junior year will be hard but I think I will grow as a person this year especially.”
And with that, the upcoming year awaits with a new class of juniors getting on the stage of proving themselves. Go Class of 2027!