The general consensus surrounding junior year seems to be nothing but stress, exhaustion, and pressure. Many say it is unarguably the most important and the toughest year at Choate. Yet are there ways for underclassmen to better adjust to the high demanding workload of junior year? Current juniors provide their perspectives and advice.
Sarah Bonnem ’19 expressed the importance of using strategic time management skills. She explained, “I get into a kind of aggressive, hyper-cognizant micro-managing cycles in which I overthink how to use literally each minute to its maximum capability for productivity.” Similarly, Niraj Desai ’19, a student at the Kohler Environmental Center, also experienced a sense of lost time due to the high demanding workload of junior year. He said, “I’m the kind of person who has to watch Netflix for an hour before starting homework, and during junior year there are nights where I just can’t afford to watch Netflix because of the workload.”
Wilson Wang ’19 wishes this is what someone told him before entering junior year: “Get rid of procrastination!” Wang asserted. “I procrastinated a lot at the beginning of the year. I wasn’t using my study hours and free blocks wisely. But as workload got heavier, I started to realize that I will never finish my work if I procrastinate. Now I’ve really gotten better: I started using my time wisely and actually getting things done effectively.”
Unlike Wang, Bonnem received advice before going into junior year. “I would say the most important things to keep in mind is that getting a B is not going to stop you from getting into college — there is only so much a person can compromise their health, wellbeing, sleep for grades — and that junior spring is only as soul-crushing as you allow it to be. So much of the junior spring conundrum is about your mentality. If you tell yourself everything sucks, then everything is probably going to suck. If you can make it to spring term alive, then you can certainly make it out of spring term alive, too,” Bonnem expressed.
Many juniors also face the realization that their time at Choate is slowly coming to an end, and therefore they try to juggle a mass of coursework with clubs and extracurriculars. Bonnem explained this mentality: “I think my overall level of involvement has increased this year, whether that’s through clubs or music ensembles. Obviously, anyone can think back and say, ‘I wish I had done x and set myself up to get y leadership position,’ but I really try not to entertain any what-ifs or regrets. That being said, I have a habit of missing opportunities because I didn’t assert myself. If you get an email about an opportunity, and it grabs your interest, don’t let things slip by because you were unsure or lazy. You just end up feeling lame.”
Despite the stressful and seemingly negative aspects to being a fifth former, there are also perks to becoming a junior. Bonnem remarked, “Simply being an upperclassman is great, and you are perceived differently by the community. I can’t really explain how, it’s just a feeling. I was definitely getting more sleep last year, but having Wi-Fi until 12:00 a.m. makes a huge difference. It feels like I’m more in control of my life this year overall. Also, being able to take upper-level electives is fantastic, especially in humanities, because that’s an area where Choate really excels. If you’re someone who’s interested and feels comfortable with the workload, definitely take advantage of electives junior year.”
Desai also commented on the academic experiences available to him as a fifth former. He shared, “Living at the KEC and being able to bond with a small group of kids is the best part for me. I think sophomores should just look forward to junior year because you start to really become a leader of the school with things like prefect-ship, student council president, and many other positions.”
Junior year will likely be a tough year for most people. The Choate experience, in general, is a competitive and arduous journey. For underclassman, the mindset to transition into junior year should follow under what Bonnem summed up from her time as a fifth former: “Everything about this year also comes with a heightened sense of importance, but you learn to finesse work so well in fall, and, even if you’ve procrastinated for two weeks and do a project the period before it’s due, everything works itself out.”
