Coming into the 2018-2019 school year, there is a whole new group of students making the transition from sophomore year, to junior year – a transition that is a lot bigger of a deal than people make it out to be. Myself being one of these students, I have seen a HUGE difference between the years (both good and bad).
To start with the good, being a junior in college feels a lot more comfortable than the previous years. You know people, have a solid friend group, and have found your rhythm with whatever lifestyle you have chosen to live. There is a more solid understanding of how to handle your free time, which comes with a stronger work ethic. Being able to manage a part-time job and a full-time class schedule becomes easier to handle. Something that I have loved about the start of my junior year has been actually knowing people as I go throughout my day or night. Whether I am going out to a house party, or just walking between classes I find myself having real conversations with a lot more of my friends than I did in the past few years. Whether this is because I am just becoming more comfortable with myself, or because I recognize a lot more people after two years of college, I can tell that this year is different!
But then there are the rough aspects… real life is hard. As a junior in college you have a lot more responsibilities that you haven’t had to take on before. Whether it is more extra curriculars, or extra bills there is more on every juniors plate than they have dealt with before. Because of this, a lot more stress is added on top this year – which means that selfcare is even more important now than ever! All students need to be sure to be taking care of their health and wellbeing this semester, but with added responsibility comes added stress. Finding free time to relax is a necessity we need to be aware of.
It’ll take some hard work, but it seems like Junior Year is going to be a pretty awesome one yet.