Dear Juniors,

We get it- you’re overwhelmed. Between the AP classes, intense course load, heaping extracurriculars, homework, social stress, transition to in-person learning, COVID and your ceaseless complaining about your lack of parking, it’s a rough time to be a junior. But you don’t have to act like you’re carrying the cross on your back. To be frank, it’s going to get worse. But good news, after that it’s going to get better. I know that’s cliche, and seems unhelpful, especially since it doesn’t seem like it changes anything now. Honestly, it kind of doesn’t change anything now, but what I really mean is that whatever’s going on right now is absolutely not important in the big scheme of your life.

I don’t want to be that person telling you not to put effort into your schoolwork, although as a senior I do a little bit, but honestly? It doesn’t matter; that feeling of being crushed you feel right now is not only temporary, but also useless. The day to day stresses, the little fires that you seem to be constantly putting out, yet another English essay, for example, only for a new problem to spring up? They won’t stop coming, but they will slow down. It’s not like the fate of the free world depends on you getting an A in precalc. Then we’d really be in trouble. 

You have to learn to care a little less, stop dreading and find enjoyment even when working through the next problem someone gives you, or in your case, the next assignment due at midnight. If you put effort into the things you care about, and can stomach a little extra effort for the things you don’t, you’ll be fine. 

To leave you with one last piece of advice, I’ll tell you something a senior told me when I was a sophomore. They urged me to put all my effort into whatever I was doing, but to accept that there would have to be things I wouldn’t be able to do. I had to prioritize. I urge the same thing. Try as hard as you can, but be willing to let some things just not matter to you. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Sincerely,

A senior