Junior year; this is theoretically the worst year that accompanies the 4 worst years of your life. Odds are it’s the hardest year when it comes to classes, it’s the year that colleges look at the most, and for most, the year someone takes the SAT. Not to mention you still get looked down on by seniors who’ve been coasting all year. Most importantly, it’s a year where you begin to find out who you want to be. It’s the year you begin to craft your future, so you best not screw it up. This one goes out to all the juniors out there. Freshies have there owned piece and well sophomores… you guys just aren’t interesting enough to warrant an article.

1. Your opinions aren’t special. You aren’t some enlightened being who’s facts and statistics were sent down from on high for you and only you to deliver them to the uneducated masses. Nobody cares how many Ben Shapiro videos you’ve watched and nobody wants to know your opinion on Socialism. Your opinions have been said before and they will be said till the end of time by countless more Juniors who think they’re pundits. When you see people as fools just waiting to be taught, you become the fool. In reality, politics aren’t such a huge deal. It’s not your job to spread your opinions to everyone who disagrees. If you were secure in your beliefs, you wouldn’t care what others think.
2.  Don’t decide on your future yet.  Junior year is when you realize that high school won’t last forever.  You have a whole future ahead of you and everyone around you is pushing you to acknowledge it and set yourself on a permanent path.  The reality is your interests and personality can change on a dime in this time in your life. One week you’re an emo goth girl who hates her parents and wants to live in her college boyfriends trailer.  Next week you want to be something in the STEM field where you want to “make a difference”, whatever that means. Let’s be real, you’ve got no clue and that’s perfectly fine. Wait until you’re sure to decide who you are.
3.  You aren’t alone. Junior year can be stressful as all hell. The world is constantly throwing obstacles at you. It may not be the biggest challenge you’ll ever face, but for the time being, it might as well be. There are so many people ready to help you.  Parents, siblings, friends, teachers, counselors, and even people online may understand what you’re going through. Any problem you face has been met before and conquered. Just ask someone for help, no need to play lone wolf to impress people, nobody is buying it.

In truth, I hate my junior self more than any other stage of my life. I look back on that year with nothing but disgust and shame. Not everyone has to feel that though. Follow my advice or don’t, but I hope it helps. Granted, my opinion shouldn’t matter anyway, right?