Advice for a rising junior?

yonceonhismouth
Sat, 16 Jul 2016 02:47:54 +0000

That is a lot of APs! As someone who just finished junior year, taking two and an honors class was stressful, so I am concerned about your mental health- you do need time to sleep, eat and simply have some fun. Junior year, IMO, is one of the toughest years of high school. That being said, I commend you for your dedication and commitment to rigorous classes.

I took APUSH and AP Lang (just the exam) this year, so I can offer advice for those two classes. APUSH was not difficult for me at all, but I love US History. My recommendations for APUSH are to stay completely on top of the readings- I would do all my readings for the week on Sunday, to free up my weeknights. Take diligent notes, and begin preparing at least a month in advance for the exam. Trust me, there is a lot of material to relearn from the beginning of the year. Get the Crash course book- it is so helpful.

The best prep for the AP Lang test is to read a lot, as it will make you a better writer. Again, get the crash course book. Honestly I studied for the exam 2 days before, read the whole book and read some tips online. I got a 5.

Find 2 or 3 subjects you like, and plan to take SAT Subject tests in them. Depending on what you want to major in (which you may not know yet, but if you have an idea it could help), one might need to be a science or a math. I mention this because often, for some of the tests, it is easier to take the SAT II during APs, since you are already reviewing. I did this for the US History subject test, with only one practice test the night before- it is a very easy SAT II. I would also recommend Math II, since you are taking BC Calc.

Lastly, join some fun clubs! Find an extracurricular you are really passionate about. Colleges want to see that you have a life outside of school. Best of luck for junior year!