Since we’ve been in high school, we’ve all heard the statement “junior year is the hardest year.” I am currently a junior and let me tell you, I thought this year was a challenge while I was still attending school, and right as I was getting the hang of it, a curveball was thrown my way. 

I walked into junior year full of worry about what the year would bring me, but I never thought it would end this way. Junior year is the year you are supposed to take the state-wide ACT, PSAT, as well as a challenging course schedule with few electives, and on top of all that, you’re supposed to figure out where you want to go to college or what you plan to do after high school. My grade’s junior year has definitely been different from anyone else’s. 

Since the coronavirus pandemic canceled school, our state-wide ACT was canceled. That test is free to us and many people use that to get an idea of whether they need to take it again or not. Normally each time the ACT is taken, it costs about $60, which makes the free one a big deal to many people. Our end of the year MAPS testing was also canceled which helps us figure out whether we qualify to take honors classes or not. 

Juniors also have the opportunity to plan prom. Our class fundraised and had everything planned out. Many students had already bought dresses and had dates. The theme this year was supposed to be a Hollywood Red Carpet. This is upsetting to the whole school because almost everyone looks forward to Prom and After-Prom. Sadly, all of the work that the juniors did seems like it was a waste of time. 

Junior year is full of once in a lifetime experiences that we will never be able to experience. Juniors can apply to go to Cornhusker Girls/Boys State and Junior Law Cadet camps that take place over the summer, as well as other junior exclusive camps/activities. These applications take a lot of time and students also have to be interviewed and take tests. I was one of the students selected to go to Cornhusker Girls State in June and I was absolutely devastated when I found out it was canceled. 

Although the 2019-2020 school year ended in a completely different way than any of us expected, we must remember that everything happens for a reason and we must stay positive. Juniors need to remember that we successfully finished our most difficult year of high school, will still have an opportunity to take the ACT, and we still have senior year to make memories.