Junior

Your junior year is an important time in high school. This year is all about getting ready for what comes next and finding out what you’re passionate about. We’ve made a list of tips to help you do your best this year. Let’s get started!

Tips for a Great Junior Year:

• Find Your Favorite Activities: Choose a few clubs or activities you really love. Doing a few things well is better than trying to do too many.
• Set Big Goals: Think about what you want to achieve in school and in life. Aim high!
• Meet New People: There are lots of people outside of school who can help you learn about jobs and careers. Ask people in the community, friends of the family, and relatives about their careers and how they prepared to work in their fields.
• Start Thinking about College: Look into different colleges and see what you need to get in. If you haven’t started getting ready for the SAT or ACT, now is a good time.
• Study Smart: Find the best ways for you to study. Maybe you need a quiet space, or maybe you learn best in groups. Find out what works for you.
• Try New Things: Look for chances to learn outside of school. This could be internships, shadowing someone at their job, or volunteering.
• Take Challenging Classes: If you haven’t yet, challenge yourself to take rigorous classes, such as honors, IB, or AP. They can help you prepare for postsecondary-level work, and they might even count for college credits.
• Search for Scholarships: There are scholarships out there for lots of different things. Start looking for ones that fit you. Ask your school counselor if you need assistance, or visit our scholarship page.
• Visit Colleges: If you can, visit a few colleges. It’s a great way to see what college is like.

Resources

ECMC Opportunity Guide English | Spanish - This free college-planning publication provides students and families with important information and tools to guide their pursuit of education after high school. 
College Explorer Tool - Check out this tool that shows you information on schools all across the country. See admission rates, average cost of attendance, popular majors, average salary after graduation, and more.
Virginia Education Wizard - A website that helps students explore careers and colleges, discover jobs in demand, plan for their future, build resumes, and create their Academic and Career Plan all in one place.