Ahhh, Junior year of college. Senior year is so close, and freshman year was so long ago. Where has the time gone? You’re considered an upperclassman, but honestly, you still feel twelve. Freshman year me thought I would have my life together by now. What a joke. I feel like the sophomore slump has followed me to junior year…or is these still symptoms of senioritis from high school? The world may never know. What I do know, is that if you are a junior in college you most likely can relate to what I am about to say.
1.) You’re Running Everywhere, And Going Nowhere
Have you ever had that reoccurring dream that you are running away from the axe-murderer and no matter how fast you run, you simply can’t get away? Welcome to junior year. I feel as if I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off and am gaining zero ground. I try to get through things as efficiently as possible but I never seem to get a break.
2.) Your To-Do-List Never Ends. Ever.
Pretty much by the time you’re a junior most of your Gen-Eds are done with. At least I hope (and if not, I will pray for you.) So at this point, you are really starting to dive into your major related classes, which means two things. Number one, you’ll be receiving a lot more work because this information is important to your field. Number two, blowing off your Gen-Ed math class because you’ll “never need to know Pythagorean’s theorem,” is not a sufficient answer anymore. Everything you learn in major-related courses is irrelevant for your potential career, aka, show up and do all of your work.
3.) Staying In On The Weekend Sounds More Appealing
When did I turn into an elderly person?! I’m 20 years old, not 80. Honestly though, at the end of a crazy week, something about my bed and Netflix is calling my name!
4.) Mental Breakdown Are A Weekly Occurrence
No. I. Do. Not. Have. My. Life. Figured. Out. Yet. But hey, thanks for asking! When you are a junior in college you realize you are closer to senior year then you are to freshman year, and you know what’s after senior year? REAL LIFE. I am not ready for that, so I am just going to continue to cry every week about how stressed I am and think about being an adult later. Sounds like a reasonable and grown up plan if you ask me!
5.) Freshman Think You Know What You Are Doing
Well at least someone believes in us right? Freshman are so naïve. Constantly stopping us for directions on how to get places or even asking us for advice. When a junior answers with “I am actually not sure,” often times the Freshies look confused and question “aren’t you an upperclassman?” Why yes, yes I am, but let me lift this magical spell off of you that was also cast on freshman year me too. Juniors walk around just as clueless as freshman, sometimes you never grow out of it.
6.) Build A Resume Is Shoved Down Your Throat
“Wow, that would look really great on your resume!” A phrase I am all too familiar with, but what no one tells you is that you will be sleep deprived, stressed and overwhelmed while trying to build said resume. As a junior, you really have to start planning your next step, whether it is graduate school or the work force, one must make themselves marketable, but balancing school work and extracurricular activities to build a resume is NO easy task. What talents do I really have? I am a pretty good ice cream eater!
7.) What's Your Next Step?
Go Fish… I have no idea. Grad School? Work? I don’t know what my next step is and it’s making me nervous because I am going to have to get it together here pretty soon.
8.) You Can Still Have Fun With The Best Of Them
Okay, so you’re a Junior, but you aren’t really a grandma like I said before. Sometimes a night in is much needed. But us juniors know we are awkwardly in the middle of life phases. We can stress with the best of them, like seniors and have fun with the best of them like freshmen.
To the Class of 2018, all my junior friends, we are going to make it I promise! We are just all going to screech into graduation riding the struggle bus together!! See you there!
