Ah, junior year... the beginning of the end. It's one of the most crucial years of an educational career. It's the year that pretty much everything you do matters. It's also, in my opinion, the "clean up" year. It's your last real chance to get your GPA up to par, as well as making sure almost all of your electives are out of the way. Then, when that's all done, it's time for you to look at schools and really start looking into your future plans. After barely surviving both my junior year of high schooland my junior year of college, I'm here to offer you a few tips that'll hopefully help you on your journey to adulting.

1. Looking at schools is hard, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

If you're in high school, junior year is where you start to compile your top choice colleges and begin looking into the application processes. It's hard to decide what career path you want to take, but by now you probably have a general idea. My suggestion is that you write a list of no more than three (so you don't stress yourself out) majors that interest you and would benefit your future career plans. If you have an idea of where you'd like to locate to, do a simple search of colleges. You can break down the specifics such as if you want to go to a smaller or bigger school, etc. Use this website to help.

2. It's okay to have fun, but don't overdo it.

This is actually really important because it's so easy to get carried away, especially in college. For me, freshman year was my "freedom year." I was away from home for the first time on my own and couldn't wait to bask in that newfound freedom. Staying out all night, partying, the usual; everybody did, does and will do it. Usually this flame will start to die out during sophomore year. On the off chance that it hasn't by then, that's totally cool, you should have fun... but also get it together.

3. C's might get degrees, but it won't do you any good.

The whole "C's get degrees" thing is complete B.S. I don't care what anyone has ever told you, everyone has the ability to get above a C average. However, that ability decreases when you try to skate through your college career. You're literally getting yourself nowhere, so just aim high. This is where my first piece of advice comes into play. You can go out and drink any day of your life, but you'll never get another shot (no pun intended) in college. Don't screw it up now.

4. Try to pick up some sort of extracurricular activity.

In high school, it might be band, sports, or chorus. In college, it could be a club or two. Whatever it is, pick something up. You'll want a break a few times a week in order to surround yourself with different people in a fun environment. This is the best type of break to take from your work, especially since it's only a few times a week.

5. Make the most of it.

Along with your extracurricular(s), make memories with your friends. You only get to do this once. I know I said don't go crazy, and I still mean that, but there's no problem with having a little fun when your work is done.

6. Sleep for more than six hours.

It's really important that you try to sleep whenever you can. Your brain won't work if you're exhausted. Try not to leave things until the last minute, you don't want to be a zombie the next day.

Good luck everyone!