Advice for junior year

[Anonymous]

We’re approaching junior year, one of several upcoming in our family. I know it’s DCs juniors year, not mine, but I’m feeling anxious about their workload, standardized exams, and the loads of other responsibilities. So many moving pieces that need to fall into place all while staying healthy physically and emotionally. For seasoned parents, how did you best support your kid?

[Anonymous]

College or HS?

[Anonymous]

HS

[Anonymous]

Maybe post in the HS or Teen forum?

[Anonymous]

in same boat--- with me going through a likely cancer diagnosis....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re approaching junior year, one of several upcoming in our family. I know it’s DCs juniors year, not mine, but I’m feeling anxious about their workload, standardized exams, and the loads of other responsibilities. So many moving pieces that need to fall into place all while staying healthy physically and emotionally. For seasoned parents, how did you best support your kid?

It wasn't that bad for my kids at all. You can make it stressful if you want though.

[Anonymous]

Just help them stay on track of all the stuff they have to do. Be supportive, show no stress of your own. Don't project your anxieties and outsized dreams onto them.

This is a huge year of starting to figure out who they want to be, and a lot of them stress because they just don't know yet and keep getting messages like they should. Some do know and stress that it is not achievable. So you have to work to stay neutral and make sure they know there are many paths forward and no wrong way.

[Anonymous]

Make sure that they know that there's life beyond the top whatever schools, that the world won't end if they get a B, and that it's ok if they don't know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life.

In other words, try to reduce the pressure that they are going to get from everyone else.

[Anonymous]

It was a rough year in our house. I think how it goes is very dependent on the kid. I think getting off to a good start academically is important as it helps take the pressure off a bit. Figure out a plan for standardized testing be try to do college visits when schools are in session. Make a balanced college list. Get excited about a safety or likely school. Start by visiting those likely schools.

[Anonymous]

It is a tough year - hard to do everything - hard classes, time consuming ECs and college visits. We decided that not everything had to be perfect and put off the college visits for summer. If it feels essential to see a college in session we'll try to squeeze it in in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure that they know that there's life beyond the top whatever schools, that the world won't end if they get a B, and that it's ok if they don't know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life.

In other words, try to reduce the pressure that they are going to get from everyone else.

+1 and focus early college search on finding a safety they would be happy with.

[Anonymous]

It was tough to fit in everything. When they had competing demands we stressed grades/classwork came first, then EC’s, then test prep. Also worked on a balance college list early so I could sign up/plan visits the limited time we had and could minimize missing school and ECs. Basically between Presidents’ Day weekend, spring break, and Easter break junior year we covered most of the further away college visits. For popular schools I had to be ready to sign up for the tour when they opened up the date.

I didn’t really check grades by junior year but I would pay attention to progress reports and near end of the grading cycle when they had those on the cusp grades, maybe that B- that they need to fight to make sure it didn’t become a C or that B+ that had a chance of an A - I feel like for both kids foreign language was that class.

Other than that at a certain point you find the college that fits your kids profile and there isn’t much more they can do than have a good strategy for applying (EA, ED, balanced list etc.) and writing good essays.

[Anonymous]

Please help them to get plenty of sleep. So important for every aspect of their health.
Help them find and experience joy even while going through this busy and hard time. Life is for living.
Help them see that the dream school thing is not the way to approach - they can be happy at so many schools.
Help them tell their story in the best way they can.
Help them understand that results are not personal (they might feel so).
Convey that while the process of getting into college is a grind, once there they will find they have more free time, and a world of freedom to decide how they will spend it.
This too shall pass, and all will be okay. For you and for your student. 😊

[Anonymous]

That was the year I was much more lenient on household chores. Things like no worries - I’ll do the dishes tonight so you can get back to your studying. Just like you’d support a spouse in a work crunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:in same boat--- with me going through a likely cancer diagnosis....

Oh jeez, hugs to you.