We all have that one day of the week that we dread getting up for. For some, it’s the Mondays they have work or school. For others, it may be a day where they have a special task after work or school. Even in my glory days (7th-9th grade), I had these type of days as did many of my colleagues. However, these were minimal typically on the basis of one time a week. Sadly for us, this is junior year, not only the most critical year of high school (as we have been reminded of on a frequent basis) but also the year where we become true men. One of the burdens of this is the increase in these dreaded days. While many who experience this do not name it, I (as my readers know) am not the norm. I label these days as ‘work days’. For my readers who are juniors, you know exactly what these days are like and why they have grown exponentially in recent time. But, for my readers who are not juniors, I can explain why the number of work days increases. The equation is quite simple. As junior years progresses, the pressure to succeed increases. This is not just in school but also in extracurricular activities and standardized test scores as well. Certain extracurriculars call many to work out or put in extra practice of their craft. One common burden shared among all of us is our preparation for our standardized exams. These two tasks alone call for large amounts of time to be taken. These increase the amount of work one will do each day and when these are in addition to practice or a game these can be brutal. I will be honest. These days are sometimes no fun at all. I guess the silver lining is that you will truly earn your sleep on these days.

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mitopencourseware/3971218827