For those of us who are juniors this year, we have heard many warnings about the expectations in our third year of high school. Most descriptions include words like tiring, stressful, and aggravating to describe the workload, college visits, and standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. Assuming the current seniors are accurate in their stories of junior year, it sounds like we will have to strap in for a long, bumpy ride this year. Many of us have teachers who we only knew prior to this year by their infamous reputations for either lengthy homework or impossible tests. We, the juniors, are beginning to adjust to the more challenging class schedule and looming standardized tests that will be administered throughout the year. Not only does school leave you mentally exhausted, but many juniors also play important roles on their respective varsity sports teams.

Although the struggle to balance school, tests, and sports leads to many sleepless nights, the juniors are also starting to experience good things as a result of their age and grade. The most apparent of these is that several juniors have passed their driver’s test and are officially driving alone now. Many students are becoming accustomed to seeing new faces driving into to Oratory with each passing day. A new sense of freedom comes along with this significant change. The junior class also attended its first college fair on October 10th at Mount St. Mary’s. A variety of schools across the country will be attempting to persuade students from Oratory to choose to apply to their school at college fairs like this past one. The year promises to be packed with many new adventures that all juniors can choose to embrace.