With senior year quickly approaching, many juniors have a lot to start thinking about.

Because of COVID-19, the only complete school year the Class of 2022 has had was freshman year. Senior year brings a lot of stress and anxiety, some of which are already being experienced by juniors.

Scholarships, SATs & ACTs, and applications come with lots of pressure, and it can be hard to manage some of the anxiety. Carving out time for yourself is very important. Being able to take breaks from studying has also proven to be beneficial.

Thankfully, there is plenty of help available at Ben Davis. We have a college and career readiness department that operates out of our media center and we have a college-focused counselor in Y.A. Perez, who updates students daily on scholarship opportunities and college visits. These departments are here to help students prepare for lifer after high school so it is to your benefit to get to know Wendy Skibinski and Adam Pearish in the media center and Perez in the counselors office.

When studying for standardized tests or looking for scholarships, you can create a schedule. For every hour you put into studying/researching, you can take a 15 minute break, or something of the sorts. Burnout is also a very real thing. 

SAT & ACT dates for the fall of 2021 are already out, so it is important to get signed up as soon as you can if you choose to take those tests. Khan Academy has great study materials that are customized to your abilities. There are also plenty of other resources including YouTube videos and study books. 

When it comes to scholarships, there are plenty to choose from. There are scholarships for just about anything. Be sure to be aware of deadlines. There are many websites that have master lists of scholarships. You can usually even set filters to see which ones you’d qualify for. Reaching out to your counselor is always a good option too.

Most college applications open on August 1, and close between December-February. Be sure to know the specific requirements your schools ask for. You may have to get letters of recommendations from teachers or counselors, so it is better to start sooner rather than later. Some colleges have a specific application, and others just use the Common Application. All of those questions can be answered by reaching out to the admissions offices, or even a simple Google search. 

While this is an extremely stressful time, it can also be fun and exciting. Moving into the next chapter of our lives should be a fun time, so be sure to embrace every minute of it.