SAT.  ACT.  AP’s.  College Visits.

Next year will be stressful for current CHS sophomores, but The Observer has created a “Junior Year Survival Guide,” with several tips on how to stay organized.

1.      Buy a Planner

Now more than ever, this is crucial as juniors must juggle rigorous coursework, standardized test preparation, extracurriculars, and preliminary college research.

Many juniors believe keeping a planner helped them maintain strong organization skills throughout the year.

“I always knew what assessments I had each day and I knew what my deadlines were,” junior Antonia Gaviria said.  “This allowed me to be organized and manage my time wisely.”

2.      Start Studying for the SAT/ACT

Test preparation companies such as Barron’s and Princeton Review have prep guide books with full-length practice tests and scoring keys for juniors who do not know which test is right for the

They should then take their better test in the fall to at least get an idea of where they stand halfway through the year.

According to junior Zach Silver, who took the October SAT, getting an early start on standardized testing allowed him to “purely focus on school work” afterwards, which made his life “considerably easier.”

3.      Start Researching Colleges

It is never too early to start.

While juniors will not receive their Naviance account login information until December, they can still conduct a CollegeBoard.com search to begin exploring possible college options.

They should then visit the College/Career Center, which hosts college admissions representatives from across the country, this fall.

“This is a great way to learn about different colleges and the admissions/application requirements,” College/Career Information Coordinator Luana Zimmerman said.

Hopefully these pointers will make for a relaxing and enjoyable junior year.  Keep calm and study on, bulldogs!